The Bottineau courant., 1906-02-16
NOTED EDIFICED DOOMED
Veramendi Palace, In Texas,
Soon to Be Dismantled.

Soon to Be Dismantled.
HOME OF EARLY SPANISH RULERS
Historic Adobe Building of San An
tonic, Which Was Erected Almost
Two Hundred Years Ago, Must Give
Way to March Of Progress-Its
walls Have Sheltered Many Makers
Of History.
The march of progress is to do what
centuries and two notable lombard
ments failed to accomplish, says San
Antonio (Tex.) special dispatch to the
st. Louis Republic.
The historic Veramendi palace, built
In San Antonio in 1717 by the Span.
iards, is soon to be torn down by the
city government. This palace was the
residence and Office of the earliest
Spanish and Mexican governors OF
Texas and Chihuahua. 1t was there
that General Santa Ana had his head.
quarters previous to his final attack on
the Alamo and the place of refuge of
his officers when they fed panic strick
en- toward Mexico after the humiliat
ing defeat at San Jacinto.
In the sitting room Of the palace
Colonel Bowie, that great Texas hero,
courted, won and wed his bride. It
was the temporary fort of Ben Milan
during the battle of San Antonio which
resulted in the capture Of the city from
the Mexicans. In one Of the rear rooms
Milan received the wound which re.
suited in his death.
The building stands far out into
Soledad street, which has now become
one of the city's busiest thoroughfares.
Owing TO the fact that the street in
from; OF the building is not wide enough
to let two ordinary vehicles pass in
comfort the city council has decreed
that it's historic wallis must be torn
down. Historic sentiment must not
impede the wheels Of modern COM
merce and force the busy vehicles to
go Il block out of their way in the rush
and hurry of business.
The condemnation Of the building has
raised storm Of Indignant protes;
from patriotic Texans all over the
state The Daughters of the Republic
vala and Miss Clara Driscoll, fought
hard to save the building but the city
government has no time to heed what
they term mere sentimental folly.
The Veramendi palace is only one
story in height and is typical adobe
building of the early Mexican times. 1t
has but six rooms and a courtyard, and
it is built on the banks of the San An.
tonic river. For many years it has
| been occupied as a cafe and restau-
| rant. Despite this fact it has been
| pointed to with pride by the old citi.
Zens as one of the most interesting
sights Of the city. In the walls had
been placed bronze tablets reciting the
many historic events which had taken
place within it's walls.
The entrance to the palace is guarded
| by two immense cedar doors made
| from heavy planks sawed from the
| trunks of trees by hand and studded
| with large nails, which had been ham.
mered into shape with prodigious la
| Dor. These doors have swung on thei1
hinges continuously for 1S9 years and
are in as good state Of preservation
as the day they were completed. They
will be presented to the Daughters of
the Republic Of Texas and preserved
in the Alamo with other historic relics.
! The citizens of San Antonio have long
! pointed with pride to the room used as
| sleeping chamber by the naughty
Santa Ana. the room which he used as
his audience chamber, and the cellar in
which his defeated officers huddled aft
er their long tramp from the field which
avenged the massacre Of the Alamo.
Others took pleasure in taking the sen.
timental into the sitting room and
pointing to the large open fireplace. in
front of which Bowie toasted his toes
after long and dangerous hunting ex-
pedition and whispered sweet nothings
to his sweetheart.
| In the rear is shown the room which
| Ben Milan used as his temporary
headquarters during the storming of
San Antonio and in which he received
the wound which resulted In his death.
| It was in the audience chamber of
this palace that Santa Ana wrote the
Infamous proclamation previous to the
final attack on the Alamo, in which he
gave orders that all Of his men who
faltered as they approached the walls
were to be bayoneted in. the back and
that no Texan within the Alamo was to
be spared. From this room he walked
with the red flag which waved in the
ranks Of his men on the day of the
massacre and which meant "Mercy to
none. Death to allv'