The New Student's Reference Work/San Antonio, Tex.

San Anto′nio, Tex., a leading city, county-seat of Bexar County, is on San Antonio River. It has a large trade in horses, mules, wool, hides and grain, and has flour-mills, breweries, tanneries, machine-shops, foundries, binderies, cotton-presses and oil-mills. Among the important buildings are San Fernando Cathedral, commenced in 1749, St. Mark's Cathedral, Menger Hotel and the city-hall. San Antonio has a fine public-school system, with 21 buildings and 150 teachers, colored teachers being employed for colored children. Its broad plazas are overarched by fine old trees, and Brackenridge Park, near the head-springs of San Antonio River, contains 200 acres, is kept in its natural state and maintains a rare collection of wild animals. In the Mexican quarters of Laredito and Chihuahua may be seen Spanish manners and customs, markets, shops, cafés and churches. In San Antonio, as elsewhere in Texas, many Germans have settled, and have greatly helped to build up the city. Except during the war, San Antonio has been the Texan headquarters of the United States army since 1848, and the quartermaster's depot covers eight acres, the arsenal 20. Fort Alamo, just across the river, was the scene of the massacre by Santa Anna of the garrison of 188 men, including Crockett and Bowie, in 1836. The place was founded by the Spaniards in 1714, who built a fort, and four years later some monks began the mission of the Alamo. Population 96,614.