San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-09-29
EARLY DAYS.
SAN ANTONIO VIEWED IN THE
PAST.


Street Loafers of Today.
Few people know San Antonio
and the surrounding country bet
ter than does DR.. Rudolph Menger.
He used to chase the festive cot
tontail with a "niggershooter"
when the land that is now occu-
pied by the business houses on
East Houston street was lost in
an impenetrable mesquite chappa-
raj.
DIR. Max Lindner has been in
San Antonio a long time too, not
enough however to have joined
DIR. Menger on his "niggershooter"
expeditions. Still it was a long
time ago when the two gentlemen
met. DIR. Menger was telling a
most astounding deer story at the
time. DR.. Lindner liked that, DIR.
Lindner did; for he, too, was a re-
markable hunter-to hear him tell
about it. Naturally a fast friend
ship Immediately sprung up be-
tween these two men and then DR..
Lindner started wholesale chick
en- ranch-but then, that is another
story.
They were great hunters, Doc
tor .Menger and Doctor Lind
ner were. If the reports,
which they industriously circula-
ted, were true, they alone, and only
they, are responsible for the disap-
pearance of the buffalo, deer and
wild turkey from BeXar county.
At any rate, the two gentlemen
were continually on the hunt for
the noble game and some unique
experiences fell to their lot. DR..
Menger is collecting these old
stories of the chase and Is publish
ing them in serial form in the
ch-TeXanisches MonatsHeft,"
with a view to reproduce them in
book form when the series is COM
pleted.
The following translation Of a
chapter to appear in an early num-
Der of the journal gives an interest
ing view of what San Antonio
looked like in days long gone by:
Some forty years ago most Of
the Texas cities, and especially our
beautiful and historic city OF San
Antonio, resembled more Next
can or Spanish village than our
present modern and we'll regu-
lated city, with its conven-
fences, it's many elegant resi-
depces and public institu tions,
excellent schools and street
improvements, well-paved parks,
etc. In those years the public
plazas were filled with stagnant
water and many of the streets
were great swamps after each rain.
These plazas in San Antonio, the
Alamo and Main, and the many
parks, including the beautiful San
Pedro Springs, have all been grad
ually transformed into charming
promenades and flower gardens,
the sight Of which, with all man.
uer of tropical plants, are a source
of delight to every tourist.
The numerous heavy rains, and
the consequent impossible roads to
the city and country, and the for
mer lack of transportation facili-
ties, gave rise to numerous incon-
Veniences, of which the present
generation can scarcely conceive.
In San Antonio the winding
river with its numerous creeks and
bitches, after these heavy showers,
swelled to such dimensions as to
overflow the main streets, carrying
with it bridges, bathing houses,
fences and even human beings.
Then too, in the vicinity of the city,
the creeks and water holes, during
the winter were constantly filled
with water, and it required only
short trip beyond the edge Of town,
about where Lakeview and West
End now lie, in order to shoot as
many wild ducks, snipe and other
game as one cared for, in a very
short time. On the open prairie
there existed in such wet seasons
open lagoons and far reaching
swamps, which were alive with
wild ducks, king snipes, curlews,
plover and cranes.
The Indians dwelt in those years
In and around the town, often mo-
Testing the farmers as we'll as the
Inhabitants of the city, while other
more peaceful Indians carried on
trade with the residents. One OF
the principal headquarters was the
old Odet building where the
Alamo brewery now stands-and
/ still have vivid recollections OF
how in that, an old Spanish fort
like building, a group of gorgeous
ly painted, black haired Indians,
wrapped In gaudy Mexican blank
cts, with their squaws and child
rem around them, were gathered
about a big camp fire, going