USA > Texas > A Twentieth century history of southwest Texas, Volume I > Part 66
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March 23 the arguments in the case were taken, up, both of Major Penrose's counsel speaking in the forenoon, and the judge advocates in the afternoon.
These arguments were concluded at 3:15 p. m., and after four hours' de- liberation the courtmartial found the accused not guilty.
It was reported among real estate men yesterday that T. A. Coleman and D. J. Woodward had closed a deal with W. C. Urbahn of Laredo whereby they purchased the famous Calahan Ranch of 125,000 acres. The consideration was not given out.
This ranch lies along the Rio Grande about twenty-six miles above Laredo and has a water frontage of about ten miles. It runs back from the river a dis- tance of fifteen miles in some places, and the majority of it is fine mesquite land. The Rio Grande Coal Company's mines are contignous to this ranch.
The first coal mines on the Calahan Ranch were opened up in 1879 by. ex- Governor Hunt of Colorado. This gentleman discovered the coal mines and began to build the railroad which is now known as the Rio Grande & Eagle Pass Railroad, and serves to haul the coal from the Rio Grande, the Cannel and the San Jose Coal Mines into Laredo. The original plan of Governor Hunt was to build the road from Laredo to Eagle Pass and open up the coal mines between. By the time the road was built to the first mines opened, Old Minera, however. the governor met misfortunes and lost most of his money. The road and mines were then bought by New York and Philadelphia capitalists, who are now operat- ing them. Besides the coal and farming lands on the Calahan Ranch, it has some of the best ranch land in West Texas.
Mr. Coleman leased this ranch about a year ago and immediately stocked it with about 2.500 head of steers. He had a hard task at first, in driving the squat- ters out of its limits and some of them actually disputed the right of the owner. It was on a small portion of the Calahan Ranch, known as the Tordilla Ranch. that the famous Tordilla fight between the Martinez outlaws and Texas Rangers occurred about eighteen months ago.
The famous Palifoax land grant adjoins the Calahan Ranch on the porth. This is the piece of land which was granted by the King of Spain to the Duke of Palifoax many years ago and for which there are now many disputed titles.
Ten million dollars, spot cash, is the peat little sum that has been refused by the heirs of the King estate for the great King ranch in Southeast Texas, two of
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whose border lines are the Gulf of Mexico and the Rio Grande River, and whose broad area embraces nearly all of three counties and a part of a fourth.
Ever since the middle of the summer there has been pending one of the most magnificent land deals ever swung in the state for a territory larger than several of the individual states of the Union. Mrs. King, wife of the late Captain King, is the owner of the greater portion, although her daughter, Mrs. Kleburg, wife of ex-Congressman Kleburg, is also one of the heirs, and the land intended to be purchased included not only the million acres belonging to the King ranch, but also half a million acres adjacent to it, known as the Kennedy ranch, of which D. A. Kennedy is the principal owner.
Eastern parties. some of whom live in New York, and others in other eastern and northern cities, desired to become the possessors of the property. The Chronicle is not at liberty to reveal their names, as the deal is still pending, al- though the prospects for its being brought to a successful termination are now slight, as sentimental reasons make Mrs. King, who owns the controlling inter- est, loath to part with the vast property, which in territorial extent far surpasses many a European principality and is even larger than some kingdoms.
Experts from the north. sent out by the promoters of the subject, having made a thorough study of the property, advised offering the price which has been refused.
The vast property, which practically comprises the counties of Nueces, Cam- eron and Hidalgo, and even a part of Starr County, is at the southern apex of the state. The land is not heavily wooded, but mostly covered by mesquite and chaparral, and at times as high as half a million cattle roam over its level acres, for except about 40,000 acres the greater part of the million and a half acres are not under cultivation. On the territory is the town of Kingsville.
It was proposed to make the territory a feeder for the great 'Frisco system, although its promoters are not connected with that road, which gives access to the territory.
