San Antonio Daily Light. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 15, No. 326, Ed. 2 Tuesday, December 24, 1895 Page: 2 of 26
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SAN ANTONIO LIGHT
SPECIAL EDITION.
PavtJ ...Page 1 to 8.
MUSE of history unfolds
the earliest record of this
section of Texas of which San
Antonio is the metropolis. Years
ago the sturdy pioneer attracted
by the fertile country on the banks
of the San Antonio river built the
primitive log huts. Soon the hand
of man converted the broad and
fertile acres into rich fields and
from just such a beginning San
Antonio became the city she is to-
day.
Could he who in the plaintive
story of “ Evangeline” sung of
the beautiful “ Teche country” to
day visit the city of San Antonio
SUBURBAN RESIDENCE.
he would not only find so much of
the practical attractive that he
would bid his muse begone and
would write to practical readers of
how here in abundance and variety
unrivalled can be found every ele-
ment of wealth and comfort; he
for a time cease to sing of
Wardens fair of lover true of pen-
dant moss of translucent streams
of sylvan glades of meadows
green ; to “ putiin a word ’ ’ for the
material and cpll attention to the
fft£t that eye?n poets must leave the
•"essentiru tch a hearty physical
growth. Where the flowers kissed
MEXICANO»DY STANDS.
tjje/morning dew and the primeval
echoed only with the noise of
native warblers stands a busy
active and prosperous city.
The growth of the city has been
rapid and permanent. This pro-
gress has been the result of the
systematic and energetic use of the
advantages which nature has be-
stowed coupled with the energy of
enthusiasm and determination.
Industrial enterprises have added
largely to the wealth of the city.
No city in Texas can boast of a
better class of laboring men than
can be found in San Antonio. They
are thrifty prudent economical
and not disturbed by the ordinary’
conditions which make labor an
CACTUS FARM.
uncertain element in a community.
Many own their own homes and
others are contemplating their pur-
chase. We commit no error when
we rank San Antonio among the
most progressive cities of Texas
when we speak of her advantages
as inferior to none and of the pos-
sibilities so bountifully foreshad-
owed ; when we speak of the city
as the site for coming industrial
enterprises the products of which
will find a ready market in all civ-
ilized countries ; when we speak of
her institutions of learning of
modern America ; when we speak
of her business men as wide-awake
progressive citizens; when we
eulogize her churches and eloquent
divines and picture her lovely
homes.
San Antonio is the natural busi-
ness center ot a vast country
enormously rich in natural and
developed and undeveloped re-
sources.
HER NATURAL RESOURCES
embrace three elements of strength
without which no city can ever
grow into commanding importance
viz : Good men a natural and cen-
tral location for the building of a
PLAZA VEGETABLE STAND.
city and a tributary country of
boundless resources. Better nor
braver men than they who first
planted the standard of commerce
and industry in San Antonio never
congregated in a town or under-
took the subjugation of a beautiful
wilderness to human uses. They
were men of high moral courage
and character splendid working
gifts and great tenacity and stead-
fastness of purpose had boundless
faith in the future of their town and
tributary country and naturally by
a sympathetic magnetism attracted
to this city other men of kindred
character till it came to be the ral-
MEXICAN JACAL.
lying point and trading center of
the whole region. The pioneers
with clear vision and unstinted
hands laid the broad foundation
for a comprehensive city alike
worthy of themselves and its loca-
tion and her citizens today are
carrying the work to a splendid
issue. In the quiet undercurrent
of the lives they are living there is
doubtless a warm appreciation of
the poetic and ideal but to the
common observer the city is ma
fteirAiAiivr A sort of practical
Roman sternness vigor and tenacity
characterize all their methods and
work and they are resolutely
MEXICAN BIRD CATCHERS.
building a great commercial and
industrial city that begins to bear
the impress of and will worthily
represent the strongest features of
our advancing and progressive
civilization. It is assuring to the
eastern visitor to pass a week in a
city that betrays
NO SIGN OF DOUBTING
or waiting but everywhere gives
token of sublime faith and resist-
MEXICAN JACAL.
less energy. To one whose nature
is mainly tuned to the minor key
and whose love of sentiment is all
absorbing the busy burning
bustling life of this city may seem
a trifle stern and brusque but even
a nature cast in this mould must
admire the dash courage and self-
assertion of these strong workers
who live love and labor in the
stem realism ofa creative and in-
tensely practical life. Fortunately
for San Antonio the accursed habit
of division and strife which has
blighted the fair prospects of many
a city is unknown here.
GREAT ENTERPRISE
and boundless public spirit are
stamped on even - feature of the
city. The people are for every-
thing that promises to build up and
strengthen this beautiful city.
