Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1909-05-26
Quite a Colony of Local Peo- pie Are Among Resi-
 dents of That City.
MONSG. LUCEY WRITES
dnterestingIy of Its People and Their Habits-Great Health Resort
 Will Soon Return Here.

Monsignor J. M. Lucy. the much beloved Catholic priest of this city and vicar general of the Catholic Church for Arkansas. who has been spending several week in Texas for his health. is improving nicely and will leave in about ten days for his home in this city. In a recent letter to the Graphic, MonsignOr Lucey writes Interestingly of San Antonio and industries. people and beneficial climate. He says:
 Tn my long SOjOurn of two months in San Antohio Tex and vicinity, [ have naturally, as circumstances per mitted, observed the peculiaritea of place and people, some of which may interest your readers. San Antonio is the largest city of the Lone Star State in population, having simething over 100000 people,. It may also be called the oldest real city of the State, it's foundation by the Spaniarda dating back almost 300 years.
 Three colors distinguish the people, black, yellow and white. The negroes are estimated at 15.o0O. They are, as a rule, about as big fools in Texas as in Arkansas and elsewhere in the South. A small percentage of them show ambition to rise and be a help in the elevation of their race. These enjoy here as elsewhere the good will and sympathy of the ruling class AL most p per cent have fallen to the dregS of the social and industrial world. The remainder make a pre- carious livelihood in the lower avoca tions of life and they seem destined never to arouse the higher capabili- ties of their nature to seek anything better. The Jim Crow regulator a>s- plies to them on steam railway, street cars and places of public entertain ment and, as race, they have mo- body but themselves to blame.
 The yellow race embrace the Nexi- cans and those of Spanish descent and numbers about 25,000 These also may be divided into those who belong to the dregs of society, about 20 per cent; those who earn fair living and have decent homes. about 40 per cent and those who have risen to an ac- knowledged rank in the social and commercial world. Some of. the most respected citizens of San Antonio are of this last class. The race seems to have ambition to rise into the high est levels of civilization. but they are much retarded by the Indian blood in the veins of a large number and by ection of a great mass of people Gen. turies instead of years are necessary when there is a question of elevating race of people from the savage state, such as the ancestry of great majority of these people possessed and that of modern civilization.
 Their disposition is comparatively quiet and the law officers have no unusual trouble in controlling them They adhere to the Spanish language with great tenacity. Almost, all pro- fess the Catholic faith and the prin- cipal church of San Antonio, San Fer nando's Cathedral, is practically given over to their use. the sermons being in Spanish and what is usually put in the vernacular. but all do not at tend and the lives of many are not creditable to the church. Mexicans are treated socially and otherwise as whites
 The white population of San An [ tonic is chiefly American proper, with 1 strong adlniXture of German and : moderate additions from French. Polish and other nationalities. The city is six miles square in it's corpor- ate limits with wings or extensions of beautiful suburbs of a mile or two more in almost every direction. me streets are narrow compared to the usual American ideas of such things, r but not so narrow aa Continental or Oriental ways. Houston, the princi- pal street is 90 feet wide. But there ] can be said to be no principal street ! as commerce and other thoroughfares clam equal honors and are entitled to them. The six-story business houses can be counted on the fingers ot both hands. The eight-story build 1ngs can easily be limited to one hand and the sky scrapers are still in pros pect, The. streets and sidewalks are gool, the former being vitri6ed brick, a.v,sSA,x s~,... 4.S lssz.,.s ,,,o. ...A