The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-08-28

places of interest OF this historic city.
First we made our way to the govern
ment barracks. | will pass them by as
| they will not be of much interest to your
readers most OF whom have visited Fort
ress Monroe, and have an idea how Uncle
Sam does things down there. The only
difference is one is land fortress and the
| other water; the exterior is very different
| but the grounds and barracks inside are
| very much the same.
| | will now speak of that historic old
fortress the Alamo around which cluster
/ many sad memories of the past, and OF
which | wrote hHriedly in my previous
| letter The Alamo rs it stands to-day
presents but IL shadOwy outline OF what
| it was. The walls that once surrounded
it are gone and only the original walls OF
the mission proper remain. History tells
us that in March. 1896, this fort WAS
held by the Texan patriot Travis with
176 men, for II days against 1000
picked troops under the immediate COM
mand of Mexico's greatest general, Santa
| Anna On the morning of the 18th day
with bands playing the Hymn of the
| Dead" the Alamo was assaulted by the
entire force and after q most desperate
and determined hand to hand resistance
| by the handful of brave and heroic de-
| tenders the Alamo fell. The enemies
were in the court. The Texans were lit
orally cut to pieces, yet not one fell un-
avenged. The court ran with blood, but
the conflict did not cease until every one
of the noble band lay bleeding sacrifice
upon his country's altar. "Death and
Santa Anna held the place." By order
of Santa Anna the bodies of the Texans
were thrown in pile and burned. This
was the funeral pyre, while the one thous-
and and six hundred dead Mexicans were
taken to the cemetery for burial. AS we
enter the yard we observe the spot where
David Crockett fell, and about him laid
score of bodies to show his work. On the
left as we gain admittance is the room
occupied by the gallant Bowie who was
too weak to rise from his bed. He shot
with his revolver two fends who were
preparing to butcher him.
| The city of San Antonio is beautifully
located, it's long axis being North and
South. The San Antonio river courses
the whole length of the city. The river
in itself is wonderful. 1t runs from q Sc
ries of boiling springs three miles from
the city and runs directly through
being spanned by ID bridges. With
population of forty thousand San An
tonic presents a strange spectacle. Side
| by side with the old adobes which are
rapidly giving way to the new order of
things, stands the palatial residence of
the rich merchant and the cotton king.
Side by side with the old historic churches
and missions massive modern Christian
temples rear their spires high heaven
ward. | could say much about the sim
gular population but time will not per-
init. 1t is simply cosmopolitan. All
nationalities are represented, the Amer
lean, Spaniard, Irish, English, Mexican,
Indian, halfbreed and negro.
We now are off to Laredo 200 miles
away on the Rio Grande river. The
country through which we pass for about
40 miles is in a state of partial cultiva-
ton; the remaining distance is nothing
but an open prairie, with occasional
ranches, occupied by ranchmen and their
COW boys. The growth upon these vast
plains consists of cactus, muskeet and
chaparal with an occasional field of small
live oaks. Laredo the "Gate City" as it
is called, is on the North bank of the Rio
Grande, and has a population of eight
thousand. Just across the river is Neu-
eva Laredo, a Mexican city of four thOus-
and. For a hundred miles Or more in
every direction is a vast uncultivated
prairie. | do not understand upon what
these cities growth and subsistence de-
pend. The railroad shops of the Mexi-
can & International are situated here.
| We get dinner and are off for this city
| (Monterey). Leaving Laredo the train
runs for one hundred miles through a
level and uncultivated section, until we
reach Lampazas; the country and scen-
cry now is noticeably fine. Billaldama is
the next place OF Importance it being a
| 10, Chi %0+. 4Lo Co.
mines of Gaudaoupe. From here on the
character of the country improves until
we arrive at Monterey where all kinds of
plant life are wonderfully luxuriant
This city, situated at an altitude of ZOO
feet, is one of the most beautifully To-
Gated of Mexican cities. Built on the
foot hills Of the Sierra Madre on it's left
is the most peculiar of all mountains, La
Silla, so named from it's resemblance
to Spanish saddle. To the West is the
Las Mitias. Behind the city is the lofty
mother range lowering 1000 feet above
the plain. This city is in the most public
valley of Northern Mexico. 1t has pop
ulation Of 10000. 1t has a fine cathe-
dral and an artistically beautiful piazza,
and many curiOusly constructed build
| ings. Near the city is the famous and
historic Bishops Palace formerly used
for a garrison, and played a conspicuous
part in the battle of Monterey; all of
which you can gather from reading the
history of the war with Mexico. From
the Bishops Palace we took a street car
and wendell our way through the mar
row streets until again we reached the
open country. Continuing our journey
we were soon at the celebrated Topo
Chico Springs. These springs are said to
possess all the healing virtues OF the Hot
Springs of Arkansas, and are fast becom-
| ing noted as health resort. From the
Bishops Palace one can overlook the
valley OF Monterey extending almost one
hundred miles down between the noun
tain ranges. This valley is in a high
state of cultivation and is the source of
the city's supply of vegetables and fruits
of all kinds. The merciful hand of Prov
idence has bestowed on the Mexicans a
magnificent lard Astounding in resources
of all kinds-"a land where none ought
to be poor, and where misery ought to
be unknown a land whose products
and riches of every kind are abundant
and as varied as they are rich 1t seems
to be country endowed to profusion
with every gift that man can desire or
envy all the metals from gold to lead :;
every sort of climate from perpetual snow
| to tropical heat, and land of uncOnceiv-
able fertility.
Tired and hungry We return to our
hotel for dinner and rest. From IL M
to 3 p. M is called 'siesta," or map in
the middle of the day." all business being
suspended during the hot period of the
day. Dinner and siesta being over we
again sally forth to see the strange sights
and curious people. After leaving the
public squares every street is a photo
graph of the one you have just left The
buildings one story high built of adobe
with windows barricaded with strong
iron grating and the streets being very
narrow suggest the idea that you are
passing through an immense penitenti-
airy. In the heart OF the city is a large
spring from which flows a stream closely
approximating in size a river which is
walled on each side with solid stone. 1t
is about 30 feet wide and from to 4