The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1912-02-23

| IA SLdl0 VI Nv
lie Buildings and Grounds A.
Il IN B. Conley, and approved by
Governor Colquitt, can be car
ried into execution, the historic Ala
mo will present different appearance
to visitors to Sen Antonio. and. for
! that matter, to San Antonians them
selves. Governor Colquitt wants the
old mission, where the seed that
| sprouted into Texas liberty was first
planted, to be restored to as nearly its
original condition as possible
There has been for years diner
>ence of view as to just what was the
! physical condition of the Alamo on
| the 9Th of March. 1886, and an even
greater divergence of opinion as to
the actual arrangement of the old con-
! vent structure adjoining. But Gov
ernor Colquitt is not willing for mere
differences of this nature to longer re-
tard the doing of public work that
| should have been attended to long
| ago.
Al cost Of $4,000 the state, sew
| eral years ago, bought of Hugo
t Schmeltzer & Co. the old convent
! property adjoining the Alamo chapel
This wholesale grocery firm had been
using for commercial purposes part OF
property dear to liberty lovers ev-
! erywhere.
| Nobody thought any the Less OF
| them under the circumstances. and
when a movement to have the state
! take over the land and the old walls
was crystaliized, the price fixed by the
/ Hugo-Schmeltzer interests was SO sat
! isfactory as to seem generous. The
/ property bought for $4,000 would
probably sell today for ten times this
sum.
1t is the purpose Of the governor to
| have the entire mission renovated and
1 made to look just like it did when 1t
was used by the Franciscan monks
and the sisters who conducted the
convent Already the tenants who
were using the old buildings have
| been ousted 1t is desired after all
| the debris is removed. to make park
If the inclosure and to have 1t just as
much of beauty spot as Is the re-
mainder of Alamo plaza. Architects
| and landscape experts say this can be
done within a very few years, and
| there is not San Antonian who does
not hail the plans with pleasure.
Nobody ought to form the idea that
the Alamo chapel. the old church
where the massacre of Crockett and
Bowie and the rest of those dauntless
souls took place. has ever been used
except as a show-place, as the shrine
of many thousands who have journey
ed thither from all parts of the
world 1t Is true, however, that
tradesmen for years occupied the old
convent, which once formed the lar
ger part of the mission proper 1t
was not until few months ago that
all these men were forbidden to use
the premises.
No other spot in Texas, and few
anywhere in the world. are filed with
half the historic interest that at
taches to the Alamo. 1t has been
known to historians for IS years as
the cradle of Texas liberty" and 1t
| deserves. in the mind of every Texan.
| all the glory that has been heaped
! upon it. 1t is a matter of regret and
humiliation to every Texan that bet
/ ter care has not been taken of the
| old pile and all its adjuncts by the
| state authorities.
Story Of the Alamo.
Know the story of the Alamo? It's
! fine stuff for American men. 1t stands
| out in the historic pages OF the
i past century as the true expression of
| the Lone Star spirit.
! 1t was on the 23d of February. 1896
that General Santa Ana, with an army
| of 1000 Mexicans, invested the viii
/ lage of San Antonio, and stormed the
Alamo. Texas had been declared in
state of rebellion. the Inhabitants
had been ordered to disarm. and the
invasion of Santa Ana had followed
as thunder follows the lightning flash.
! Gen. Sam Houston, the military lead
| er of the rebels" had no army There
| were no railroad or telegraph lines by
! which to summon the scattered fight
| ers. But Colonel Travis, with Davy
| Crockett and Jim Bowie, j. B. Bonham.
I. Washington and 1873 Texas frontiers
men, were in San Antonio when the
Mexican army appeared. and at once
resolved to barricade the Alamo. and
hold the enemy until Houston was
ready At first there was a slender
| chance of rescue. but 1t disappeared
as the days went by, and the rifle
men quickly knew that the fate of
Texas rested upon them. There was
no talk of surrender, of safety. of es-
cape. They knew that the world
would not hear of their prowess until
after they were dust; that there was
no gallery of admiring friends to
cheer them to their doom; the foe
outnumbered them 20 to l; horse.
DOT and artillery stormed. enfiladed,
! 'ushed them. Hungry, famished and
Without sleep Sshsy cpouched upon the
lat roof of u Alamo, behind the