The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-08

lvened with United States soldiers from Fort Sam Houston, and throngs of Mex jeans headed toward the gaming table or the dance hall. These forms of amuse- ment are much sought after by both sol- diers and Mexicans, and the mingling of army uniforms with peaked sombreros in the glare of electric lights adds much to the picturesqueness of the street scenes in the evening, when everyone is on pleasure bent. Occasionally, also, a dlminutive son of Mexico will come riding sedately along astride a burro not much larger than a goat, possibly bent on an errand for the padre, who sells candy at the corner
 To complete the charm of San Antonio sluggish little stream. the San Antonio river, winds through the, heart of the , town. At every turn bridges embowered in trees, span the river presenting a strange contrast to the asphalt pave- ments, changing trolley cars and other evidences of city life
 The Alamo.
 The very first thing the visitor wishes to see when he arrives in San Antonio Is rhe Alamo. The historic old structure is in an excellent state of preservation, and a school boy who has ever seen a pic ture of the famous church would recog- nize it at a glance The building is now the property of the state of Texas. ana ths American Thermopylae' is guarded with jealous care by all loyal sons of the Lone Star state.
 A new roof has been put on the Alamo, but even that has now grown old and the rest of the chapel is just as it was wben The heroic band of Texans defend- ed 1t to the death. The church is kept open during regular hours every day, and Is in charge of lady who, in addition to her other du- ties, sells curios. A large register for visitors is kept, and every day rumber of naues are added. The inter- for of the mission is bare save for a few relics of the battle, an old pistol. q few osinon balls and sabre. On the wall hangs a brief history of the church of the Alamo.
 There is hardly an hour in the day that some one is not strolling about in the dimly-licited nave or the adjacent cham hers, gazing thougEtfully at the powder tlackened walls. The Alamo is as peace full and still today as it YVES when the riiests celebrated mass at the altar sixty yeers ago. The monastery adjacent is now occupied by a wholesale grocery firm.
 Beautiful Plaza.
 The Alamo plaza Is one of the prettiest
  nodern hotel hy the side of the dim, erey walls of the Alamo; at one end is the government building, constructed of white stone after the style of a feudal castle, and the other two sides are bound ed by business blocks The center of the plaza is a small park kept in perfect der. It is very pleasant to sit here in the ey ening among the flow CTS and watch the people passing in and out of the brightly lighted stores, md the carriages, trolley GETS and automo piles spinning by Another place of interest is Fort sam Houston situated on an eminence just outside of the city. The post is a large enc and well acquirped Several thou- ss nd soldiers are stationed here, and the officers play a conspicuous part .n the social life of the town. One of the crack batteries of the United States army is the leading attI action which Fort sam Houston cffers to visitors. The Amer ican flag waving over the post is about the most home-liixe thing to be seen in San Antonio.
 Next to. the Alamo in interest are the