San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-09-02
SAN ANTONIO.
HER NATURAL ADVANTAGES AND
MANY RESOURCES.

| Antonio says: This city, located In the
valley OF the San Antonio River, in
Bexar County, possesses an extern
sive and diversified trade and a
large and cosmopolitan population. The
county, inclusive OF the city, contains
5l,UU0 pop Iiation, and the population Of
the city alone is 80 900. The county con-
tains 500, S65 acres of land, and of that
| amount %, eco acres are located In the
city limits. The $50, sos acres exclusive
| OF the city acreage is valued at S6,Sl2,-
| 326, and the city property, with it's i'm
| prOyements, S33, sos, $50. The value Of
the various branches OF merchandise
sold during the past twelve months Is
estimated ut S9,73S, $50. or the exports
the business In cotton amounts to 1900
bales, worth $500, 900; $1,000 hides sold
at an average OF II cents per pound,
Sl42, 100. The sale Of goat and sheep
skins amounted to $4,000.
The wool trade, one of the most i'm
portant Industries, amounted last fall to
| 100000 pounds and this spring to
100000. The average price per pound
for the 100000 pounds of this staple
was IL cents per pound, and the sum
realized Sl,530,0O0.
The grain trade amounted to 365, 900
bushels OF corn and the same number Of
oats, which, valued each at 80 cents,
amounted to Sl26, $50 each.
In live stock, in addition to the $3.50
head OF horses driven and shipped
through here, there were $500 head sold
here and shipped, and the average price
was Sl3, or 81 800.
The transactions in cattle In San
Antonio amounted only to about 10000
head, but the exports by rail from here
have been Al $50 head, and about as
many have been driven through here.
The cattle trade for the year Is esti-
mated at $4,000
The government disburses about three
millions of dollars here per annum in the
purchase of supplies and stores and the
payment OF troops. Within the past
twelve months the amount spent on mil
itary buildings is $4,000, and the
amount to be expended on the postoffice
and federal court building and purchase
ofthe site is $3.50, 900. The counties trib-
utary to the trade OF San Antonio are:
Bexar, Comal, Hays, Kendall, Bsndera.
Kerr, Gillespie, Llano, Mason, Medina,
Karnes, Wilson, Atascosa, Uyalde, Nc
Kinney, Guadalupe. Frio, Nueces, Bee,
Zapata, Zavalla, Arkansas, McMullen, La
Sale, Encinal, Webb, Duvsl, Live Oak,
San Patricio, Refugio, Menard, Kimball,
Edwards, Blsnco.
The railways Centering here are the
International Gould system,) Sunset
(Southern Pacific,) San Antonio and
Arkansas Pass. The latter is completed
TO within eighteen miles of Corpus
Christi and TWENTY-FIVE miles from its
gulf terminus at HarbOr Island. Work
commenced on its Waco tap from Ken
nedy station, sixty miles south Of here,
| last week, and construction will be be-
| gun on its northwestern extension next
week.
The school facilities are superior.
There are in the city nine public schools
for white and two for colored pupils,
and two more Of the latter are to be
erected shortly. There are 65 teachers
and the attendance over 1900; and the
attendance at the other schools, acade-
mics and colleges Is about 1900 more.
The last scholastic census gives the num-
Der OF children In the city of the schol-
astic age as 1868. There are AZ county
schools outside of the city, and the
county scholastic population is 365l.
Among the manufactures are two
breweries, four Touring mills, one cot
ton seed Oil and cake factory, one bsk-
ing powder factory, four ice factories.
one canning factory NOW idle), one wool
securing mill, and a wooden factory is
shortly to be established here.
The Touring mills receive small por-
ton Of the wheat consumed by them
from Bexar, Comal, Hays, Kendall, Kerr
and Gillespie counties, but the bulk Of
their wheat comes from Northern Texas
and Kansas.
There are five daily newspapers here,
viz: The Express (morning paper
| Times, LIGHT, Evening Paper, and Freie
Presse GERMANY The four latter are
published in the afternoon. There are
two Spanish weeklies, one English semi
weekly, two German weeklies and three
English weekly papers. Besides these
The Galveston and Dallas News circu-
late largely In this city and section, and
the Times-Democrat, OF New Orleans,
and Globe-Democrat, Of st. Louis, also
circulate In this field.
| San Antonio has two halls, used as
theatres, and handsome opera house is
| now in course OF construction and will
be completed by January /, 1887. There
10 also variety show here. The city Is
lighted with gas. There was an electric
light company here, but 1t collapsed and
another is In process OF formation. The
water supply Is furnished by the wa
ter works company, a private corpora
tion. The water Is obtained from
the head springs OF the San
Antonio river three miles north OF the
city. The land about the city is princi-
| pally arabic and about 5000 acres OF Ii is
irrigated, and large portion Of the val
ley lands are irrigable. The principal
| portion OF the lands about the county
and In surrounding counties is grazing
land. The population is composed prin.
cipally OF Americans. Germans, and
Mexicans, but all nationalities on the
| globe are represented here. AS a rule
the population is both thrifty and pro-
| gressive. The city Is rapidly improving,
but not with the same degree as during
the great building boom OF four years
ago, but In every quarter the city new
buildings are being erected. Rents are
high, and rents for stores are higher
than the business done warrants. Wages
for skilled labor are fair and uDskilled
labor is paid for at the rate Of from 20
cents to 81 per diem.
| The social advantages are excellent
and embrace societies Of almost all or
ders, both secret and social, known
The county and city taken together are
democratic, but the city is close be-
tween the democratic and republican
parties, both claiming it. When repub.
llcans fuse with elements OF the demo.
cracy the regular democratic ticket Il
defeated in the city, and, generally
speaking, In the county.
The religious facilities are excellent
They embrace twenty-five churches o.
all denominations. The catholics pre-,
dominate.
Taking the trade Of the city and sec
| tiOn ALL around and II comnaraa favor