Decorah public opinion., 1921-12-28
T. K. HOVDEN
IN TEXAS
Enjoying Life in San Antonio. Had
Pleasant Visit With John l..
Hanson and Children.
WEATHER is HOT
OvERCOATS NOT NEEDED
Greatly Impressed With the Country,
Found it Much Different
Than Expected.
San Antonio, Texas,
ooii hiieoiiio, iCA,
Dec. 20, 1921.

DtC. ~, lOSl.
Dear Editor:-As / thought /
would like to have the Public Opin-
ion sent to me, as don't think /
can keep house without it, thought
it might interest you to know some
thing about San Antonio.
We arrived here Thursday evening,
Dec. 16, in fine shape. My wife
stood the trip fine and was surprised
in the morning when we came down
to find about a dozen men sitting
in their chairs out on the sidewalk
like they do at home in the months
of July and August. The first thing
l did after / had my breakfast was
to hunt up the John l.. Hanson fam
lily, formerly of Decorah, and ]
found them without any trouble. The
first one l met after stepping off
the street car was Conrad Hanson.
He runs drug store out on the
suburbs, and the end of the street
car line is right in front of his store.
He seemed mighty glad to see us.
| met Mrs. Hanson also. He has
a very nice family.
Conrad then took me up to see
his father and sister, Mrs. Hegner,
Mrs. Hegner is working down town,
so / did not meet her the first day
here. Mr.. Hanson accompanied me
and we started down town and got
Mrs. Hovden and then went for a
long ride. First we went to Breck-
enridge Park, which comprises 800
acres, and think is the most beauti-
full park | ever saw. First as you
enter is the Is hole golf links and
club house, then there is base ball,
tennis court and polo grounds, and
all kinds of wild animals. About
one third of the park is covered with
beautiful trees. What interested me
mostly was the sunken tea garden and
Japanese tea gardens. They were
wonderful. Then we went through
Fort Houston. There is still about
$4,000 soldiers here. This is one OF
the biggest camps, in the United
States, and one can get an idea OF
what it costs to run a war. | can
realize it more now than ever be-
fore when Mr.. w. j. Bryan made
a remark in one of his speeches
some time ago that if President
Harding could accomplish the dis
armament he would have accomplish
ed the biggest act of any president
that ever sat in a presidential chair
Sunday Conrad Hanson took us
out for another long ride. he
started out on the road leading to
Houston and Galveston, $50 miles
You should see the roads they have
in this country, all Tarvia roads
don't know how far we went; II
seemed to me we went half ways
| asked Conrad, and he said no, ane
laughed, so / suppose he was right
Then he cut across over to another
road and came back on one just as
nice as the first one. Mrs. Hanson
]. L. Hanson, Mrs. Hegner and Mrs
Alma Bell went along so we had
most splendid trip. 1t gave me q
different idea of the country to wna'
I had it pictured. / imagined 1t tt
be a bleak prairie, but instead o.
that their is lots of timber, shrub
berry and grazing land.
This is most beautiful city o
10000 population, with nice build
ings and lots of historic scenery
Fort Alamo is located here. Far
of the old Fort is still here an6 tn
Chapel, although weathered VIII
age, as it was built. in l7lS by tn'
Spaniards and Indians, is still stand
ing. 1t was here that David Crock
ett. Bowie, Travis and 17O other
fought for liberty and not one o
them was left to tell the tale.
There are so many HISTORIC land
marks here that it would make oi'
book to tell it all. And going alon'
the street opposite the Alamo Piaz'
there. are business men OF ever;
nationality. First is the WOODWORK
1oc and 15c store, then Mexican
curiosity stores, Spaniards, Indians
Turks and cowboys, SO it is a curios
ity to walk along and take IN IN
sights.
Today has been awful warm 70
warm with a coat on, but 20
pers predict nOrther" "