The Raymer enterprise., 1910-09-15
LANDMARK MUST GO
HISTORIC SPANISH PALAcg IN
TEXAS TO BE RAzEo.
San Antonio Structure TO ee Replaced
BY a Modern Ten.story OSes
eulldins-Wss the Home Of
Spaniel, Governor.

After having been In stu since 173j
the stone and mortar Of the Veramendit
palace will be used In the ccnstruc.
lion of a modern ten-story Office huild.
Inc. a New York Heraid's San Antonio
correspondent says. Instead OF hear
ing the Enscolndes Gf Spanish con.
quistadores and the dolce voices OF
sen0ritas they will hereafter listen to
the click Of Iypewriters and the giggle.
OF those who work them. No laore
VIII they look upon proud Dcns lrona
lar Hispano. armed cap.n-pie ana In.
eased IN helmet. visor. doublct and
cuirass. for hereafter twentieth cen.
Jury business men with green ties.
pink socks, pigeon.loed shoes and pad.
ded garments whl be the only comQan-
Ions. before the stones get that Tar,
however. they will be put through the
mill and made Of the size used In con.
crete construction. They are lime.
stone, OF excellent quality and well
adapted for their i.ture mission.
| With the veramendl palace passes
one OF the best known architectural
remains Of Spanish American eivi,iza.
tion. 1T was ereCteI almost simulta.
neously with the Mission Saw Artonjo
ae Falero. now the Alamo, end Tor
many years was the white house OF
the Spanish province of l,cxar. d ter.
fitory comprising all OF Texas. In
those days. however. It was merely
known as the governors house, II de.
scriDlion more suitable than Vera.
mendl palace, The latter name Is
received because Of Its occupancy bJ
the last Mexican governor Of Texas.
The building stood In SOLE dad street,
lts site marking formerly the north.
eastern corner vi y large public
square, the center Of which was uccu.
pied by the Plaza dcs Armns Of San
Fernando presidl2 In its rear wis
blg garden. which extended to tho
banks OF the San Antonio river, the
whole house and garden being at ons
Vine surrounded with very strong
palisade and deep ditches. II WINS no
uncommon thing TO have the Indians
make raids right In the city In those
uuys and ior that reason defenses Of
that kind were necessary.
The old building was the cccue NJ
many romance Of love and murder.
Almost In its shadows a Mexican sen.
eral caused to he butchered like pig,
number Of Spanish and other pris.
cners. who had been unfortunate
enough to side with the Spanish GOV.
crnment during the Mexican reyolu.
tlon The description OF this scene.
picturlng the assassin as he whetted
ihe knife on the soles of his sloes
every time he had slit the throat Of a
prisoner. forms one OF the most stir.
ling chapters In Texas history. In
the Veramendi palace Ben Milan met
lis end at the assassin's hand, and in
lis patio and the shaded walks Of It,
gardens James Bowie, designer OF ths
famous knilc bearing his name, court.
ed and won Ursula veramendI, said
10 nave been by tar the prettiest xom-
an In Texas.
All that remains intact ~ the fa-
nous old structure Nsw are r. pair OF
old cedar doors which had swung on
their hinges since 1875. They ar.
eiaborately carved and unusually well
preserved. For ssme time to come
they Will swing In q private residence
IN THIS city. but It is hoped to put
them In some museum In tile near tu.
ture.