The land was to be cut up into plantations, which were to be watered by arte- sian wells, as the experience at Kingsville has shown that artesian water may easily be obtained on the territory.
Street car systems were to connect the entire territory and form a network all over it, and more than the purchase price-that is to say, a sum in excess of ten million dollars-was to be spent in making the land ready for the occupancy of the agriculturists who were to be invited to colonize it.
The plans were comprehensive in scope and had even gone somewhat into detail, and it was thought that the papers were almost ready to be signed, but the prospects are now not so good that a trade may be made.
Mr. Conditt intimated that his backers, while discouraged at the unexpected obstacles, had not abandoned the plan, and it may yet be put through .- Houston Chronicle.
"The year 1907," said F. Groos, president of F. Groos & Co., bankers, yester- day. "finds Texas in a wonderfully prosperous condition. A succession of good years with bountiful seasons has brought riches to its inhabitants. Good crops, a big demand for them and the resultant high prices are responsible directly for the cash and credit and have served as object lessons to thousands of new homeseekers who have turned their eyes on Southwest Texas.
"That is a great big result. We have at last convinced northern and eastern farmers that this is a farmer's country. We have really just convinced ourselves. Isn't it true that as a general thing more moisture is needed to grow grass for cattle than to grow cotton? It is true and we will find that the so-called dry South- west Texas is not so dry after all. It has been only in comparatively recent years that cotton in any quantity has been grown west of San Antonio. I believe the cotton industry in Southwest Texas has only just begun.
"And so it is with other products. Of course it will be dry once in awhile, drouths occur everywhere for that matter, but droughts will be heeded less and less as the country settles up.
"Now we come to the matter of securing prosperity for the future; that is, the settlement of this country with farmers that know their business. Get the people and you will get crops and wealth in abundance, land values will be secure
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and products pour out. When land is sold only for speculation its value is not secure enough for our purpose, but sell it to a farmer and you can bank on his property. Speculative land values are based on confidence in the future which may be reasonable enough if the land is not held too long. But its ulti- mate use is in the possession of the actual tiller of the soil. I want to sound a warning against over-speculation. And if this should be a dry year, we will find perhaps compensation in a check to such over speculation.
"How to settle our country? The answer, I believe, is 'railroads.' Though the people of San Antonio by their campaign of publicity have done much to turn investors this way, it is the railroads who have done by far the most of it in enlightened self interest. To multiply these is our problem.
"The need is obvious. Have you ever figured out how much territory tributary to our merchants, banks and factories is practically untouched, and will remain so until railroads radiate from town? The size, if figured out, would be start- ling. Texas fortunately is growing more friendly towards enterprise as it grows richer, but should come to a full recognition of its grave error in hindering rai !- roads, in imposing burdensome restrictions and not giving the roads a fair show. Reasonable regulation is a good thing but the Railroad Commission is not an institution that has helped Texas.
"San Antonio has made fine progress in wholesale and manufacturing enter- prises and these are bound to increase and additional railroads mean additional trade over and over again.
"Taking the situation as a whole it is most encouraging and we can look to the future with confidence."
Thorough investigation last night showed that every gambling house in San Antonio had closed. Most of them closed upon receipt of private wires the preced- ing night that the governor would sign the new law recently passed by the legislature immediately. The other houses closed as soon as About gamblers left the morn- ing papers were received. fifty
San Antonio yesterday, the majority going further west. Few of the men stopped in this state. They declare that whether or not the law will be en- forced by the officers, they can not afford to take any chances when it is a felony punishable by terms in the state penitentiary to operate any of the games. It was with considerable regret that the men left San Antonio. It has for many years been one of the well known wide open cities of the United States. Only occasion- ally have attempts been made to close the houses.
The decision to close was sudden with many of the houses. The night shifts of men came to work and congregated in front of the houses, surprised to find them closed. The old patrons came in numbers and congregated about the doors of the closed houses, expressing their opinions of the legislature.
