Daily Democrat. (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 5, No. 73, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 2, 1881 Page: 2 of 4
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riiittnamv*—Vii
The Democrat
WEDNESDAY. MARCH 2. 1881.
FROM AUSTIN.
Our Correspondent T$lls of
the Visit to the Alamu City.
Gen. Hancock’s majority of
votes cast by white people ap
proximates a million.
---p— ■ -
The Texas and St. Louis nar-
row gauge has reached the Trinity
river, and will be completed to
Corsicana by April 1st.
Arkansaw has been officiary
declared to be the correet pro-
nunciation. The senate of that
state has settled it by a vote of
eighteen for Arkansaw against five
for Arkansas.
Col. John S. Mosby is men-
tioned in Washington as the next
Eepublican candidate for gover
nor of Virginia. It is said that a
movement already is on foot to
secure for him the nomination.
The Country Between Austin
and San Antonio.
The Missions of San Jose and
Conceptions.
Other Matters of Interest.
The Breckenridge Texan’s ar-
tist adorns the columns of the
last issue of that paper with “A
Cabinet Smile from Mississippi.”
We do not know what it is, but it
is presumed to represent Bruce.
-m • <m-
Dallas is not alone entered in
the lists as a rival of the Fort in
the number of suicides, but is fast
becoming noted as the principal
market in Texas for social scan-
dals. The latest is that which re-
sulted in breaking up of the fam-
ily of City Marshal Morton, of that
city.
-p. « —-
Gainesville Register: -‘From
privates we learn that there was
a regular set-to in Decatur last
Saturday between Brooks, of the
Democrat, and the “Widder Bob-
inson” of the Tribune, and that
the widder snatched Brooks bald
headed. Something ought to be
done to keep peace among the
editors in that village.”
The Houston Post thinks it is
neither empty thanks or curses
and denunciations that await the
newspaper in matters pertaining
to temperance and morals. Hear
it: “The Galveston Journal
thinks the papers ought to take a
decided stand in favor of temper-
ance and morals. Well, suppose
they did? All they get for at-
tending the morality and temper-
ance of the people is—empty
thanks. Whereas, on the other
side, curses and denunciation.
But we will try to do our duty,
Mr. Journal, aceorking to our
lights.”
Friday is the 4th of March,
and upon that Hay the blow and
bluster that has been made about
Garfield’s inauguration, will no
doubt culminate in the grandest
drunk witnessed in Washington
for many years. This is meet and
proper, perhaps, for the old band
of pirates which has infested the
national capital so long probably
now see hopes of plenty of steal
ing for a few years. It seepis to
us there has been mere noise made
about the coming inauguration
than any like occasion since the
foundation of the government, and
we fail to realize the appropriate-
ness of such show and parade.
A majority of the people of this
.country will at least live in hopes
of seeing a return to the unosten-
tatious manner of entering upon
the duties of chief magistrate of
this simple republican govern-
ment, indulged in by the earlier
presidents, and that it shall be
considered to be the highest hon-
or that can be conferred on man
in this western world, to go in an
unpretentious and unpresuming
manner and take the oath of of-
fice, and enter upon his duties in
the interest of the people.
—The first man was duped; the
first woman deceived her husband;
and the first child turned cut a
murderer. Such were the origins
of humanity, and yet people affect
to be surprised that the world is
no better than it is!
(From our Regular Corre.pondout.)
Austin, Feb. 24; 1881.
On Monday the 21st inst., a ma-
jority of the two houses of the
17th legislature, several of the
heads of departments and their
clerks, and the functionaries
the city government boarded a
special train, very kindly placed
at their disposal by H. M. Hoxie
of the International road, and
started for the ancient city of San
Antonio for the purpose of cele
bratiug the birth-day of the
father of his country,
in response to an invitation from
the city council of the Alamo City.
There were about two hundred
souls in the party, of all kinds,
classes and conditions. A brass
band occupied an open car in the
front of the train and regaled the
party with the best music they
could. I cannot, however, com-
mend it as the best I ever heard.
The country between Austin and
San Antonio is different in many
respects than I expected to see it.
It is, perhaps, a little less moun-
tainous, but more rock. It is cut
up by frequent ravines, the banks
of which are precipitous and rocky
and lined with cedar and live oak.
Thirty miles from Austin we cross
the San Marcos, a beautiful
stream, which heads but a halt
mile from the place, in a beautiful
spring of the same name.
“Spring” does not seem to me as
the appropriate name] for a river
running out from under the hills,
and the San Marcos is certainly
nothing less. The place is neither
as large or as handsome as I had
expected to see. from the glowing
accounts I had heard and read of
its romantic beauty. The next
place of auy note was
new bruansfells,
and again I was disappointed.
