The Irish standard., 1910-05-21
LANDMARK MUST co.
HISTORIC SPANISH PALACE ! IN
TEXAS TO BE RAzEp.
San Antonio Structure to Be Replaced
by a Modern Ten.story Office !.
euIIdIng-Was the Home Of Ina
Spanish Governor.

After having been In stu since 1895
the stone and mortar Of the VerameRdf
palace will be used In the construc-
ton of a modern ten-story office build
ing, New York Herald's San Antonio
correspondent says. Instead of hear
Ing the gasconades of Spanish con-
quistadores and the dolce voices Of
senoritas they will hereafter listen to
the click of typewriters and the giggles
OF those who work them. No more
will they look upon proud Dons from
far Hispano, armed cap.a.pie and in.
cased in helmet, visor, doublet and
cuirass, for hereafter twentieth CEN
fury business men with green ties,
pink socks, pigeon-toed shoes and pad
ded garments will be the only compan-
Ions. Before the stones get that far,
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 future mission.
With the Veramendi palace passes
! one of the best known architectural
remains of Spanish American civiliza.
ton. 1t was erected almost simulta-
neously with the Mission San Antonio
de Valero, now the Alamo, and for
many years was the white house ,ot
the Spanish province of Bexar, a ter.
ritory comprising all of Texas. In
| those days. however, it was merely
known as the governors house, de-
scription more suitable than Vera
mendi palace. The latter name Ia
received because of Its occupancy by
the last Mexican governor of Texas.
The building stood in Soledad street,
Its site marking formerly the north
eastern corner Of large public
square, the center of which was occu-
pied by the Plaza DIES Armas of San
Fernando Preside. In it's rear was a
| big garden. which extended to the
banks OF the San Antonio river, the
whole house and garden being at one
time surrounded with very strong
| pallsade and deep bitches 1t was no
uncommon thing to have the Indians
make raids right in the city in those
days and for that reason defenses of
that kind were necessary.
The old building was the scene of
many romance of love and murder.
Almost IN its shadows a Mexican gen.
eral caused to be butchered like pigs
a number of Spanish and other pris-
oners, who had been unfortunate
enough to side with the Spanish gov-
eminent during the Mexican revolu-
ton. The description Of this scene,
p1cturtng the assassin as he whetted
the knife on the soles of his shoes
every time he had slit the throat OF q
prisoner, forms one of the most stir
ring chapters in Texas history In
the Veramendi palace Ben Milan met
his end at the assassin's hand, and in
its patio and the shaded walks of its
gardens James Bowie, designer of the
famous knife bearing his name, court
ed and won Ursula Veramendi. said
to have been by far the prettiest wom-
an In Texas.
All that remains intact OF the ia
nous old structure now are a pair or
old cedar doors which had swung on
their hinges since 1875. They are
deliberately carved and unusually we'll
preserved. For some time to come
they will swing in a private residence
In this city. but 1t is hoped to put
them In some museum in the near fu.
ture. H.,