District Attorney Charles Baker expressed considerable doubt as to the pos- sibility of enforcing the law in this county. It is his opinion that its very string- ency has made it a dead letter. When asked about this matter he said: "Do you think any twelve men in this county would send a man to the state penitentiary to serve out a term because he played a game of poker?"
The old houses, which a few days ago were spectacles of light, life and gaiety, were rather uninteresting last night. Chandeliers were dark. Tables and chairs were stacked in the corners. Dust had already begun to settle on the green cloth.
The only signs of gambling that could be found in the big vacant rooms were little placards on the walls giving the price of stacks for draw poker.
There was not much chance to shake for the drinks with the bartender last night. The leather or rubber cylinder, with its five cubes, was in street par- lance, "put on ice." From force of habit the man behind the bar would reach back or under the counter, only to come to the sudden realization again that the governor had signed a drastic law that has apparently settled for good and all the dice box in this state.
Early in the evening, when it became generally known that the governor had signed the bill, anything that resembled a dice box was gently laid away on the shelf. in order that the spiders might find a new home over which to spin their webs.
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For a number of saloons and cigar stores around the town, where the dice box frequently decided if the drinks or smokes were "on the house" or the man in front of the counter, the new bill will be a hard jolt.
The proprietors of some of the swinging door emporiums were not back- ward in expressing their opinion of the provisions of the statutes; while still others. looking at the measure in the lighter vein, made threats of having pink teas Wednesday afternoon with the big ping pong game on Thursday and the croquet handicap as a half holiday event Saturday afternoons.
There were, however still a number of saloons last night where the bar- tenders pounded the mahogany top of the bar with the dice box and generally made merry in the belief that it was going to be the last night in which they were going to get a run for their money. Still other saloon men say the dice box will remain above board until some official notification reaches them "to cut it out."
However, the general verdict seems to be that it is unsafe to bet, and the one best bet with odds at 100 to I is to keep off the board.
Alamo Controversy.
At the date of this publication, the "Alamo question" is a subject of debate and controversy throughout Texas, and there appears a hopeless division among the Daughters of the Republic with reference to the mat- ter at issue. It is obvious that nothing final can be said on the subject therefore, and a judgment on a present controversy would be inconsistent with a history of this character. But it is with a view to preserving some of the current expressions of opinion on the matter, as a mere matter of interest for later years, when the present excitement will probably be forgotten, that the following editorials from San Antonio dalies are ap- pended :
It appears that the two organizations of Daughters of the Republic in San Antonio are divided as to the best manner in which to care for the ground on which the Hugo & Schmeltzer building now stands. One organization stands for a hall of fame while the other stands for a park. As The Light understands the situation the great mass of the people of San Antonio are not interested in whether the building is transformed into a hall of fame or whether it is torn away and a park established. What the people of San Antonio really desire is that the building which now occupies the ground and calls forth gibes from every stranger whose attention is called to it shall give way to something less calculated to give offense to the eye.
The state of Texas has purchased the ground with the intention that a monument or testimonial of some kind will be erected to the memory of those brave men who gave their lives for Texas liberty. The form it shall take is a matter of detail. The only important matter is: When is this transformation to take place? It is very likely that if it seems probable a park can be secured before a hall of fame is possible that the park will meet with popular favor. If it develops that the hall of fame is easier of attainment then the hall will probably come first in the minds of the people. The matter has been agitated until the people demand that something shall be done and done without delay. (March 23.)
What is to be done with the Alamo Mission property purchased by the state for preservation in commemoration of the heroism of the martyrs to Texas liberty is a matter which is engaging the attention of the Daughters of the Re- public and in which the patriotic people of the state are interested.
It was the purpose of the ladies and gentlemen who were active in securing ownership and control of the property which forms a part of the ancient mission and which has long been devoted to commercial uses to have the wooden struct-
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ure removed and to prevent any part of it from being used for business pur- poses.
