SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS: TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1922. Road Building hj Counties Blanco Brazos Brooks Hi Caldwell .. Calhoun .. Cameron .. Coleman .. Colorado . Comal .... Culberson Dewitt ... Edwards .. El I*nso .. Falls ..... Fayette ... Frio ..... Gillespie .. Gonzales . Hays ...... Hidalgo .. Hudspeth. Jackson . Jeff Davis Jim Hogg Karnes ... Kendall .. Kerr ...... Kimble ... Kleberg ... Lavaca ... Lee ....... Live Oak . Itobertson .. Kuuncis .... Patricio Schleicher .. Sutton ...... Terrell ..... 1 Green . Travis ..... Uvalde ....*.. Vnlverde .... Washington Webb ........ Wharton Williamson . Bonds Aid Under Voted Project Con- From 1017 Total. , Aid Paid Com- struc- to 1021. Aid Allotted. to Date, pleted. lion. Inclusive. CI.S10.00 $ C0.C21.23 10 ... $ 200.000 101.3G5.20 117.757.1G 105 ... • 375.000 ■ ............................................ 375.000 .. 23:^,070.00 13.534.50 2.2 8-7 330.000 •1SO.OOO.OO 54,COO.CO ... 30.0 005.000 .. 300.3S2.C5 115.070,18 5.3 30.7 00.000 1G0.3OO.SO 1S0.507.13 23.1 27.3 1.500,0(10 70.000.00 10.5 75.000 ,. 00,020.30 50,015.12 10.3 ... 70.000 115.500.00 73,409.10 31.8 . . 100.000 31.$07.57 9,774.73 ... 10.0 70.000 125.940.17 115.71S.00 31.0 ... 250.0OU C9.72S.10 20.1S0.85 275.000 272.010.18 227,530.51 12.7 ... 300.000 203.053.00 1,100.000 130.S10.G1 114,152.10 37.0 S.S . 130.027.00 S3.043.71 19.S ... 175.000 153.503.13 151.730.41 78 S ............... 37.500.00 10.3 40.000 .. ' 1S.500.00 400.000 353.358.00 163.2S0.70 15.5 33.5 $00,000 05.110.02 57.240.20 l.S 7.0 050.000 453.550.22 32,750.54 7.1 1S.0 523.000 . 300.000.00 ..................................... 182 131.51 03.011.00 27.0 10.0 200 000 281.C22.25 177,025.55 20.7 12.0 553.000 120.004.CO S3.40t.00 42.0 10.0 115.000 412,370/5 0.030.04 ... 33.0 1,250,000 101,510.24 3S.005.7S 10.0 34.0 10.000 ............................................... 120,000 1S.017.25 7.2 200.000 .. .............................. 25.000 1?C-000.00 300.000 22.007.00 20.957.00 5.5 ... 212.00(1 .. . 130.000.00 280.000 130.801.31 01.323.71 34.0 ... 150.000 305.000 00 222.0IS.17 ... 31.2 330.000 0.000.00 ............................. 200.000 34.130.00 34.021.S2 ll.S ... 200.000 .............................................. 210.000 102.500.00 03.103.00 ... 24 8 ........ 29,558.04 7.2 ........ 0.707.75 5.50G.0S ... 1.5 . 325.557.00 32.5 SOO.OOO ........................................... 015.000 230.727.30 10S.220.40 25.2 13.9 105.000 300.000. 00 109.055.00 ............ 2.000.000 270.126.69 3.S57.S1 ... 57.1 225.000 .................................................. 2SO.UOO 153.003.34 04.792.21 1S.0 ... 150.000 127.214.40 92.214.11 00 4 ... 115.000 250.493.45 113,475.45 ............ 350.000 113.000. 00 34.734.52 ... 11.4 125.000 ............... .............. ................ 600.000 ............................................................ 250.000 394.750.00 177.517.49 20.5 10.0 500.000 338.040.14 107.755.S7 19.9 15.2 035.000 .................................................. 430.000 3,’.0.000.00 C3.405.36 102 11.5 400.U00 . 525.000.00 37.074.99 ... 32.0 1.5(10.000 270.142.06 10G.S20.70 13.1 33.4 300.000 223.500.00 15.755.50 ... ... 2.120.000 4 4S.353.09 131,705.55 10.0 11.5 1.300.000 .S10.030.G23.04 $3,8$9,33G.Gl 67S.G 1,301.$ $17,042,000 | FfrtHERE is one thing in San Antonio* older tbau the citv itselw. I Its existence is marked by documentary evidence which is more than legend. It.-: diary would tell of blood, human sacrifices and wars". It has felt the tread of holy Spanish monks, whose crucifix was tbclr sword. It has borne haughty cavaliers, settlers from the Canary Islands. St. Denis, the French trader and debaueber of native Indian tribes. Shades of the first Americans coming into Texas are as milestones upon If. The savage and boasting •’Hero of Vera .Cruz.” Mexico's greatest tinsel, rode over it. And the forward sweep of time has brought this oldest thing to be the bearer of agricultural, commercial and pleasure travelers from one border of the State to the other. This oldest thing Is the King’s Highway, El Camino Real, the Old San An-j fonlo Road. Snatched from the very edge of legendary oblivion, this highway Is now not only a treasure of h whose love for San Antonio is rooted in Us wealth of history, but the joy of the pleas ure tourist and the slay of the thousands whose labors a-field are rewarded when the trail has finally led them from their rich valleys to San Antonio. { the commercial capital of the territory » it traverses. Once Part of Kingdom. ! El Camino Real was once pari of a great system of highways the equal of the military roads of Rome and which I has not yet been equaled by “more civilized” peoples of the Western Hemisphere. That great system was the work of Aztec kings who after the con-J summation of their triple alliance began the expansion which pushed the j boundaries of their