The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 67, July 1963 - April, 1964 Page: 437
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Reyes household were present, but it seems that Mrs. Reyes, a grey-
haired patrician lady, was in the parlor.
"Red" Harris had a big story in the Light that afternoon, or the
next day, and the Athenaeum Association received more publicity
than was expected. In fact it had brought publicity tumbing over
itself. The faculty called the committee upon the carpet, and it
looked for awhile as though the society would be suppressed. The
majority of the student body (perhaps eaten with envy) resented our
pacifist mission, and declared it to be an insult to the school. Other
societies passed resolutions denouncing the Athenaeum, and some of
its own members resigned in protest, but many new members replaced
them. In short, the Athenaeum Society became the best known-or,
better, the most notorious-club in the high school. Maury Maverick
got his first lesson and experience in creating publicity, which served
him well in future years.
When the tableau lights waned, the Athenaeum discovered that it
had a white elephant on its hands-a speaker but no speaking place.
None would permit the use or hire of their facilities. In this extremity
the committee called on Colonel Francisco A. Chapa, who was one of
the leading Mexican-Americans of the Alamo city. We went to his
drug store on Commerce Street at the corner of Market Plaza, and he
assured us that if we failed to get an auditorium up town, he would
get us a meeting place in the Mexican section.
Our difficulties were resolved, and we gave a sigh of relief, when
we read in the newspapers a few days later that General Reyes had
disappeared from San Antonio, jumping his bond, and had reached
Mexico.
The Athenaeum Society afterwards adopted General Reyes as its
"patron saint," and had a large framed portrait of him present at all
banquets. I do not know what went with the picture. I still have the
Minute Book and also the memory.
Archeological excavations are presently being conducted at
Presidio La Bahia, situated south of the San Antonio River and
just outside the city limits of Goliad. A Spanish fortress was
erected at this site in 1749 to provide military protection
for Mission Espiritu Santo, which is situated a few hundred yards
across the river from the presidio. Both presidio and mission had
two previous sites on the Texas coast before being moved to
the San Antonio River. The mission was restored in the 193o's
by a joint effort on the part of the W. P. A. and the National
Park Service.437
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 67, July 1963 - April, 1964, periodical, 1964; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101197/m1/499/?rotate=90: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.