The intention of the Daughters of the Republic is now said to be to have restored as nearly as can be ascertained from history the walls of the building adjoining the Alamo church and to beautify the grounds in a way to make them attractive and to show the respect and veneration in which the hallowed ground is held and to make of the Alamo a fitting monument to the heroes who gave their lives for the liberty and glory of Texas.
It appears that there are varied opinions as to the plans which should be adopted for the preservation of the ancient walls and beautifying the grounds, as well as concerning the Hall of Fame and museum of Texas history which it has been proposed to erect on the premises. Upon one question, however, there is practically no difference of opinoin, and that is that the building now used as a mart of trade and billboard for all sorts of flashy posters should come down speedily. Not only is it an obstruction to the view of the sacred edifice, which it overshadows, but an eye-sore to that part of the city and a libel on the sacred Alamo.
The Daughters of the Republic are doing their utmost to preserve the Alamo and to cultivate the spirit of patriotism which it typifies, and the state is giving them its cordial support and encouragement. They will work out the plan in time that will be acceptable all around and that will redound to the credit of the patriotic women of Texas as to the honor of the heroes whose patriotic sacrifice is commemorated. (March.)
Mrs. Urwitz, chairman of the executive committee of the Daughters of the Republic, thinks the Alamo should stand alone and unembellished by any fanciful surroundings, with a promenade on either side, but with no shining roof of glass, no overshadowing hall of fame, no marble shaft to speak the glory which the ancient ruin so eloquently commemorates.
"In its green and inimitable eloquence the Alamo should stand. It is its own museum, its own hall of fame, its own monument. It must stand alone and unchallenged-the sentinel of history."
Perhaps this will be the final decision of the Daughters of the Republic into whose keeping the Texas Cradle of Liberty has been given by the state. There is a general desire that the sacred ground shall not be encumbered by any mart of trade or commercial enterprise and there is hardly a doubt that the present incumbrance that so disfigures the site of the ancient mission and so obscures the historic Alamo will soon be removed and the walls that remain be no more used for garish posters of ballet dancers in abbreviated skirts, breakfast foods and brands of intoxicants.
There are some differences of opinions as to details concerning the restora- tion and preservation of the ancient mission which may easily be reconciled when the Daughters of the Republic take up the matter at their annual meeting and discuss it in a broad and patriotic spirit, with mutual consideration and concession
The Daughters are to be commended for the active interest and energy they have displayed in the preservation of the relics of Texas history and they may be trusted to save the Alamo in the most proper and effective manner. (April.)
Now that the Daughters of the Republic of Texas have divided on the Alamo Mission question it is probable the people of Texas will reluctantly reach the conclusion arived at by the executive committee of the organization as an- nounced from Houston. That is that custody of the property should be vested in the state. It is to be regretted that this organization of women whose fathers were patriots of Texas has been unable to agree and continue the great work that they so well began of preserving for posterity the landmarks of Texas-the points that make plain the history of the state and its struggles for freedom, and stand an object lesson for generations to come.
It is not easy to believe, with the organization divided as it is since the Austin meeting, that it will be possible for the Alamo and the old mission to be
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preserved and made to represent what the state intended they should represent unless they be placed under care of a commission to be provided for by the state legislature.
Governor Campbell has it within his power to remove the rock upon which the organization of Daughters of the Republic has gone to pieces by submitting this question to the legislature, now in session, for such action as shall appear to be wise. Then there will be no obstacle to reuniting of the factions in the society of Daughters of the Republic of Texas-an organization of the finest types of Texas womanhood.
Let the state of Texas preserve and control the shrines of Texas liberty. All patriotic citizens will help with the work, and there will be no more jealousies, heart burnings, and tears among the women whose love of these same shrines is not less because they are given to much sentiment and deep feeling. (April.)
San Antonio Building.
