The Opelousas courier., 1894-12-22
FROM THE ALAMO CITY.

Although San Antonio, with its exuberant
gardens, its commingling of people, Its ruins
and memorials of three centuries and as many
nominations" its heroic traditions, it's pecu-
liarities and characteristics, blending with
aspects distinctively Southern a trife of the
foreign and antique,-has been written OF ably
and oft, still the temptation is irresistible to
add yet another drop to the overlooking
bucket.
The general elevation of the city above sea
level is about seven hundred feet: consequently
at this altitude and latitude the air is excep-
tionally warm, dry and pure; the mean tenn
perature is SO, the thermometer rarely falling
below freezing point or ever remaining there
long.
The annual rainfall varies from 20 to 40
inches, the water supply being obtained from
the San Antonio River by means of hydrants:
The river has its source in a group of natural
fountains, gushing from the hills about four
miles north OF the city; having a length of
fifteen miles IN its windings from its source to
the lower city line, and falling 1O3 feet. Its
tortuous course adds greatly to the picturesque
ness of the city, its banks being covered by
tropie groWths, and fifteen iron bridges span
Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of
San Antonio is her pLasaS or open squares.
there being about a dozen of them, ranging in
area from two to six acres. Several of them
have been improved and beautided with garden
plots; of them, Main, Military (so called be-
cause it was the training ground for the Spanish
by), and Alamo are the most attractive-the
latter OF course being near the historic pile it
The Alamo! All, what tragic scenes those
old stone walls have witnessed-how intensely
dramatic and irresistlbly pathetic! AS one
walks slowly through the old rooms, where
each foot of surface is a page of history, ones
blood thrills at the memory of the herOism here
perpetuated,-a herOism both moral and phys
ical, beginning in the old days when the noble
Franciscan Fathers risked life and liberty for
the cause they loved SO well, and eliminating
in the death-struggle OF Travis and his gallant
band in those awful days OF SO.
"Live on, grow old, thou glorious Alamo!
Grow old in years, for thou canst never grow
Proclaim in living strains thy tale of woe,
And let thy blood-stained walls to Texas tell,
How her immortal heroes conquered tho they
fell"
There was an Indian village on the site of
the scene; and the first European settlement
was made by the Spaniards about the same
time that the venerable Penn was founding his
City OF BrOthefly LOve-and broad streets.
San Antonio was chartered by royal grant in
1888, the present city having an area Of SO
square miles.
The new County Court House, City Hall,
Post Office and Opera House are the most nota-
BILE OF the city's many elegant stone structures
the Post Office being particularly pleasing in
its modified Moresque style OF architecture,
with a frieze of historical character represent
ing San Antonio's past.
Space prohibits that I should say more about
this fascinating city, whose Yesterday was one
of keen vicissitudes; whose Today is one of
substantial growth, and whose Tomorrow will
be one Of houndless possibility and perhaps 1t
is just as well, since it is impossible to do JUS
tice to a subject SO replete with constantly
renewed suggestion. A. NJ. Il.