Evening star., 1941-07-20
San Antonio
Is Rich in
History
Texas High School
Student Describes
Wonders of City
Prize Contribution.
BY ALICE IONA GOMPERS, Ia,


San Antonio, Tex, is a city rich
in history, with many old buildings
standing today as testimonials to
the day when Mexico once ruled
Texas and to the fight that Texas
waged for its independence. Before
delvlng into some of this history
from the viewpoint of a Sightseer. I
can't help but mention the down.
town San Antonio OF today, with It's
tall modern SkyScrapers presenting
a greater contrast to the old city.
Now let me begin the tour Of
San Antonio. First, l will stop at
towering, moss covered San Fer
nando Cathedral. The intricate and
unique carving of the 200-vear-Oid
building IS superb. Because the
cathedral Is still used as place
OF worship. I enter quietly. The
beautiful chapel is lighted with
Pickering candles.
True to Latin background,
Mexican woman with the traditional
black lace mantilla around her
'A4Ct'4NN'S - ~ n 444E III AOdIl q
nandO are buried the remains Of
those great pioneer heroes, Travis,
Crockett and Bowie
The most famous of all the old
buildings is the Alamo. Within her
walls a gallant little band of 1872
Texans, counting the wounded and
the sick, fought until the last Texan
had dropped countless Mexicans IN
the Texas War for Independence
fought more than century ago.
The famous letter written by Col.
Travis Of the Texas forces, ending
with the words, Victory or death.
is in the cathedral AS it happened,
it was death. but the so-Called "bap-
tlsm of blood holds a space in the
heart OF every true Texan.
The first San Antonio mission,
Mission Conception. formerly was
colored with brilliant red and blue
designs. However, time and de-
struction have left little Of these
decorations. The city has several
other old missions, all Of great IN
tereSt TO the sightSeer.
The best known one is San Jose
de Agugo, famous for its Rose VIM
dow I shall tell the story of the
window rather than describe the
mission.
Huicar. the Spanish architect, put
many years into planning this
mission. His sweetheart. living in
Spain, had promised to marry him,
so she set sail for Mexico. Her ship
was lost in storm. and she was
never seen again. Huicar. in her
memory, carved a unique and beau
tiful window and named it after his
lost loved one
Thus. the famed window bears the
name of the Rose Window" 1t
is not Colored rose glass. as one
might think, but instead is a plain
glassed, iron barred and beautifully
carved remembrance Of a lost girl.
Still standing in San Antonio Is
the historic Governors Palace oc-
cupled by rulers IN the Spanish days.
Its outstanding fAature is a carved
door that tells story of its own
and the beautiful patio where royal
ty played. In the patio. a large
ily-padded fountain is the main
attraction
Briefly, the carved door tells how
the Spanish came from the mother
country and conquered the Indians,
and then, with treasure laden ships,
sailed back home.
The old Buckhorn. a famous place
in San Antonio, was once a saloon
but now it is curio shop. In the
center-it consists Of only one room
is mounted long horn steer, its
horn measuring s feet 1as inches
from tip to tip. In front of the
steer is mounted Mexican burro
with woven straw baskets hanging
from each side, balanced, of course,
In the Buckhorn is a collection
of $4,000 rattleSnake rattles. dis
played in words. designs and a large
picture with a deer made of rattles,
One could spend days in San
Antonio, but, as usual all good
things must come to an end.