kingdom from one ocean to the other and from what ;s now Oklahoma to Panama. These roads emanated from Tcnoehtirlun. now 1 the City of Mexico, and sought out the * farthest corners of ihe empire. Over i them the merchants of Tenochtitlan j traveled, protected by tbo continent i wide four of the monarch whose sub-' jeets they were. Rack to the capital 5 vast riches were borne by the merchants. and thrown at the feet of their ' savage god. Hold warriors walked El Camino 1 Real. Terrorism was the warp which knit the kingdom, and the roads were i instruments of terrorism. Rack ovor ■ their surfaces were dragged the vie->i tims of the wars, their feet torn. their * bodies faut. fit subjects for the altar s from which towered rock, their mortal f remains divested of their hearts, were tossed down the temple steps to leaven 1 the feast of the successful warrior. i* On such foundations of history is the King's Highway built. 2 Sort Treads Heard. 4 The music of this greatest pageant ( of the highways changed. Came the \ soft tread of devout Franciscans, prais- ing their Creator as they went. It was a message of peace they brought. of blood-washing of a different kind. Along this highway their song stretched and the mysteries of Christianity wore patiently explained to the Indians. They went first to the far end of the highway and near what is now Nacogdoches built their first settlement In Texas. Rut the founding spirit of tbo road would not down. Even the greatest faith and charity was not proof against rhe spirit of savagery which was the highway's inspiration. They returned to their capital, but returned again to select the better site near San Antonio, Where soon five missions and two sot* • tlemonts were to mark civilization's advance Into Texas. Peace and plenty lined the roadway for half a century. Then' roan’s great enemy. lack of wisdom entered tho highway, stalking straight from Madrid by way of the City of Mexico. Unwise rulers disease and adverse conditions turned tt o more Important of the I road's vistas from the south to the i^.ortb. From that direction came St. D. ?ni.\ magnate of Louisiana. French mere hnnt supreme. AVith hifli he brought trinkets to beguile the (peaceful Indians of the msslons. and j liquor to tfetfiauch them. Firearms were distributed j and again blood sprinkled the highway's dust. And bistony's great lev*/ was exacted hero as wherever passions gain dominance, and decamp followed. Greater Spirits Appear. I But the highway founded In blood would not down, j Spirits o f greater strength than any which hr,id blazed its path were to travel It ag ain. The Americans came, men who Vvere willing to fight and die that a.long this highway peace and plenty n^lght forever 11 vq. They fought unto '‘death, did these Americans, first for the* Presidio de Bexar, then for the Alamo, and yet again on two occasions wb'.an envious Mexico reached out its hanol of blood against the then weak Republic whlcn was to become a part of the greater one. These fighters lost, but their blood crystallized the divided .spirit of the Americans and peace waq won. The pence for ijvbicb /they fought overwhelmed the roadway. The enterprise of theso pioneers pushed civilization's speed in all directions. So broad was the swjeep that in the vast empire the slnglo Etreak across the map boeame blotted out, and El Camino Real was lost. But the Daughters of the American Revolution reached! this highway from oblivion. Led by .Mrs. Lipscomb Nor-vel of Beaumont t’aey searched the records and fixed i'ts exact course. A legislative appropriation of 1013 for $5,000 permitted O physical survey to be made, and the jKIng’s Highway was marked and blazed. Monuments of its age. signifying the triumph of Us rich territory against the forces of greed and avarice] were laid along Its route. This highway, most ancient of America, runs through' the northwest cor-uer of San Pedro* Park, past San Fernando Cathedral and on down past the missions, entering' Mexico at Presidio To the north It traverses Comal. Hays, Bastrop. Lee. Burleson. Brazos. Madl-’son. Houston, Cherokee. Nacogdoches, •San Augustine and Sabine Counties to the Louisiana StC;te line. TEXAS TREE STATISTICS Area of Texas ]..........107.934,720 Forest Area ............. 23.000.000 Farm forests comprise from fifteen to fifty per cent • of total farm area in 157 counties cast of the Break of the Plains. Value of wood material sold from farms .............$12,000,000 Persons cngagetl in timber manufacturing: in Texas 23,518 Persons engage* 1 In manufacturing industries as . compared with timber Industries ................... 70.230 Value of lumber products $40,000,000 This is equal to , an estimated 12 per cent of all manufactured products in tho State. Value of cedar cut from Edwards * Platcniji in Southwest ..................... $700,000 Pageant of Centuries Witnessed i America’s Oldest Highway in Texas I fas' A ,