The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-17

In the great Southwest there Is a land gory in its oft-repeated baptism of blood. It is here the daring Ameri- can pioneers felt the power of the Montezumas on the south and met the treacherous tomahawk of the Indian on the north. Through that land runs the romantic San Pedro. the beautiful San Antonio. the puriing Medina. Alazan. Calaveras. Leon, and many more transparent and placid.
 The most historic of all Is that through which passes the San Antonio land San Pedro. Recently. stood with uncovered head on the soil stained by the blood of martyrs and hallowed by the dust of heroes. Out of the pueblos and villas of the past has come the beautiful city of San Antonio--not for .getful of her Alamo. her shrines. and her sleeping warriors What a his tory! Over this city have hoated six different flags Martial music has never been a strange sound, On her military plaza was fought the last great Comanche war. In her Alamo Travis drew the line and those who crossed 1t died with him that Sunday morning. Under her shadows was the Dawson massacre and the slaughter of Mission Conception. In her reach werc the deadly conflicts of Goliad and San Jacinto that set Texas free. For ages her streets have been swept by shot and shell.
 Her history is dim and distant--al- most obscured by hazy distances When Columbus discovered a new world San Antonfo's site was an Indian pueblo, or village. In the days when the Mon- tezumas ruled Mexico a great feud arose between the Nasonites and the Aztecs. It was long and bloody. The Aztecs, at last. drove the Nasonites NH<rvt hxrra ar1 N,sA <xR Ai~z IA ~R They fled to the hills of San Antonio. Here they found the valley through which, in enthralling beauty, the San Antonio gently flows. Here they found San Pedro Springs-c1ear as crystal and unfailing.
 These six springs lie in semi -circIe, each large enough for a swimming pool. These great gushing springs narrow down into the far-famed and romantic San Pedro. As if to embrace one another. and reaching across the rippfing waters, the tangled arms of giant oaks have stretched for ages. Along with them the graceful weeping willow droops in feathery branches. Perfect climate, an ozone that is tonic game plenteous. fish abundant-for what morS could they long? No won- der. when they overtopped the hills and saw this wondrous valley. they ex- claimed: "Tejas! Tejasr by which they meant. "the land of the blessed"--Par- adise. It was here, in 1889. that Don Alonzo de Leon found prosperous and happy people.
 The first permanent settlement was made by the Spanish. Don Ramon. with his brave soldiers and missiona- ries. broke ground near San Pedro Springs in 1885 Whenever Spain, by conquest or discovery. laid claim to a domain, alongside her soldiery and ad- venturers came the padre with his cross and chisel. He built fortress churches and undertook the defense of his people and the conversion of the heathen. Here the monks built chain of missions stretching from the Sabine to the Rio Grande. They were two miles apart. Tradition declares that they were connected by secret tunel. Of this, and especially in Mis- sion Conception, found some satisfac- tory evidence. To say the least of 1t, these missions are magnificent monu. ments to the patience. devotion and courage of these Franciscan monks. Long ago the tooth of time has de- stroyed all but six-San Fernando, the Alamo. Conception, San Jose. San Juan and Espada. Their purpose was a de- fense against Montezuma on the south and the Christianizing of the Indians on the north.
 Don de Leon was so charmed with