Our Cat/1olic Heritage in Texas
instruction of the Indians in agriculture, care of the cattle, and other civilized pursuits. 3 ' Conditions in San Antonio. From the details given in the previous chapter a fairly accurate picture of the struggles to 1740 of this, the most populous and important settlement in Texas, can be formed. But all factors considered, namely, the civil community of the Canary Islanders, the garrison of the presidio and the five missions with their many conversions, conditions as a whole were not so bright as might be inferred from the summary of prosperity of the mission establishments already given. The Presidio of San Antonio de Bejar consisted of forty wretched huts. A few of the more enterprising settlers had succeeded in building rock houses, which offered some protection against Indian attacks, but the majority were still living in flimsy structures. The Villa de San Fernando had no church as late as 1740, nor Casas Rea/es (gov- ernment buildings). The Canary Islanders were too busy tending to their cattle and cultivating their farms to give any serious attention to public works. Although most of the property in the settlement was owned by them, four had chosen to enlist in the garrisons of the various presidios in Texas. Two were serving in Los Adaes, one at La Bahia, and another at San Antonio de Bejar. Four others had become so disillusioned with the prospects of the future that they sold their property. 31 Speaking of conditions in 1740, an informant declared that civil settlers raised sufficient for themselves and families, but the surplus was not enough to permit them to improve their standard of living materially. The prospect for this particular year was not at all encouraging and the settlers would probably have to secure corn from the missions. Two alcaldes and a council administered the government of the primitive and struggling municipality and because of the small number of settlers and the close intermarriage among them, family relations played too prominent a part. In 1740 1 the two alcaldes were father-in-law and son- in-law, respectively, while the secretary of the C abildo (City Council) was son-in-law of one and brother-in-law of the other. The first settlers, like most pioneers, had much personal pride but little or no education. The Canary Islanders were an especially proud group who recognized aooplnlon del Fiscal Altamlra, June 27, 1743, A. G. M., Proinncias /nt,rnas, vol. 236, pt. I; .Morti, M,mori~, Bk. VIII, paragraph 14. '1Governor Franquls to the Viceroy, February I 5, I 7 37. A. G. M., Historia, vol. 524, pt. 3, pp. 848-852; Toribio de Urrutia to the Viceroy, December I 7 1 I 7 40. A. G. M., Provinci~ /nJ,rnas, vol. 32,
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