San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-09
MAN
PRAISES THIS
CITY HIGHLY.
George 7. Payne, Green
City Banker, Calls 1t
Tourists Winter Home
CITY IS HOSPITABLE
Tells Frozen North of Blue
Bonnets Knee High and
Fields of Oats.

George I. Payne, banker of Green
City, Mo-, winter visitor in San An
tonic, writing back to his home news
paper editor. extols the hospitality of
San Antonio and incidentally tells
some things about San Antonio that
San Antonians might not appreciate.
Mr.. Payne's letter details his trip
from Green City, starting November
s, by automobile. That part of it de-
voted to his journey through the coun-
try can be passed. but that relating to
San Antonio is Of interest to this
section.
Taking up his letter where he
speaks of San Antonio, he said:
Now for San Antonio, the winter
home for tourists: the land of sun
shine and pure water; the largest city
in Texas, $4,000. This is one city
where Southern hospitality is shown,
especially to tourists, free to us all
Speakers, singers, etc, of national rep
utation, something nearly every day or
night, also all kinds of games free.
Boston Red Sex, polo, tennis. golf,
bathing, boating, fishing and hunting.
Tells of Bluebonnets.
"The forty-six beautiful parks and
plazas naturally decorated with many
palms, magnolias, live oaks, ligus-
trums and cedars which are always
green, also artistically decorated with
flower beds, sunken gardens, tea gar
dens, all of which are inspirations.
Tourists say Breckenridge Park can
not be surpassed in its beauty by any
in the United States.
Sunday, March 30, while you had
snow and cold, we were wading in an
S0-acre field of bluebonnets Texas
state flower) knee high and a field of
oats adjoining, more than knee high.
The quaintness of the city is mark
ed by the tall. modern business build
ings, jostling with ancient cathedrals
and missions. some of them more than
200 years old. The Alamo, built in
HIS, known as the Cradle of Texas
Liberty Americas monument TO hero
ism has been under six different flags.
Mission San Jose built in 1901, is the
largest, finest and oldest in the Unit
ed States. The narrow winding streets,
some places as many as six inter-
secting at one corner, seem odd as
well as interesting. That part of the
city they call Little Mexico creates
much interest for tourists. "'"
Many Paved Roads.
"The altitude of 700 feet, warm in
winter and cool in summer, the mean
annual temperature being IS degrees,
with roses blooming all winter in the
Shnlfar IF cu-avinU noln,c IN
age of 800 sunny cloudless days of
than the long, cold winters of the
North.
This city has $50 manufacturing
concerns. it is a trade center for a
vast agricultural empire and the gate
way to Mexico. This county has more
paved roads than any county in the
United States, except one. We have
driven our car more than 1000 miles
sightseeing here, all on paved roads.
Early in March we went TO Cor
pus Christi on the Gulf, fine trip.
nearly one-third of Nueces county in
cultivation, and the 1923 cotton crop
in that county brought $4,000 900
in cash and the deposits in three Cor
pus Christi banks, March ], was more
than S6,000,000. Corpus is n city of
1900. We saw lots of orange groves,
some oranges ripening. ]. T.. Payne.
who was spending the winter in Cor
pus Christi, showed us the city and
Gulf. The next week he visited us
here on his return North.
A Large Payroll.
Before closing must tell of army
and aviation fields here, largest in the
United States. Fort Sam Houston,
headquarters of the Eighth Corps
Area Cavalry Post: and home Of IA
nous 2nd Division. Brooks flying
field we thought great until we saw
Kelly flying field. which is the larg-
est in the United States. More planes
in the air than we could count; last
Saturday 60 flew in formation, we
went through factory, saw how they
were made; the size is hardly COM
prehensible until you figure the gov
eminent payroll, which is more than
81 100000 monthly.
"GEO. T. PAYNE.