The old cornerstone of the Kunkel building at the intersection of West Houston and North Flores Streets was removed this morning and taken charge of by George .F. Stuemke and removed to his home at the corner of Mistletoe and Mccullough Avenues.
The Kunkel building is being torn down by Street Commissioner Russi and a large force of laborers for the purpose of widening Houston Street, in com- pliance with the stipulations of improvement district No. II. It was about 9 o'clock while the men were at work this morning that the old cornerstone was removed.
The cornerstone was laid forty years ago, in January of 1867, by August C. Stuemke, father of George F. Stuemke, of this city. In the cornerstone was placed copies of the newspapers published in San Antonio at the time. George Stuemke says he remembers that "The Herald," which was published then, was placed in the stone. Photographs of the Stuemke family, German and Spanish coins and other relics also were placed within the stone.
Considerable excitement followed the discovery of the cornerstone this morn- ing, it being at first reported that a treasure had been discovered, and great crowds flocked around the old building. Mr. Stuemke considers the find as a treasure and declares that he would not part with the contents of the stone for four-fold their financial value.
The building was constructed by August C. Stuemke when San Antonio was nothing more than a village and when Indians were to be found all over Texas. The building was of rocks roughly hewn, but built so strongly that during the two score years it has stood the blasts of winter and storms. It has never re- quired repairs. After the building had been constructed it was first occupied by Mr. Deitler as a grocery store. It later became the property of Henry Wagner, then Minter and Kunkel got control of it and in recent years it became the prop- erty of Mr. Kunkel. When purchased by the city the building was occupied as a second hand furniture house.
February, according to the report filed by City Building Inspector James Wahrenberger this morning with the city clerk, breaks all records for improve- ments and erection of new dwellings and business houses.
January of the present year was considered as showing the greatest values in buildings in one month, a total of $152,920. This record, which is consid- ered phenomenal, is broken by the record of February, which shows an increase of $10,865 over that of January. During last month Inspector Wahrenberger issued 199 permits aggregating the sum of $163,785.
The building values for February show an increase of $86,150 over those of the corresponding month, one year ago, when the total values for the month reached $77,635.
The report of the building inspector only again demonstrates the fact that San Antonio is in the midst of the greatest building boom of its history.
The Fifth ward, or the business district of the city, again leads in the great- Vol. 1. 32
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est building values, carrying off the honors with a showing of $53,120. The fourth ward follows second with $33,045 to its credit, while the Seventh ward shows a big gain in $26,740. The other wards show the following record for the month : First ward, $15,625; Second ward, $7,06c; Third ward, $5,490; Sixth ward, $9,930; Eighth ward, $12,775, making a grand total for all wards of $163,785.
San Antonio's progress commercially hinges much upon the construction of the proposed new north and south line of railroad through Pleasanton to Sam- fordyce, Tampico and the City of Mexico.
With this direct connecting link across the proposed east and west roads from Carrizo Springs to Aransas Pass and Spofford to Aransas Pass tapping a wonderfully fertile but undeveloped country of its own, San Antonio will abso- lutely control the southern Texas situation, and her supremacy will never be suc- cessfully assailed so long as the business men here exercise due diligence and acumen.
Nothing so well illustrates the feasibility of such a road as the fact that the people living in that territory are so eagerly seeking it, and so firmly confident of its success that they are offering big bonuses for its construction and are ready to invest their money in it. Certainly they should be in a position to know the condition better than any outsider and their money eloquently attests their faith. So large, indeed, are these bonuses and grants of rights of way that the greater part of the cost of construction is guaranteed practically before work begins.
The further significant fact that the proposed road would offer important strategic advantages to the M., K. & T. and the Frisco systems, and that both of these roads have made overtures that indicate their willingness to purchase such a line if it be built, and that the new Orient is known to desire entrance to San Antonio and an outlet to deep water, makes it quite certain that the proposed line south could be sold at a profit if necessary.
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