San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-05-31
OUR CAPACITY.
CAN WE ACCOMMODATE THE
VISITORS?
Interesting Facts on Travel to San
Antonio Number of Hotels and
Boarding HOuses-CniOn Depot.

boarding hOuseS-l mon Depot.
1t is healthy sign if city can boast Of
a large daily hotel patronage or traffic
and it is fine thing if She has good hotel
accommodations. Undoubtedly such is
the case in San Antonio, where there is an
immense daily arrival Of strangers.
We have twenty regular hotels. one
hundred and ten boarding houses and
sixty restaurants, which, when running
at full capacity, can accommodate a very
great number of visitors.
The hotel trade in this city consists of a
greater part of Texas people coming
chiefly from adjacent towns. although
very large number of northern and east
ern people register here daily. 1t is
estimated that about $50 visitors from
towns in Texas arrive here every day.
while the number of strangers from out
side of the state amounts TO about 80
making the average daily arrivals in this
city about 800.
The amount of baggage carried by each
averages - TO 100 pounds 10 the man.
This lot of freight, i'm most cases. is hauled
from the depot to the hotel and from the
hotel back to the depot. also giving TO the
city transfer and express nice little pile OF
work. On this point, one of our leading
transformer expressed his ideas some
what as follows:
The people say. I'VE must have Union
depot. but they have never thought
over the matter. a union depot is ii det-
riment to the town. Here is a case: Il
gentleman arrives on Il train. takes hack
into the city, stops at the hotel. probably
gets a shave. spends a few cents here and
few cents there. takes a hack to the
next depot. and by the time he gets off.
hn N l.ft a faNr 6nll1r ShahipH him
an average. the stranger who lays over
here in this city. spends fully five dollars.
not only that. he gets drive through the
city: if the town awakenS any interest in
him. he will see if his ticket gives him
time TO stay over day or two. if it does
not permit him. maybe be will be able 10
stay over on his return. and il is not very
seldom that he comes out with a corner
lot on his hands.
Then comes the Union depot. The
time tables are all SO arranged that he
has but a chance Of remaining only thirty
minutes in the city. He takes fifteen
cent lunch and leaves. Not only that,
he does not get chance to see the town,
but only passes through the outskirts.
Take Fort Worth with its eleven or
twelve railroads and its Union depot.
There are are more strangers passing
through that town than through any one
place in Texas: but the strangers passing
through San Antonio. though less in
number, benefit the city far more than
all the visitors that pass through Fort
Worth benefit that city. Yes. a Union
depot here would entail a loss to the city
of fully 100000 year. 1t is little more
convenient for those travelling, but it is a
detriment to the city"
There has been considerable travelling
going on thus far. and according 10 Chief
Clerk BrOwder. of the Menger. the out
/ lonly for bntal nor 6D ba
ing season is very promising. This will
undoubtedly be the heaviest summer, fall
and winter season that we have had for
years. he said. But the city seems to
be fully prepared for it," The Menger,
said he, had enough sleeping apartments
TO comfortably care for from three to four
hundred people. There is one improve
| ment that the Menger intends 30 make.
said Mr.. BrOwder, probably Within a
month. and that is, attaching to the hOtlc
one of the finest saloons in the South.
The patronage of the Menger and the
Maverick consists chiefly of strangers
from outside of the state. while that of
the Mahncke. southern. Central and 9TH
erS is made up mainly of visitors from adj
jacent and other Texas towns. Formerly,
the reporter was told, the hotel patronage
consisted chiefly of invalidS. now it is
composed, for the most part. of solid bust
ness men and healthy pleasure seekers.
The five hundred daily arrivals. of
whom we have spoken before, is merely
the daily average. there having been
times when all the hotels and boarding
houses in town could not accommodate
the visitors. Such an occasion was our
first Fair. few years ago. when a num-
Der of people were compelled to prOmen-
ade up and down the streets or sleep in
the hotel chairs for want of proper aC
COmmOdatiOnS. and another such occasion
may perhaps be the case, though not so
much so as formerly, either the State En-
campment, the Democratic Convention or
the Fair.
The hotel accommodations, how
ever, have improved considerably the
last few years, and it is thought that
with a little eXertiOn or cO-Opera-
tiOn on the part of private families, San
Antonio will be able TO take care of about
5000 strangers.
The state encampment will undOubted
ly bring into the city thousands of visit
OrS, the republican convention will GER
tainly bring great number of strangers,
the Fair will crowd the city with pleasure
seekers and the convention of the demo-
cratic party with its alleged 10000 ma
jOrity will give us great mass of Stran-
gers. In fact says one who is well
posted in the matter. this convention
will bring more visitors to the city at one
time than the fair will during an equal
space of time" But our Fair, in the end
will land by far more visitors within the
gates of the Alamo city. than we are won't
to calculate on. The heavy travelling
that is now being done. and that prom
iSes to materialize this summer fall and
winter, places this assertion within the
| pale of dead certainty.
The committee of arrangements when
it is definitely settled that the encamp-
ment is coming to San Antonio. will pre-
| pare a cOmpete list Of all hOtelS and