Merchants bankers capitalists
traders manufacturers and every-
body in this community are busily
HUNTING PARTY.
working and planning for a city of
200000 souls and the observant
visitor is compelled to believe in
their success.
SAN ANTONIO
the ‘‘Chicago of Texas” stands
today the most progressive and
thoroughly wide-awake commer-
cial and industrial center in the
great southwest —a thrifty city
backed by men of brains pluck
and perseverance who have confi-
dence in their location appreciate
its wonderful surroundings and are
not afraid to expend their time and
risk their capital in the develop-
ment of them.
SAN FERNANDO CATHEDRAL.
San Antonio the county seat of
Bexar county is situated in a lovely
valley upon the headwaters of a
bright little river of the same name
and is 130 miles from the Gulf of
Mexico. It is over 700 feet above
the level of the sea thus affording
the finest climate in the world
noted for its healthfulness and sa-
lubrity. At Rockport and Corpus
Christi the paradise for fishermen is
located while the sea bathing can-
not be excelled. Excursions by rail
from San Antonio to the coast are
delightful.
San Antonio is 150 miles from
the Mexican border and the City
of Mexico and all points connected
by rail in that land of strange in-
terest can lx? reached from San An-
tonio by two trunk lines of road.
SURROUNDINGS.
San Antonio is located in the
center of a vast and fertile region
without a formidable commercial
rival within two hundred miles.
About it stretches oui a vast and
fertile territory'. To tM east north
and of cot-
ton and com ; to the *outh and
west stretch the grazingßands—to
El Paso 700 miles to Brownsville
on the lower Rio Grande the great
cattle and sheep region tnat has
poured its wealth of millions over
the United States. This great stock
MISSION SAN JUAN.
region is practically undeveloped
and is capable by the introduction
of the methods of agriculture used
in Colorado of supporting a dense
population.
The city limits embrace 36 square
miles of territory. Several beau-
tiful additions have grown up about
the city reached by rapid transit
loads. The spread of the city in
all directions show’s its phenomenal
growth from a Mexican town a
few years back to a flourishing
modern American city. The new
portions of the city are marked by
w’ide streets and handsome edi
fices.
HOMES.
The homesteads of San Antonio
embowered in the shade of beauti-
ful trees and lingering in the
presence of sw’eet attractive flow-
ers are places where the soul de-
lights to find release from the busy
ARSENAL GROUNDS.
YJ-fUa oi’ifre. ’rfom the* simple
cottage to the home of wealth the
vision rests upon a panorama
garbed in the dress of rare and ex-
quisite loveliness. These citadels
of the heart are exponent of the
grace and culture of San Antonio
home life.
SOCIETY.
As a polished society center San
Antonio is noted in the brilliant
courts of Southland. The circles
have golden links of Christian
SUBURBAN SCENE.
musical literary and scientific cul-
ture. Men of chivalric mien with
women of sweet attractive grace
give joy peace and purity to the
social world of the city. No city
in the state can boast of a purer
social atmosphere.
SILVER LIGHTS.
The streets business houses
public buildings hotels and pri-
vate residences of the city are bril-
ENTRANCE TO FAIR GROUNDS.
liant in the light of a splendid
electric system. When the sable
goddess drops her pinion o’er the
beautiful city the shimmering
lights as they play ‘‘hide and
seek” amidst the foliage and flow-
ers present a beautiful and fantastic
picture. We also have a fine gas
plant furnishing lighting facilities
for our stores and houses.
LOAN AND BUILDING AGENCIES.
No man in this section can com-
plain that he cannot obtain money
for building purposes. We have a
number of these companies in our
UNDER THE LIVE OAKS.
midst and they are always ready and
willing to loan money for building
purposes at nominal rates.
BUSINESS HOUSES.
Block after block of business
houses greets the visitor’s eyes.
Handsome stone and brick business
houses give evidence that our mer-
chauts are prospering. Metropoli-
tan stocks are carried by our busi-
ness men and it is unnecessary to
send away from home to obtain
your goods. San Antonio is the
“ shopping mecca ” of this section
of Texas.
CLIMATE.
Climate has everything to do
wdth making a city or section de-
sirable or not. By reason of the
elevation above sea level and the
proximity of the ocean —the preva-
lence of the trade wind during the
heated term San Antonio is famous
for its healthy invigoiating cli-
mate. The winters are bracing
with but few days when the ther-
mometor falls below the freezing
point; sometimes a light fall of snow
reminds the northerner of Thanks-
giving times. Spring opens in Feb-
ruary; summer begins with June
and lasts into September. The
summer weather is the most health-
ful season of the year—hot and dry
—but the prevailing sea breeze
from the Gulf of Mexico gives re-
lief so that it is not an enervating
climate. The delicate and sick get
well in the summer —nature rests
insect life disappears.
