San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-27
PIONEER TRAIN
IS FEATURE Of
Bis CEREMONY
Gov. Pat M. Neff Dedicates
Zero Milestone
Here.
AN HISTORIC EVENT
Same Drivers and Wagons
of Bygone Days
Take Part.
AN HISTORIC EVENT

city streets OF San Antonio. drew TO
halt on Military plaza and the chief
scout of the train handed letter to
Gov. Pat NJ. Neff announcing the
safe arrival of the train from San
Diego and the dedication of the zero
milestone of the Old Spanish Trail
was under way. Hundreds of citizens
attended the ceremony.
The feature of The dedication was
the presence of the same old wagons
used in frontier days driven by the
same drivers who bravcd the dangers
of hostile Indians in making their way
in the new West.
Shortly before the arrival of the
wagon train from the west ostcnsibly
from San Diego. another party came
in from the north to represent dele
Cation coming in over FL Canine Real.
1t was composed of Governor Neff. the
highway commission, state ana federal
engineers under the escort of the City
Federation of Women's Clubs.
William Il. krempknu. organizer of
the Old Freighters and Pioneer Trail
ers. was chief scout of the wagon
train and grand marshal of the parade.
BEHIND him rode Hub Polly bearing
the american flag.
Represent NoIen's Expedition.
Behind this came Il pack train rep
rescnting Nolen's expedition 10 San
Antonio in 1713. The first wagon
WAS driven by Francois Monier, So
years old. sole survivor of Cast.o's
colony. The wagon represented the
colony which came in 1871.
Then came four wagons, driven by
Jim Hogan. l.. W. Dugan. John Mo-
ran and Jim Mills. Jim Satterwhite
drove the stage coach which contained
Light S. Townsend, born before the
fall of the Alamo Capt T. r. Turner,
and Stanley Hale of the San Diego
Chamber of Commerce. With the train
rode many Of the old time freightcrs
and trail drivers and mule train
was led with the procession. The
frcightcrs are in San Antonio TO at
tend the annual convention TO be held
at San Pedro Park Saturday after
noon.
Bishop J. s. johnson gave the invo-
cation. Mrs. J. X. Beretta, presi-
dent of the-city federation. presented
the milestone to the o, s. r., the city
and county. The unyeiling of the
monument was done by the Indian
Head Girl Scouts, Miss Alma Ogden
Brooks, captain; Rosalie Kuhlman,
Spanish flag; Rebecca Lynch. Ercnch
flag; Mildred Lynch, Mexican flag:
Susan Noble. Texas Flag: Bcrnice
Thomas, Confederate flag II. Rolli.gs
Ncfford, Boy Scout. American flag.
II. II. Ayrcs accepted the milestone
on the behalf of the o. s. I. Mayor
Tobin accepted for the city aud Judge
Augustus McCloskey for the county.
Former Lieutenant Governor lynch
Davidson of Houston delivered an adj
dress for neighbtring cities. Then
Governor Neff delivered the dedication
address which follows in part:
Everything Has Beginning.
Everything within the grasp of
human intelligence must have start
ing point. and that which indicates
the beginning may well be called a
zero marker. Sacred and secular his
tory is -punctuated with well-estap-
lished periods.
I'm the beginning God created the
heaven and the earth. is the Biblical
account of the establishment of the
first great zero monument. From this
beginning on the highway of time, the
world is measured chronologically. geo
graphically. and historically. The Sec
ond great marker was the Cross of
Calvary, erected on Golgotha's Hill.
near the Garden of Gethsemane. From
this sacred zero point diverge the high
ways of mans obedience and mans
disobedience which finally separate the |
respective travellers thereon as far
as the East is frou the West.
Prom these two great fixed and |
designated points on the highway of |
progress, the human race. by slow and !
tOilsome journey in search for politi- |
cal liberty and religious freedom. has |
Photographed its history with enduring |
markers. The people, in their onward !
climb through the long stretches of |
history. marked their triumphant |
journey here and there with zero mon
uments. as guide posts for succeeding |
generations to follow.
''They erected historical markers at |
Marathon. at Tours. at Waterloo. at |
Lexington. and here at the sacred |
Alamo. where. by their blood and |
bravery. Texas patriots unfurled the
flag Of revolution that ultimately ex-
lVHufu Nut HlSuNdF OF clNtilyatlOn from 1
the Sabine river to the Pacific siope.
Thriving and Cosmopolitan.
''In keeping with this carth-encirc-
ling thought that all things within
the wide scope of human intelligence
should have fixed and designated
beginning point, this granite boulder
is here today erected as point from
which TO L. ensure all distance on .sc
Old Spanish Trail. and its connecting
lines. covering distance of nearly
1900 miles. Indeed. no more fitting
place could have been found between
the two great oceans on which to
erect this zero marker of the Old
Snanish Trail than here in this strate-
gle city. situated geographically mid
way between the two terminals of this
historic highway. I'm this thriving.
cosmopolitan city Of San Antonio. no
more approximate spot could have been
designated for the PLACING Of this mon
ument than here. on Military nlaza.
within the shadow of the age-old San
Fernando Cathedral. whose uplifted
iron cross has alvavs been used as
fhe beginning noint for land surveys.
md which. 10 this day. well represents
the geographical center Of your city.
This stone Of enduring Texas
granite estimated TO be million years
An event that wiz take place at the !