The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-28
LIFE IN TEXAS AND MEXICO.
Lands That Are Full of Comfort and In
terest for Invalid and Traveller.
The Spot Where Crockett Died-The Hot
Springs and the Bathers at Aguas Cali
enteS-In the Mexican Capital.
Correspondence of the Indian apolis Journal

SAN ANTONIO, Tex, Feb. 18.-Squandering
money to go to Europe in search of odd places
and people is folly, when one can come to this
quaint old polyglot city of $4,000 inhabitants,
and find novelties in architecture, dress. man
and customs which will interest and in
struct for weeks, And then the winter climate
How it delights the cold-fghter of the North to
revel in May days during February, shed his over
coat, and walk or ride in pure. dry atmosphere
for hours, and not be afraid of colds. How he
smiles when the native calls it cold at from 4O0
to co. Fahrenheit; and how grateful he is to find
that the Manitoba blizzard peters out and gets
ashamed of itself by the time it blows down
here and is only called ''norther."
This balmy air is good for everything AS
came down. at one of the stations not far north
of here, looked out and saw 'the Immortal j.
N" pacing the platform. He was long-haired,
poorly dressed and wld-eyed of old, and
looked like he might be figuring how he could
beat the railroad out of a ride to the next town.
I Invent out and spoke to him.
"What are you doing down here, j. ny"
asked.
Game to this glorious country to relieve the
pressure'-lift the veil' amt crazy now-the
climate has cured me-"
While wouldn't advise turning this part of
Texas into an insane reservation can say for
it that it is delightful place in winter for in
valids, especially those having lung diseases,
and .many are availing themselves of it's advan-
tages. This winter the hotels and boarding
houses are not so full as usual, on account of a
foolish scare. caused by few cases of smallpox
that developed in January. DR.. LighShall,
"the Diamond King" died of it, and his
camp was quarantined for weeks. This was tele-
graphed all over the country, and many persons
thought the disease was epidemic, and were de-
tered from coming here. At no time was there
any danger Of the spread of the scourge, and it
is now without any foothold whatever.
The months of March and April are said to be
the most delightful of the year here as the
foliage is then in it's glory and, for those who
have only short time to stay, then is the time
to come Even now though, the gardens are all
planted and showing green, the farmers are
planting corn, and. after the next rain-which
does not come often-the whole country will be
beautiful.
The visitor not only finds nature good to him,
but he finds much of interest to see and study.
Here is place that has been settled for over
$50 years. place which has history full of ro-
nance and deeds of valor On these plazas. and
about these mission churches desperate battles
have been fought and in the low stone houses
that are still standing In the city by the side of
the modern massive neutrality-suspicious. of
people have been born, have lived, loved, died,
and have been forgotten.
About two hundred years ago adventurous
Spanish soldiers campedin this lovely valley and
later reported its beauties to the King of Spain
Large grants of land were made, and some
twenty years later Catholic missionaries began
to establish missions and convert the Indians.
From ITO to 1925 they built the wonderful
structures found in the valley, at Intervals of
few miles apart, with some skilled labor, but
mostly by that of the Indians. These establish
ments were fortresses well as churches, and
were of the most solid character. They are all
now in ruins. A town gradually grew on the
west side Of the river where the main plaza
Military Plaza-and cathedral now are and an
other on the east side. whore the Alamo mission
and fort were located and eventually they came
together and made the present city. Until
the railroads came it was without modern
houses the buildings were of stone
and one story high, the streets
were narrow and unimproved and in all respects
it was Mexican town. Within the last fifteen
years, however, modern improvements have
crowded out the Mexican, and there is only
enough left of him, his architecture and his
ways of doing things, to impart picturesque
fittest, and the Mexican, like the Indian, must
get out of the way of the American.
Prior to 1886 Texas of the States of
the Mexican Republic. Inducements, in the
shape of grants of lands. had been offered by the
Mexican government to colonists, and many
men had from the United States and
settled within her borders. Not satisfied with
the government of Santa Anna, who was then
President, they rebelled and in 1885 quite
large force was sent up to Texas to suppress
the patriots. This army reached San Antonio
only to be surrounded by the Texans, and forced
to surrender, after some desperate fighting
Some of the old buildings on the streets leading
into the main plaza yet show marks of this con
fict. The Mexicans dispersed and small gar
rson of Texans remained in possession of the
Alamo.
Early in January, 1885, Santa Anna started
himself, with several thousand troops, and de-
termined to punish the Texans. By the latter
part of February of that year he had surrounded,
with his Z 900 troops, the little band of ITO in
the Alamo fort; and then took place one of the
most gallant defenses On the one side and the
most brutal butchery on the other, that history
has ever recorded. During the ten days proceed
ing the 9th of March, 1886, these 40 men and
Is more who broke through the Mexican lines
and went in to aid their friends, held at bay this
large force. Assault after assault was made by
Santa Anna without avail and it was only after
he had placed his most timd men in front and
forced them. at the point of the bayonet, over
the walls, that his army gained an entrance
Once inside, his troops overpowered the Texans,
who fought and fell fighting as only brave men
can Travis. Bowie, Bonham and famous Davy
Crockett gave their lives with all the rest, and
no one of the 1873 was left to tell the story. The
wife of Lieutenant Dickerson, an infant daugh-
ter and Mexican nurse were all that came out
of the tort alive. The bodies of the Texans
were horribly mutilated aud then burned.
Santa Anna, elated with this victory, marched
east against the army of Gen. Sam Houston but
was badly defeated at San Jacinto, and surren-
dered, and Texas gained Its independence. From
1886 to 1916 it was republic and in the latter
year was admitted to the Union.
stood in the old church of the Alamo which
was in one corner of the old walled Enclosure,
and now is owned by the State, and looked out
at the spot where Crockett gave up his life, and
where others went, fighting, into eternity. 1t is
now plaza, and over every foot OF the ground
where these men fought, the busy feet of men
| are tramping daily. street-car track cuts