The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1885-06-10
DOWN IN TEXAS,
THE ALAMO, SPANISH MISSIONS,
SAN JOSE, CATHOLIC CEMETERY
AND OTHER OBJECTS DE-
SCRIBED.
Extracts from an Interesting and In
structivC Letter from a Highland
Boy.


Morrow, Of this city, written by her brother
Frank, Of Houston, Texas. Mr. Morrow is
with the Harrisburg and San
Antonio railroad. The extracts given be-
low will prove exceedingly interesting TO
our readers. After giving other items Of
local interest and telling us there are about
five hundred saloons in San Antonio, he
continues i'm this manner:
But I must tell you moro of the Alamo
City. The study of architecture can be
made very interesting as San Auto. con-
tains specimens of all classes, from the
Mexican Jocal (ha-cal) to magnificent stone
business blocks five stories in height The |
first are very interesting, being built Of
sticks aud mud and covered with matched |
roof-strNw with pole or two to keep it in |.
place. Many of these have no door except !
a hole in the wall with no means of closing
it, Some have chimneys others nothing
but the open doorway. A house of this
kind, 12x15 feet will accommodate about a
dozen Meyicons Of all ages, with a dog or
two thrown in. used to think some of
the negro shanties at home were hard
enough, but they are palaces compared to
the Mexican jacal We passed one where
several children were playing in the dirt
near the street car track. One little fellow
about four years old seemed to be superin-
tending the work on hand as he stood upon
q slight elevation with his hands behind
him looking like king. OF course he was
in full dress-a calico waist cut Mother
Hubbard style, Just covering the upper por-
ton of his chest and arms. The remainder
of the costume was supplied by nature, and
seemed to fit him perfectly It was a
daisy summer costume, but would not adj
wise any of you to make one until the ther-
mometer climbs up d few degrees. But
the first thing one asks on meeting n stran-
ger is "have you seen the Miseions?n
These were built by the Spaniards about
175 years ago and extend in line from
San Antonio to the Rio Graudo, situated
from two to five miles apart. The first is
the Alamo. Next comes Conception two
miles from town. To this we walked Sat
urday afternoon. After leaving the town
we follow the S. Anto. River and soon come
near enough to see the tops of the towers
above the trees Concepcionis too modern
to be interesting. The exterior has been
well preserved, particularly the main por-
ton. The rear portion looks old, the walls
are crumbling, the roof covered with a
growth of cactus, but, being used as a hab.
itation by family of greasers, who use the
most interesting portion for COW shed
loses much of its attractiveness. The nave
is still in use, services being held regularly.
The interior you have a view of, too The
walls have a suggestion Of O late coat OF
whitewash, and taken all together is much
too modern. They have register for the
names of visitors, also contribution box
which they do not fail to show you. We
were considerably disgusted, but on our re
turn to town We're told that we made mis-
take in not going on to San Jose (O-za)
Next day we decided to do so, and after
dinner procured horse and buggy ant
started. First we visited the cemetery, sit
uated ON hill east Of town. 1t is divided
up into sections, each fenced in, making
look like a town, each section containing
about ten acres. One is devoted to thu
Catholics, another to Jews, then a uumbe
of secret societies are represented, and il
the center is the National burying ground
OF course it is the incest, being surrounde,
by stone wall and kept in good order
They have a great many graves placed clos
together in long rows, each with a smal
head stone, although a large stone is some
times supplied by friends From there w
started to San Jose, and wishing to go by
different route we started out for ourselves
On getting out on the prairie we eucouu
tered a mesquite chapparel which had road
running through it in all directions. W
guessed at one but missed it and had {
turn back two or three times losing almol
an hour At last we came in sight Of tn
first and struck out across the prairi,
Passing this one without stopping we wen
soon on the right road. This two mil
drive is very pretty being through timbC
part Of the way, and particularly so whel
it crosses the river, which is swift runuiu
clear strerm, about as large as Clear Creel
I wish could describe the old mission
It is grand, although fast going to ruiz
% Very little is left of tho roof and that q
the lower portions. The front is decorate
with figures Of heroic size which hay
been mutilated with the exception of tw.
which are still perfect, The building is
stone and concrete, and when they wei
first built must have been grand The e.
terror seems to have been painted, a po
ton of which can still be seen on the lea
exposed places Not solid color but la
of in a sort Of geometrioal pattern outline
in red and blue. Some of the origin
o doors still stand. -Four inches thick
y cedar, carved in high relief, originally, b
3 now Of course the carving has all been c
- away. Nothing remains of the nave b
the front wall and one side wall and a sml