The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-03-15
OKLAHOMAN
ON HISTORIC
TEXAS SOIL
Continued from Second page.


ton into practice will be satisfied with
10 per cent Of the proceeds to be used for
advertising purposes. to convince the rest
Of the world that they are entirely mis-
taken in regard to Kansas women folk
and that when it comes to a comparison
Kansas can show more beauties than any
other state and all the territories except
one-Oklahoma-
But to return to San Antonio. It Is
full Of curious contrasts from it's build
ings to its people. Occasionally see the
old time ranches and cowboy, who forget
that the world moves, and have fallen
behind the procession. The revolver Is
missing, but there still remains the buck
skin shirt and top boots into which his
! trouser legs are carelessly thrust, while
his hat band is OF rattlesnake skin. His
| hat is usually a large Mexican affair,
while the old standby, his spurs, adorn
! his high-heeled boots, Perhaps within a
! few feet Of him will be anoter type. wo
looks as though he was the late edition
Of a fashion plate. In some parts Of the
town are to be found fine, luxurious
dwellings, while across the street viii be
the Mexican hovel filed with children and
sit uated along side other that deal only
in curiosities peculiar to hundred years
ago. such as Indian weapons Mexican
curiossities and old world goods.
The Mex,cans I have so far seen are
all very dark and closely resemble the
ArapahOe Indian They have the Same
straight, blacg hair and high cheek bones
and are a remorse, suEen people. Their
main occupation seems to be seeing hot
tamaIes and Mexican candy. They viii
have a little table covered with their
wares and stand silently for hours on the
street corners. never uttering a word ex-
cept in answer to a question as to the
price OF their goods. They seem to sell
a large amount Of their candy as nearly
all have empty tables when night over
takes them. The ca ndy is said TO bs
very fine but I haven't tasted it, as I am
told it is made in their homes, and if the
dirt of the vender is a fair sample Of
the cleanliness Of their houses I am
afraid it would not stand inspection by
a sanitary board.
one very noticeable thing here IS the
small percentage Of very poor people.
EVERYTHING is busting and everybody is
at work The labor unions seem to con-
troll everything. as I see signs in all store
windows. stating that only union clerks
are employed and that all close at $50
In meet the wishes of the union. Every
hotel and restaurant has the sign, "only
union cooks and walters employed, while
the saloons employ only union bartend-
ersers. One saloon has the sign, ''we
employ only union help and sell union
whisky to be drank by union people"
The street car men lately passed
through a successful strike in which
their demands for nine hour day was
granted. The first men 70 on at o'clock
m. and work until p. m, when the
next shift comes on and works until mid
night. Their wages are sl-5O per day. I
/ ind that all men employed as drivers OF
any work except day labor. receive $500
per week and are paid every Saturday
night. Sanitation seems TO be carefully
/ looked after as every half a block tin
boxes are nailed uD with the words "be
sanitary and be safe Throw trash in this
box. Cards lacked up everywhere read,
/ 800 fin efor throwing trash in the
! streets" I notice that all orange and
/ banana peeling and peanut shells as
/ we'll as waste paper is deposited in the
boxes instead of being thrown on the
| Sidewalk TO become a menace to passers
! bv. The ordinance against splitting on
! the sidewalk is rigidly observed and it
helps the appearances greatly. Every
time / read those signs it recalls to mind
/ the nuisance i'm the shape Of a tobacco
/ chewer who seems to delight to make a
/ puddle on The sidewalk and thinks it
/ fun TO see ladies' skirts spoiled by drag
! ging through it. ! have about come to
! to conclusion that Texas is not the back
/ number she is supposed to be but that
the people are up-to-date wide-awake,
hustling people from whom others might
receive valuable suggestions
I have been inquiring what supports
such large population. as there is no
farming country around here and the
grass is SO short that it takes from ten
70 twelve acres to support one COW. There
are no natural advantages Of location.
while the only natural resources are air
/ anw wator. The air attracts the invalid
while the water caused the establishment
/ Of the breweries, and as far as ] can see,
/ they combined are the support of the
plsce. OF course the large business
houses paw out a great deal of money
! for salaries. as do also the railroads
/ there being three divisions of trunk lines
here but these were really an after eff
feet and not a cause. If it had not been
/ for the air To attract the invalid and the
water to bring the breweries doubt II
! the place would ever have been a CITY
! OF course there Is not q great deal Of
/ trade with Mexico which viii grow ard