No spot in the world holds out
greater hope of relief to the invalid.
The climate is unsurpassed as
thousands of restored
consumptives and* by TuoilTarfu:
of our citizens who are the children
of consumptives that sought Texas
for relief but who today enjoy that
splendid health that prevails with
the people in all our section.
HEALING WATERS.
The development of hot mineral
waters by artesian wells has added
another claim to San Antonio as a
health resort and destines it to be
the greatest sought after spot on
the continent as soon as the afflict-
ed find ft out. One well that sup-
plies the sanitarium erected dis-
charges per 24 hours 1250000 gal-
lons of hot sulphur water at a tem-
perature of 104 0 . These baths are
now extensively patronized and
hundreds of people who have gone
there on crutches have come away
cuied and without them. Besides
this great hot sulphur well there
are two others of equal tempera-
ture not yet utilized as resorts.
OUR GYSERS.
There are some twenty odd arte-
sian wells that flow within the city
limits. These wells are veritable
gysers sending up volumes of
water above the surface with great
pressure. Two of these wells afford
over three million gallons of pure
soft water to the water works
which works are also supplied by a
system which uses the crystalline
fountains of the river that rises al-
most within the city limits. No
city on the continent has such a
magnificent supply of water.
COAL.
Within nine miles of the city of
San Antonio a lignite coal field has
been developed that covers thou-
sands of acres and insures an inex-
haustable supply of fuel. This
coal is produced on the dump at
40 cents per ton.
OUR STREETS
Are paved and well kept. No
city in Texas can boast of finer or
more durable streets.
SUBURBAN ACTS OF LANDS FOR
*AP HOMES.
No city size in Texas can
boast of having as many fine sub-
urbs as San Antonio. Beautifully
laid out of scenic beauty and
SCENE AT WEST END.
within easy access of the business
portions of the city these suburbs
offers to the poor man a delightful
chance for a home. These lots and
houses are sold within the reach of
all.
CITY GOVERNMENT.
San Antonio has an excellent
municipal government—economical
and strong —consisting of a mayor
recorder collector treasurer city
attorney auditor assessor clerk
marshal engineer etc. twelve ai-
dermen four elected at large and
CITY HAIL.
one from each of the eight wards of
the city. These gentlemen are live
progressive men who do their best
to maintain the dignity and pro-
gressiveness of our city. Each de-
partment is in competent hands
and when we say that San Antonio
is the best governed city in the
state we but state an absolute fact
—which will bear the closest scrut-
iny.
MANUFACTURING AND DEVELOPING
AGENCIES.
Most advantageously located as
to raw material supply fuel cli-
matic conditions and railway facili-
ities for transportation San Antonio
has now earnestly and enthusiasti-
cally entered upon the manufact-
uring era and diversified industries
both great and small have opened
into existence under the centives
and inducements offered to capitol
and labor by the enterprise and lib-
erality of her citizens. The follow-
ing are some of the manufacturing
industries and developing agencies:
- vgasj - factory a fing
works a windmill manufactory
vinegar manufactory two trunk
factories four electric street rail-
ways a union stock yards six soda
water manufacturing plants three
shirt manufactories eight planing
mills two rubber stamp manufac-
tories one mesquitt: block pave-
ment factory five marble and gran-
ite factories five maclime shops
two manufacturing jewelers two
harness and saddle factories a
number of candy factories three
tanneries five flouring mills one
electric light plant one gas plant
four cornice factories a coffee and
spice mill three cistern manufac-
tories one cement factory four cab-
inet shops two broom factories
two brick plants two breweries
five book binderies two awning
factories ice factories oil mills and
other factories and plants too nu-
merous to mention.
STREET RAILWAYS.
San Antonio is fortunate in pos-
sessing four street railways having
a combined mileage of over forty-
five miles. The various companies
running lines are as follows: Citi-
zens Rail-Road Co.; Rapid Transit
Street Car Company; San Antonio
Street Rail Road Company and
West End Electric Street Car Com-
pany. These lines render excel-
lent sen-ice and connect the resi-
dent portions of the city with the
business portion and various depots.
NATATORIUMS.
San Antonio has four uatator-
iums owned and erected for the
public by private individuals.
HOTELS.
We have in our midst some of
the best hostelries to be found in
the Lone Star State.
WATER WORKS.
San Antoqio has the finest sys-
tem of water works in the state.
There are 170 miles of water
mains distributed over the city and
over 600 fire hudrants. The works
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San Antonio Daily Light. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 15, No. 326, Ed. 2 Tuesday, December 24, 1895, newspaper, December 24, 1895; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1683522/m1/2/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .