Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-02-20

til the surrender of Lee at AppOmat-
tox.
A heavy rain fell steadily during
the entire night, but when daylight
appeared the heavy clouds drifted
away and the sun came up brightly
just as we reached the historic city OF
san Antonio. Here l found that the
train l was on was bound for Mexico
and l would have TO wait until six
O'Clock in the afternoon for the one
bound for San Francisco. / boarded a
shabby street car, the propelling pow
er of which was a l~ong-eared Texas
mule, and rode up into the city,a dist
ance Of about three-quarters of a mile.
After getting a very good breakfast at
a restaurant, where l was waited on
BY a s~lant-eyed, pigtailed Chinaman,
started out to view the town. As
the streets were nothing but rivers Of
mud and the crossings YER covered
with it so deep that it was difficult to
get from one street to another with
out getting swamped, l sOo gave 1t
up and started out to find the old
Alamo.
San Antonio is almost surrounded
by a dense thicket Of mesqult brush,
and it has the most crooked streets OF
any town / ever saw. / thought that
when they laid out the streets they
bad followed the tracks Of a lc. OF
Mexicans who we're so staggering
drunk that they didn't know where or
In what direction they were going.
The old Alamo was built In l722 and
stands on the east side and near the
north end Of the plaza, which Is about
fifty yards wide and one hundred and
fifty yards long, and, with the excep.
tion Of a modern iron roof, the histor-
ic old building stands to-day as grim
and gloomy as IL did on March 8, 1885
when Col. Travis and lsl a brave mer
as even stood on shoe leather, were
overwhelmed and butchered by ths
cruel, inhuman and murderOus SAINTS
Anna. 1t is a stone building, thu
walls being several feet thick and the
front shows innumerabl scars made b.
: bullets fred by the Mexicans during
: the battle. Col Travis, from Soutl
E Carolina, Col. Bowie, the inventor 0
9 the famous knife that bears his name
y from Georgia, and Col. Crockett tn
widely known and famous Tennesset
S an, were the most notable men VIII
It lost their lives on that eventful 9Th {
S March, sixty years ago. Since tn
: dawn Of creation, no Drawer MOI game
men ever lived on earth, and thel
e names win be indelibly linked wit
that historic old church, where the
fell.
l returned to the railway static
IS about 3 o'clock 10 the afternoon an
finding il rather dull there, TO pa
i the time away, | walked up to Il
D roundhuuse, and there ! met the o.
Waterman. He was a genial an
sociable son Of the "Auld Sod AM
IS finding that be was a good talker,
sat down on a rough bench by his sic
and be told me the following story:
Ie Those brave and dauntless Texan
Col. Travis and his men, did not d
j. lighting until the last one vas kilt
IS by the Mexicans, as history tells
they did. lived seven years In Il
state Of Chihuahua, in Old Mexic
. and, during that time, / became a
q~uainted with several old soldiers wi
81 were with Gen. Santa Anna when Il
. old Alamo was captured by him, an
they all told the same story in regal
Be 10 how il was taken. They said ths
2 when OIL. Travis and his men We
q completely worn out by ceaseleI
a. watching and continual ightinI
p their ammunition exhausted and mar
. OF them sick and wounded, Santa A.
e ma sent word TO them that II ths
would surrender he would treat the.
W.
as prisoners Of war, and, the bra'
Texans seeing the utter bopelessneI
OF continuing the struggle sceepts
his terms and laid down their arms.
in "But no sooner had the Texal
ID marched out Of the old Alamo tina
ie by Santa Annals orders, they we're q
m~ercilessly shot, like dogs, in u
is plaza. Then a large Pile Of dry wOC
was placed in the middle OF the plai
Dr. and all Of the dead bodies thrown
II top Of it and burned 20 ashes. "
Americans seem 10 have very enron
Gus ideas m regard 10 what kind
people the Mexicans are You thir
that they are all thieves, robbei
murdeTers and cutthroats. AS a ma
ter Of fact, they are just the reverse
what you imagine them 20 be, for
more honest, generous. kind and waTE
hearted people than ] found them
be | never lived among in my III
While | was living In that country
was engaged in hauling silver ore fro
the mines. Iowned eight wagons al
: the finest teams OF oxen in Mexieo,aE
I was doing a prosperous business u
= I'll a band Of maraudlng Apache Inc
!. ans suddenly brought IL 10 an en-
T. The town where / lived was govern,
by one man, Fl Capitan-the CAPITA.
he was called, AMI his word was u
law and Il was strictly obeyed. Oh
= time there was a religious celebrate
. beng held at the mines and as
4 lasted more than a week | had 10 Il
d 90 until il was owe / had a lar
Is corral at the edge Of town where
9 kept my cattle at night and eve
murning ! had a boy 10 drive the
~seyeral miles out on the prairie
pasture during the day and bril-
them back 10 the corral at nigh
Early one morning ] went with Il
B. bog 70 the corral 70 turn the oatt
Z out and Wa surprised 10 lind q
bas down and the cattle gUne.
thought that Mexicans had stol,
= them in the night and ] went 70
Captain and told him ~. You a
mistaken,' said be; they were stol'
8 BY the Apache Indians. You go boa
aod get your breakfast and then bril-
9 Jour hons gun and q pair Of blanke
y with you and meet me 81 the plaza
Qo'clock viii have the bells FuE