The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-02
"MADE IN BIRMINGHAM
CIR IDrTyrsrl o

o.
There was quite surprise awaiting the
scouts who had expected to see only
arid land and rainless horizons after
crossing the Mississippi, for they found
when they awoke in the old Texan CAPT
tai of San Antonio that they were in a
semi-tropical valley. They found there
pretty streets aglow with flowers and
blossoming shrubs and all kinds of beau
tiful lawns and flower gardens along
the banks of the San Antonio river,
which twists it's way through the city.
After breakfast the party walked past
the city hall and the big public market
nearby, and We're greatly interested in
the Spanlards and Mexicans clustered all
around among their various buggies and
wagons of all descriptions.
AS they passed along through the bust :
ness section with it's progressive Amer
lean stores and quaint little Mexican
curio shops, Mr. Bandreus asked if any
one knew of anything particularly inter-
esting connected with, the city and re-
ceiving no reply, he laughed and contin-
ued This business section extends up
as far as Alamo Plaza, a square quite
modern in appearance and fronting this
square is the city's oldest mission, San
Antonio de Valero, built about the close
| of the seventeenth century. It had a
very quiet time for about 100 years. when
Santa Anna seized Mexico City and made
himself dictator. He was the particular
enemy of all Americans, and ordered the
arrest of some of the most prominent
This brought about a clash, and with
friends who came from Missouri and
Louisiana, little army headed by Ben
Milan soon took control of this little city;
and by the way, have you noticed yet
how many of the people here pronounce
it San Anton with a very broad 20 and
a sort of affectionate accent.
AN OLD-TIMER
As he said this an old man standing
near interrupted.
YES, stranger. you're right, and we
call it that way cause we kind O. just
love it.
81 don't wonder" replied Mr. Ban
dreus and may inquire whether you
have lived here long?"
IT shore have-ever since | was lit
tie shaver not as big as these lads here,
and l seen this very fight you was just
tellin' these young fellers about
Fine said Mr.. Bandreus And won't
you come over in the shade of the build
ing and tell the boys all about it?'
The old man was greatly pleased at
the invitation, and when all were seated
he plunged at once into his story of
one of the most dramatic scenes Of Amer
lean history.
81 shore am glad to git to tell you boys
about this scrap. as | know you will be
! interested. bein's you're scouts. cause one
of the biggest scouts in the world fell in
this buldin you're lookin' at now. That
was old Davie Crockett He was born
! Just after the revolution, and as he
growed up he scraped against the Creeks
with Jackson, and been elected to Con-
gress, but he had row with Jackson
and was beat at the next election. and
4 he got so peeved about it that he left
Tennessee and come to Texas. where he
blonged. He was the best shot in the
, world. and | guss the best hunter, too
He was the Teller that they say would &c
out huntin' and when he would start to
shoot at a coon, the coon would say. is
that Crockett Yes Dave Crockett?
Yes Well, don't shoot, I'll come down.
He was jest that good a shot.
VALOR
"Texas was a w1lG pace in them
days, what with Indians and holdups and
wild animals, but that didn't make nc
difference to old Dave Crockett. He
come part way by boat and part way
by horse, and when he heard about what
was going on here, how Santa Anna had
bout 1000 men tryin' to lick $50 white
I men holdin' this place, he Just slipped
, through the Mexican lines and Joined the
bunch here at this old church. and he
must a knowed it was Jest like Dustin
I into a undertakers place when he done
(; it. but he was jest that kind of Teller
old Davy Crockett was.
! well, when he got in here he found
T, the srittiest and the bravest and the
hardest shootin bunch of men in the
| United States. They was ready for any
! thing Colonel Travis was in charge, and
he was some scrapper, too. and there was
Bowie, the Teller that invented<the Bowie
knife, and lot more jest like them two
There wasn't much saluting and sayin