The place is composed almost en-
tirely of Germans, and the woolen
factories at the place are the
chief industry. It has the repu-
tation of being a beautiful loca-
tion, but to my taste it has no
claim to such a distinction. But
I am spending too much time on
the road. Our party reached San
Antonio at sundown, and found
carriages and omnibuses waiting at
the depot, to convey them to the
city, a distauce of three-quarters
of a mile. A delegation of the cit-
izens headed by Col. Andrews, the
vice-president of the Sunset Route,
had met the train a few miles out
ot the city, and had assigned quar
ter to those who were not already
provided. I was so fortunate as
to be the guest of the colonel, and
to himself and his agreeable fami-
ly, I am largely indebted for the
pleasures of the visit. He lives in
a large, quaint, rambling house,
built for the southern climate,
richly furnished with exquisite
taste, and provided with every
comfort and convenience that
heart could wish, or wealth pro-
cure. His family are cutivated,
intelligent and agreeable.
Tuesday morning the excursion-
ists assembled on the Alamo plaza,
and proceed in a body to
THE ALAMO,
which is a low, gray building,
fronting on the plaza. The most
gifted writers, and the most fluent
and eloquent orators have signal-
ly failed to describe the feelings
that arise in the breast of the citi-
zen of Texas, when he visits this
scene where the heroes of the rev-
olution gave their lives that Texas
might be a free and independent
republic. The ground upon which
it stands should be considered
sacred, and its walls regarded
with reverence. But such is not
barter and trade. A portion of it
has been converted iuto a magni-
ficent store, and the remainder,
with the exception of one room is
used as a museum of Texas ani-
mals, and Texas productions. A
competent taxadermist has care-
fully prepared specimens of every
beast and bird that inhabits Texas,
and here they may be seen by one,
as the rooms are always open to
visitors. After spending an hour
here the procession, which uum
bered some forty-five carriages,
started down the river to visit the
missions. The first mission, that
of Concepcion, is about three miles
from the city. The main build-
ing is in a pretty good state of
preservation, but the outbuildings
and courts are a mass of ruins,
and are over-grown with weeds
and briars and shrubs. A few
jacals, or hovels thatched with
cane stand around the entrance
and are inhabited by Mexicans,
wno levy tribute upon the visitors
The main building has two towers
and a dome, which are supported
by arches, and bear evidence
great skill in construction and
taste in the architecture. The al-
tar faces theTnain entrance at the
rear of the building. On either
side of the main hall, in the center
and under the dome are halls lead-
ing off, giving the interior the
form of a cross. To the right and
left as you enter, are cells about
8x10 feet, in one of which is a
large bowl, made in a huge rock,
which, in days past, evidently con-
tained the “holy water.” Back of
the main building are the ruins of a
number of cells, where, I presume,
the monks spent their time when
not engaged in the chapel or in
ministering to the afflicted. An
hour was spent amid these ruiDS,
and the procession took up its
march for the
MISSION SAN JOSE,
some three miles further down the
river. This was a larger build-
ing that Conception, but not in as
good a state ‘of preservation ; in-
deed, the main building, with the
exception of the northern and
western wall, had all fallen in. The
chapel on the west only remained
of what was once the most elabor-
ate specimen of archititure on this
continent. We essayed an en-
trance to the chapel, but the old
duenna, who carried the keys, was
stubbord and resolute, until one of
the party who could speak Span-
ish, whispered a few words into
her ear, and slipped a few coins
into her hands. Either the words,
or the coin—and I suspect the lat-
ter-bad the desired effect, and
the old door swung once more on
its rusty hinges, and the chapel
was open to our inspection. It is
a room about fourteen by thirty
feet, lighted by only one window
on the west. It is paved with oc-
tagonal tile about four inches in
diameter. On the right as we en-
ter, and opposite the window was
a niche in which was a crucific and
a statue of the Holy Mother. The
duenna halter before this, rever
cntly crossed herself and mutter-
ed a few incantations, in which the
only intelligible word—to me—
was “Americana.” We suppose
this was to appease the wrath of
the virgin for the invasion of the
sacred precincts. At the further
end of the room was another table,
above which was an image of the
Saviour on the cross, and on the
table were images and relics, cov-
ered with the dust of ages. Paint-
ing so old and defaced by time as
to be past recognition hung on
the walls, and miniature crosses
were fixed at internals on the
wall—each bearing numbers
in Roman numerals, from one
to sixteen. There were no seats
in the hall. A rude bench stood
before the altar, (if such it was)
at the north end of the room, and
a guady chromo of recent date,
showing the Saviour bearing the
cross hung at the right. The
whole room was hung with tapes-
try which was falling to pieces,
from age. The window above
mentioned, as well as the door
carved from marble, which, it is
stated, was imported from foreign
lauds, as nothing of the kind is to
be found in America, and the
workmanship is a credit to the
finest sculptors of any age. The
hand of the vandal is visible ev-
erywhere. Arms, ears, nose, in
fact all the images that stood over
the main entrance have been mu-
tilated by the iconoclasts who
have visited the missions ; and I
not surprised that the duenna
am
should invoke the forgiveness of
the virgin for admitting “the
Americanna” into the chapel. In
the rear of the mission San Jose,
like that of the “Conception” were
the ruins of the cells which were
occupied by the monks, priests
and novices—at least I presume
they were—but those of San Jose
are better preserved than those of
the Conception. These missions
were erected one hundred and sixty
years ago. I confess that I expe-
rienced a strange feeling of awe
and reverence as I gazed upon
them, and reflected that they were
once the abode of men who had
left their homes in foreign lands
and come into the wilderness to
plant the cross, and erect these
mouuments to the religion of their
choice. It is unfortunate that
history iurnishes no account of the
names, objects and purposes of
these “uncrowned heroes” who
braved the perils of the wilder-
ness foi the sake of their religious
faith. Whether they came from
across the sea, or from the land of
the Aztecs, why they came, what
ambitious stimulated them, will
never be known. The old world
possesses no ruins, no mementoes,
no relics more grand or peculiar
than these.
