The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-01-02
Notes by the Way.
+. 4. v. BUpDENBRoCE

L or the southern Sehtlncl.
Mr.. Editor my return from tie
West. my health has continued SO feeble
that could not give attention to writing
as / would like, and undertake the task
to-day with reluctance.
Referring to my note book, find San
Antonio the starting place for this scroll.
| have never seen such 4 town. There is
by way of contrast. old Spain blended
with new America; the old town still oc-
eupied altogether by foreigners with their
little shops. narrow and crooked streets,
and .dingy and dilapidated houses; while
the American side of the town has wide
and beautifully shaded streets. large and
stately reside noes and business houses.
parks and street ears; and there is about
as little business between the two sectors
as between the Jews and Samaritans;
they scarcely recognize each Others pres
ence. One can scarcely prevent the facts
OF history Of 1886 from intruding. The
fact that here the daring and true Crock
EFT and Travis, and their confedcra,es,
were bu:chered without mercy, and their
bodies burned to ashes i'm one heap. is
enough TO make one feel revengeful. The
old Texan there looks upon but one word
in the whole Lexicon rs neaner than
coward, and that is s.Spaniard." There
are mere homicides around San Antonio
| and San Jaeinto, than any other part of
the State. Before leaving the ssStates,"
| judging from the geography. expected
| Railroad travel would end Mt San Anto-
MO, but not so; here is the Galveston.
Harrisburg and West Texas, running al
most parallel with the International and
Great Northern, for 80 miles, then turn
| ing Northwest, strikes the Rio Grsinde
near the confluence of the Rio Peccs riv-
er, which it crosses, thence up the Rio
Grande until it intersects the L. & p. X.
Read, ut Fort Campbell, about 100 miles
east of FL Paso. The International and
Great Northern crosses the Rio Grande at
Laredo, l50 miles from San Antonio.
Leaving San Antonio, you whirl at once
into the '.land Of border romance. thrill
ing adventures, and. narrow escapes,
which. If true. would make a history de-
| failing Inassacres and bloodshed. more
startling than s'Western wilds, or adven-
lures in the Rocky Mountains
The land from San Antonio to Laredo
Is rolling Prairie, with now and then a
a river or creek, with considerable bottom
ffinged with low, scrubby timber. sparse
ly settled, except By ranchmen; but evil
IDENTIFY the land is very fertile, being a
black. friable soil, sometimes chocolate
colored, which is said to be the best on
Texas domain. The approach to Laredo
is, for grand scenery, what the golden
gate Is to San Francisco. Laredo has
about 1000 inhabitants: Railroads, the
International, which crosses the Rio
Grande aud on to Monterey; the Corpus
Christi, San Diego and Rio Grande. and
the Rio Grande and Rio Ricaes Railroad.
"a miles above Laredo, on the last named
Railroad, is the School land coal mine.
and miles further North the San Tomas
coal mines, both being worked with inn
mense profits; the fogmer yielding to the
public school fund a handsome annual
sum.
At Laredo, the Woman's Foreign Mis-
sionary Society Of the II. T. Church South
have Seminary for girls presided over
by Miss Emory Holding Of Kentucky, as
sisted by her sister. and Miss Lowland Of
Texas, doing a fine work, but what 4
conglomerated crowd. The Mexicans are
dirty, slosenly. lazy, but polite people,
and greatly need education; the eleYa-
ting principles Of the gospel, and soap