Page 43 - Industries_of_San_Antonio

COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES.

were known in San Antonio even to a late date, with the exception of the
few historical structures, which are to this day objects of interest and
study.
At present, San Antonio presents some of the stateliest and most
costly evidences of American skill, and the resident portion of the city
abounds with homes erected at great expense, but fully compensating in
their magnificence and beauty of surroundings. There are homes and
business houses of every description, as is natural to all cities ; but that to
which we would call particular attention, is the proportion of handsome
and costly buildings that have sprung to existence in so short a while, ren-
dering beautiful and charming a drive through any portion of the resident
districts. The actual growth or increase in this way has been steadily
marked, even through the last few seasons of general depressor, which
might naturally have stagnated the building "boom." Those owning real
estate, whether on large scale, or simply the home and lot, have all shown
the desire to beautify and materially improve their property, while the
former have continued to erect both business houses and dwellings to meet
the never ceasing demand. Values were but slightly effected through the
last two years, and now with the outlook for crops, never surpassed in
Texas, the confidence of old, in minds of business men, has returned, and
with new and stronger energy are pushing the work of making San An-
tonio one of the handsomest cities in America. During the year 1884,
there were, according to accurate statistics, 1072 buildings erected, at a
cost of from $500 to $100,000 each ; the increased valuation in property
assessments being $1,632,240 over that of 1883. Much more could be said
in praise of our architecture, but space will not permit.
EDUCATIONAL ADVANTAGES.
Next to the dire necessity of employment for all classes of people, are
facilities for educating and properly rearing our children; and if there is
any one thing that San Antonio should be proud of, it is her schools. Edu-
cation in itself is the root of all morality, well being of society, and future
attainments to be courted. It is the art of training the mind, of develop-
ing the faculties, the perfection of those characteristic attributes which
shall guide our future life. The duty and moral obligation of every parent
is to study the welfare of children, and in the widest sense we can but con-
ceive its accomplishment by placing them beneath the training influence
of those who have already mastered the necessities of life and learning.
We can not do better than to quote from the authorities of the San
Antonio Press, in giving complete information regarding form, etc., of
our local institutions, the degree of encouragement lent, and perfection
attained.
The growth of San Antonio's schools has been marvelous. In
less than a decade the few hundreds attending then are now in-
creased to almost as many thousands. Then the schools were
considered as a generous and charitable provision to educate the