Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-04-03
SAN ANTONIA
THE METROPOLIS
OF Texas the Lone Star State
Essentially Different From Other
Cities.
STORM CENTRE OF TEXAS.
The Slogan Remember the Alamo
Made Victories OF the Mexican
War Possible and Annexed
Texas.


IL was under the flag of the Republic
OF Texas. the Lone Star, that an in
tripid band of patriots fighting until the
last man was slain in the Alamo gain
ed deathless renown and made this
battie-scarred chapel a relic 10 be re-
vered by all Americans. The slogan
Remember the Alamo" made the vic
tories OF the Mexican war possible
and annexed Texas. New Mexico Ari-
coma and California 10 the Union.
But il Is not alone the historic value
OF the city which makes il unique
above other cities of the Union. A
strongly contributing cause is to be
f0snd in the Mexican quarter. squalid
as many OF the streets are, vet breath
Ing 3 frremoFy Of the grandure of Span
ish occupation. OF French charm and
~ present-day menace. Among a sug-
gest5n Of The grandeur Of former days
is tins arms of Spain over a one-story
Adobe. once the home of a royal gov
sIaor then fallen into evil days and
ways a saloon OF the worse complex
ton called "a hole in the wall"
The Mexican population is probably
about 10000. 1t is said to be impos--
sibIe to get accurate figures. the people
look SO mucha like. so many squat"
and herd together in unspeakable deg
relation the one blot on the fair city
There is abject poverty among them
buJ wages are good for many, the city
employsMeXicans in many cases whore
Americans 90 idle. for political rea-
sons it is whispered The poverty in
some cases is said to be from ignor-
ance. in other quarters il is reported
that large sums of money go from here
% finance the various revolutions over
The border The question is a serious
one from every angle. and growing
much more serious under the present
uncertainty as to what is TO happen
over the border to the South as well
as to the West
The Mexican community. both an
cient and modern may be said 20 CEN
ter about San Fernando Cathedral,
which faces what was once known as
the Plaza de los Islas. which marks
the site of the settlement OF those
Spanish colonists who came from the
Canary Islands. IN the rear end OF the
church. which dates back 70 this set
Element, massive structure of Moor
ish style. with octagonal walls and
graceful dome fitted both as a Cathed-
raj and fortress defense against the
hostile Indians
This was built by donations from the
hundred ami two years later thatSanta
settlers of 1884, and il was just an
Anna standing on the roof Of this
church firing on the Americans in the
Alamo during the battle that proceed
ed the last stand. and here he raised
his red flag TO indicate mo quarter for
the Americans. Santa Anna made u
funeral pyre of the defenders of the
Alamo, and when relief came and the
victory was wrestetl from his red
hands as far as any remained and a
few bones of the heroes and placed
somewhere in this church. but the To-
cation is not known There is no relic
OF those that died except the buildings
that looked down on their brave death
struggle. Only part of the old
church remains an addition being put
TO the front of the Oil building, making
a beautiful whole, and this is used al
most exclusively by the Spanish and
Mexican population.
Back of the Old church is The Plaza
de Armas. still called Military Plaza.
and beyond that, at quite distance,
the Arsenal now double guarded Here
are stored about everything needod for
the equipment Of the soldiers, as well
as ammunition for the guns A move
ment is on foot TO remove this historic
bit of government property 1t is odd
to have il so far from Fort Sam Hous-
ton. which is about three miles in an
other direction. with an uncertain pop
ulace between.
san Antonio has been an army post
since the earliest TIMES of Spanish
occupation. and was a frontier village
in Indian days. The first mission of
San Francisco de Valero. OF which the
Alamo is part, was a fortress as well
as monastery, and the soldiers of
Spain were here quarterei When
Texas was admitted to the Union. San
Antonio was made an army post and
has been ever since. Gen Robert r
Lee. Albert Sydney Johnston were
here, and Generals Frederick Grant
Ord, Stanley Kibbin were also among
the famous soldiers who have been
quartered here at some time. The city
is popular with retired officers on ac-
count Of the climate and the society
and so many army officers have mar
ried San Antonio girls, the city is call
I'd the "Mother-in-Law of the Army
The Government has about seven
teen miles from the city a reservation
ef $4,000 acres of land stretching over
mountain and plain, ami here are held
maneuvers at the annual encampmcnt
that have made of the men the good
soldiers they are now showing them
selves over the Villa trail in hte
mountains of Chihuahua One OF the
principal aviation stations OF theArmy
is being established at Fort Sam Hous-
ton. Extensive hangers and barracks
are in course of completion. and this
post gave seven .airships to the fleet
now belonging 10 the puntative expe-
clifton in Mexico.
Speaking from a medern point of
view. San Antonio is but few years
old. hut il is lusty child. Its water
supply S surpassed by none. being
drawn from fourteen artesian wells.
which llow about $4,000, 600 gallons
daily and in addition. many OF the
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