But I am lingering too long with
these ruins to suit your readers.
Leaving the missions the party
drove back through the city to
San Pedro spring, the source of
the San Pedro river, which rises
out of the rocks about a mile and
a half from the city. The stream
as it emerges from the earth is
about fifty feet wide and three feet
deop, and in its waters the trout,
perch and cat can be seen dis-
porting themselves in their native
element.
At the springs Col. Andrews
had a splendid collation spread,
and here the party spent about
three hours discussing the choice
viands, sipping the sparkling wine,
and making speeches in a truly
American fashion, worthy of the
country of Washington whose
natal day we celebrated. I will
not allude to tlietosts or speeches.
They were after the usual stereo-
typed order. When the shadows
began to lengthen, we drove to
our respective places of abode to
seek rest, for the festivities of the
eveniug which took shape in a
grand fancy dress ball, in which
the galantry and the beauty of the
city participated.
We left the city at seven the
next morning, pleased with our
visit and re-invigorated for the la-
bors for which our people had
sent us to the capital city. The
trip home was devoid of incident
or note worthy of record.
I cannot close without mention-
ing the untiring and unceasing
attention the entire party, from
the humblest to the greatest, re-
ceived from that large hearted,
whole souled, liberal minded gen-
tleman, Col. N. B. Andrews. To
him and him only are we indebted
for the pleasures of the occasion,
although we were the guests of the
city, visiting them at their invita-
tion, the prominent citizens and
dignitarries of the city made them
selves conspicous only by their
absence. But we did not miss
them. Col. Andrews was equal
to the emergency and the occasion.
He was literally omnipresent,
looking after everybody, pro
viding every thing. His name
will always be cherished by every
member of the party and everyone
have occasion to remember him
for some kindness, some act of
attention—all honor to the noble
gentleman.
P. S.—I know of no obligation
on the part of your readers, to
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For Sale by Druggists and Dealers at $1.V5
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-t— OF—
(DAILY AND WEEKLY.)
A Reliable Democratic
Paper,
Devoted] to the material prosperity ot
North Texas in general
AM Tarrant County in Particular,
TO^WIOl Lota
In the town of
ABILENE,
On the line of the Texts & Pacific rail-
way, will be held
MARCH 15, 1881.
The new town of Abilene is located in
Taylor county, and in the midst ot one
of the most beautiful, fertile and healthy
sections ot “The West,” and is destined
to become one ot the most important
points on the line of the Texas and Pa-
cific railway.
For maps of the town, or further infor-
mation as to terms of sale, or reduced
rates, address either
W. H. ABRAMS,
Land Conrr, Marshall, Texas.
R W. THOMPSON, Jr.,
Gen’l Pass. Agt., Marshall, Texas.
2-27.U1
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YOU HELP Y0URSEJ.
Send in Your Names.
ADVERTISING 'MEDIUM
FIRST ST. ketween HOUSTON AMD MAIN*
AND COR. FIRST AND HOUSTON
JNO. HOFFMAN, Proprietor.
keeps constantly on hand best brands ol
WHISKEY AND CIGARS,
Wines, Etc.
also;
Esculents and Sweetmeats
of all kinds at the
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NEW AND NOBBY!
Excelsior Meat Market.
ASTON & CO., Propxs.
Main Street, Florence block, opposite the
post office, and under Burts, Beall
& Feild’s office.
Fresh meats, game, and everything usually
found in first class markets. 2-19-tf
A. D. Ansell, M.D.
PH-YSICIAH,
SURGEON AND ACCOUCHED.
Office and residence—Second street, be-
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Special attention to Diseases of the eye, ear, nose
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4-17-tf
WOOD ! WOOD !
If you are cold, you will find ji supply
of good sound wood at
DUNNING’S WOOD YARD
on West Belknap street, which will be de-
livered on short notice at any part of
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Orders left at T. E. Ferguson’s, No. 51 Hotfs-
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IN CONOTCTIONt WITH^THS
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Daily Democrat. (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 5, No. 73, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 2, 1881, newspaper, March 2, 1881; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1049040/m1/2/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Fort Worth Public Library.