counties linvc n thousand miles of spring-fed rivers and creeks. Very good drinking water prevails. Hotels servo generous country meals. Three now, fine hotels have just been built and others enlnrged. Camps of all kinds are settling in the Hill Country— church encampments, auto, ranch and recreation camps, boys’ and girls’ character camps, boy and girl scouts and numerous other institutional camps. In the Davis Mts. the Madera Springs mountain club is developing with every convenience for all-year service and all kinds of pleasures and for Old Spanish Trail travel. Old History In 1G81 La Salle with a colonizing expedition from France sought the Mississippi River to take possession of the vast Mississippi Valley in the name of his king. He failed in this and landed In 1G85 on the Texas coast. Spain learned of this colony on territory it claimed and in 1089 sent nn expedition from Mexico; they readied the La Salle site and found La Salle had been murdered by his men and the French were dead or gone away. A second expedition in 1090 continued northward and founded missions in the Nacogdoches district in East Texas. In 1099-1700 a group of missions was established south of the Rio Grande between the present Eagle Pass and Laredo. In 171G-17 four new missions wore established near Nacogdoches but Spain found Nacogdoches too remote an outpost so in 1718 the mission, now the historic Alamo, was transferred from the Rio Grande and a fort (presidio) was established near it—and San Antonio dates from this. In 1720 the Mission San Jose was established. In 1731 the Villa of San Fernando de Bexar (town-site) was started and the missions Concepcion, San Juan and San Francisco were transferred from the Nacogdoches district to the San Antonio River# From San Antonio other missions were established over n wide area. Gradually tin* outlying missions were abandoned or Indians destroyed them. The Sail Antonio missions grew Into great establishments. Fine stone churches and other buildings and irrigating systems were built. Today the ruins bear mute testimony to great achievement. These enterprises, so deep in a savage land, were remarkable achievements even in that brilliant age. LEON SPRINGS. Jet. to Camp Stanley, one of the large U. S. military reservations. K. Auc Service Station, good. •BOERNE. Beginning of West Texas Hill Country: slieep, goat and cattle ranches. KENDALL INN, PHILLIPS and IIILLT'OP hotels. Free and eahin camps. GUADALUPE RIVER at Comfort; this river now followed for 25 mi. COMFORT. On the Guadalupe river. These hills and valleys between Comfort and Boerne offer some of the prettiest driving scenery in America. Rustic drives among the hills. Pretty farms in the valleys, goat ranches hack in the hills and canyons. Elevations and dry sunshine provide a stimulating climate. Hermann Sons Home on a hill crest westward. FAUST and MEYERS hotels, small German places, good meals. OST Filling Sta., cafe and resting place. Free camp on river, east. CENTER POINT. On a river bluff: a hill town resort. Church encampment near. Several small hotels. BRUFF HOUSE leads. Camp space along (he river. Jordan’s cabin camp in a riverside grove on OST west, a pleasant place, 35c to $1.00. •KERUVILLE. The resort capital of the hills. Largest primary wool and mohair market in Texas. Numerous camps along the river; cabin and free auto camps, boys’ and girls' character camps, church encampments. East 3 mi. on the OST, the American Legion $2,000,000 hospital now conducted by the U. S. Government: adjoining are the Schreiner Institute and ilic Presbyterian Encampment. BLUE BONNET MOTEL. New, modern, HO rms., overlooks Guadalupe River. ST. CHARLES and other hotels. Inf.—Chamber of Commerce. INGRAM. Jet. of two branches of the river. Cabin camp on OST, cast. STATE FISH HATCHERY. East of Mt. Home, 2 mi. Largest black bass hatchery In the world; built by the 20