The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-01-07
San Antonio
Modern Metropolis With Span
;sh Tang

~ - 49,
Modern Metropolis With Span
;sh Tang
5 Washington, Jan. San An
Joaio. Texas, scene OF the latest
destructive flood in the United
states, is the subject Of the follow
ing banetin issued from the Wash
sasroa, D. G.. headquarters of the
National Geographic Society.
San Antonio is an intimate mix
sare OF cid Spain and Mexico. and
The hsastling, busting America OF
t6day, says the bulletin. 1T be-
gan its life in 1I16 as tiny Span
isi1 military settlement-'El Pres
idio de San Antonio de Bexer. But
that ieisurely name officially lost
most Of its trimmings when the
town became an American corr
nlRnity. and to many who have
known Il best-including O. Henry
m has taken on the unofficial
eognonaen. .Sanantone.
Losing Its Foreign Flavor
sS..A hundred years ago San An
tonic was almost entirely Spanish
and Mexican Fifty years ago it
could be considered only half
American. Then the railroads came
TO quicken its life, the rich COW
country round about was develop
ed, and a few far-sighted business
men woke mp to the fact that IT
was situated without competitors
s In the very center Of territory
that would need unmeaFared sup
plies. Since. that time San An
tonic has grown its forest of, sky
scrapers and factory chimneys like
scores Of IT'S fellow American cities.
Approaching the 100000 mark, and
with q greater population than that
during the winter tourist season, it
leads all other cities in Texas
though it is closely approached by
Dallas and Houston. An observer
SET down suddenly on Commerce
OR Texas street might easily imag-
Inc Himself in Syracuse, Atlanta.
Memphis, Dayton or anyone of I,
dozen oraar cities Of similar size.
.sAs it has grown San Antonio
has lost most Of its exotic flavor;
hut touches OF old Spain and Mex
ice are sain to be found il one
searches for them. 4 few of the
sarrow. wsn6iag streets Of the old
days are left with sidewalks on
Bhfeh two pedestrians can hardly
pass. iren.barred windows are TO
be seen behind which coy senoritas
have stood as Spanish OF Mexican
youths played the bear. Grated
Doors and gates in yard-thick
wails of the mission days hint at
mystery. Those who like the pep
perry dishes of Latin America may
sind them OF a quality not equaled
oRtside the City Of Mexico and
few of the larger cities of the
southern republic.
The .Aaasno-Shrine ef Texas
ee.And in the center of the town,
.sfrorling down ordinary business
streets, enc comes suddenly upon
the historic Alamo, the 'ThermoDy-
lae OF America There in Texas
war for independence from Mexico,
1S9 American frontiersr,en held off
for ten days a Mexican army of
5000 until the last defender was
killed. 1t is a battered old build
.,ag raised by the hands of Fran
ciscan monks 203 years ago as an
aoutpost of the Christian religion
among the Indians. Because of the
part it played in their war of in
dependence it. is q sacred shrine to
20 Texans.
"a string of, four other missions
extending for fifteen or twenty
miles down the San Antonio river
represented. with the Alamo and
the Presidio and the village of San
eAntonio, ali that there was Of civ
iifation in that part OF Texas 200
years ago. Automobile buses now
whiek tourists over the mission
.4oop' and they Chamber over the
cr,i,nbiing walls and halt over The
}faaid Spanisi, names-Purisima
Conception. San jose, San Francis
co de la Espada. and San Juan
capistrano.
River Hidden by Business Build
, iOSS
"a visitor to San Antonio could
hardly imagine destruction from the
San Antonio river. lie might even
.rnaintain tha, the city has no river
at all, only q creek. In the for
est OF modern business buildings
the river is as effectively hidden as
Is the Genesee in Rochester. The
San Antonio rises practically with
in the city limits. gushing full
grown from rocky fountains. It's
narrow bed has been l-aved, and it
u,eanders sluggishl- through TIL
city for all the world ike med
iun1-sized irrigation Glitch. In q
stroll through the business district
one VIII cross the iIt.le stre:.n !1..:::,
q dozen times in going .:ass th:,:l a
score of blocks.
:..San Antonio's little river has al
ways added a picturesque touch to
,he city. Throughout the business
district the banks OF the wall-coa-
fined stream have been parked. and
groups pause constantly on the
many little bridges to admire the
si0ping. close-cropped lawns set
with flower beds and shaded by
tall. deep green ciumps Of banana