San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-06-08
TUESDAY, JUNE s, 1886.
THOSE PLAoUsY PLAzAS.

THOSE PlAGUEI PLAZAS'
enthusiastically our city fathers in
council assembled, moved thereto by the
inspiration of their own eloquence, pass
resolutions for the Improvement OF the
plaZas, Like the natural man behold
ing his face in glass, and departing
straightway foTgets what manner OF
man he was, these city cOuncilmen seem
to forget as soon as they leave their as
sembly chamber the spirit that moved
them while there. At least, the resolu-
tions so generally spread upon the
minutes result in nothing practical, and
the old eyesores continue year in and
year out. The thing grows mOnOtonou'.
Our plazas are speedy alterations from
impossible mud holes in wet weather,
to unbeatable dust breeders in dry
weather. In neither condition do they
reject credit upon the city and are, as
at present conditioned, of no earthly use
to the city, save as hack stands, MeXi-
can restaurants and camping grounds
for itinerant vendors of patent medi-
Gins, and other travelling quaCks and
mOntebanks. Ankle deep in mud, or
sole deep in dust; without a semblanCe
Of shade by day, or the ghost Of an at
traction by night they serve no useful
purpose, and only leave the stranger to
wonder for what IneXplicable reason
they are maintained. The idea of the
plaza was borrowed from the Mexican,
but the American borrower has been,
in this instance, only too careful not to
initiate his Mexican original and make
OF his plaza thing of beauty and
perpetual joy. Not long since the
city council appropriated certain sum
for the paving of the plazas. Before
either Main or Alamo plaza is paved
some respectable landscape gardener
should be employed to lay out the plaza
as a park. Making ample provisions for
roadways and car tracks, the unoccupied
spaces should be Laid out artistically.
Trees, shrubs and Towering plants
should be set out, fountains erected and
seats furnished for pedestrians. The
water flowing through Main plaza could
be very easily utilized for irrigating pur-
poses until the whole plaza would be
living bower of greatness, GOODNESS and
shade. Two-thirds of the surface could
be sodded and the rest paved. This
would do away with the mud in wet
weather and with the dust in dry sea-
sons. There is ample room for all this
and sufficient ground left for carriage
tracks, car tracks and hack stand, on
both Main and Alamo plazas. On Mill
tary plaza all that would be necessary
would be thorough drainage and paw
ing, as this plaza would be left for the
market OF the clty-as 1t is at present.
Fashion theatre band, and others, could
be induced to add the attractions of
their music to the plaza should il be-
come, as it ought, the evening place of
resort for those who are too remote from
San Pedro and the suburbs to take ad-
vantage Of their GOODNESS and shade in
the evening hours Of our summer
season. Make those plazas what they
should be and they would add dollars
to the value of every foot of property
fronting on them; they would attract
strangers as nothing now within our
city does; they would serve to add to
the fame OF our beautiful Alamo City
and draw visitors from all sections Of
the state and the nation; they would be
the best advertising cards cur city could
possibly publish abroad; they would
speak for the refinement and public
spirit and good taste Of our citizens as
nothing else would; they would delight
us at home and proclaim her sylvan
beauties abroad. 1t is not q dry pave
ment that we want in our plazas. 1t is
to make them green spots in our city ;
cases in those deserts of dryness called
streets poems in leaf and flower, and
yerdure and color. All thisis easily pos
sible IL our city fathers will make SEN
slble use Of the materials at hand, and
devise and execute for the city as they
would for themselves; for the public
plazas as they would for their own pri-
yate grounds. .....n .....
I6rFor everything needed in the lum-