The Newtown bee., 1904-03-18
LOCAL AFFAIRS.
 E. L. JOHNSON WRITES INTEREsTINGLY OF HIS TRIP ACROSS THE CONTINENT. CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONEl.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE oNEl.

by daylight. We reached San Antonio about noon on Monday. It was Wash ington's birthday, and as we neared the town the first thing to attract at. tention was Old Glory floating from a flag stan 2000 miles distant from our Connecticut home. Did it stir any emotion in the heart? What do you think? San Antonio occupies an in- teresting place in American history, and we were wide-awake to take in all we could of it. It was singular coin- cidence that our first sight of the place should be on the day of the an- niversary of the siege of the Alamo, February 22, 1S36. And right here we would call the attention of our chill dren who are studying American his tory to the fact that for Texas, from the time San Antonio was settled by the Spaniards, in 1889, until the defeat of the Mexican dictator, Santa Ana, who marched into Texas with the avowed purpose of conquering the Texans and bringing them under the rule of Mexico in 1886, there was al- most constant trouble for 15O years, during which time the Texans showed themselves capable of self government and made heroic sacrifices of both blood and treasure to obtain their in- dependence. It was at the battle of the Alamo, now in the heart of the city of San Antonio, that one of the bloodiest battles of modern times was ever fought. The Texans to the num- ber of 190 retreated to the Alamo to make their final stand against a Mex ican force of 5000. The siege lasted for several days, and when the final attack came not man would surren- der, and when at last the enemy en- tered the fort, the slaughter was kept up until every man within was killed; 2O00 dead bodies of Mexicans testified to the terrible conflict. Do you won- der that the Alamo is preserved as a sacred relic of unexampled Texan bravery, and that the city will ever guard 1t with jealous, as well as jealous, prideP It is open daily. from 8 a. m. to 5 p. m., and admission free. No American going through the place should fail to see the building of such historic fame. It has been said, "Thermopylae had it's messenger of defeat; the Alamo had none." Santa Ana captured the Alamo, but he met his final defeat at the battle of San Jacinto in 1886, which closed the war and gave Texas her independence. While later. the defeat of Mexico by the United States brought about the annexation of Texas, and made her one with us in the galaxy of states. There are several old Spanish mission build ings in and about the city, that are of peculiar interest, and it's nearness to the Mexican line gives quite a Mexican mixture to its cosmopolitan popula. tion. Just before our train hauled in, an excursion train had gone out on a six hours run to take excursionists at s2.50 the ndtrip to witness a bull fight just over the border line. So you see how near we came to witnessing a
 bull fight. But then we can see bull
 fight at home if we try hard enough
 My Yankee inquisitiveness led me tc ask lots of questions, and we were told that there was great laxity of law and
 order in San Antonio, and that, in
 fact, with the exception of three
 things, man could do anything he