Page 111 - Industries_of_San_Antonio

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COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES.
mate recreation of the public. Public economy teaches, that life to be
properly tempered to meet and successfully encounter sober realities to
undertake the control of business avocations to manage them with pa-
tience not to be too severely taxed, in order to bring them to prosperous
accomplishment, must have diversion. Human nature is averse to monot-
ony. Places set apart for harmless diversion have been in vogue from the
earliest times, and encouraged by the best teachers of public and social
polity. Fanatical arguments can be urged against any branch of business,
all are liable to abuse, any of them in the hands of honest, well-meaning
men, are useful factors in the commercial and social systems of communi-
ties. Several of these branches are frequently combined, and when prop-
erly conducted, they are popular and are productive of good, because they
are preventives of vice and immorality, and conduce to public convenience
and accommodation. All cities of metropolitan pretensions pride them-
selves on their possession of popular places of public resort, where gentle-
men can meet and enjoy themselves rationally in exchanging the ameni-
ties of social life, untrammeled by its rigid conventionalities and secure
from the boisterous freedom of the rough element—a place where they
can, when desirable, take their wives or lady friends. New York has
"Delmonico's" and "Brunswick's," Cincinnati the "St. Nicholas," and San
Antonio "Scholz's." All the appointments of Mr. Scholz's are elegant and
recherche, in the best of quiet taste, and no more attractive resort will be
found in any city in the South. The Alamo street building, 59 feet front
by 145 in depth, two stories high, is most tastefully fitted up as a saloon
and billiard parlor. The very choicest wines, liquors and beer are dispensed
over the bar by experienced and courteous attendants. The billiard parlor
has an equipment of everything, and every appliance is of the very best
description. In the rear of these, fronting on Losoya street, with entrances
also from the saloon, is the summer and winter garden. This is hand-
somely, comfortably and attractively fitted up with tables, seats, growing
plants and vines and fountains. It is a cool, cozy and deliciously inviting
retreat, where gentlemen and ladies can enjoy most exquisite moments of
"dolce far niente," in sultry summer evenings, sipping the cool, refreshing
amber-colored beer. In winter the garden is heated. This is the resort
par excellence of the elite of San Antonio. Directly opposite, on the west
side of Losoya street and right over the river, Mr. Scholz has lately built
at considerable expense an attractive building for a restaurant. The lot is
what might be called a flat-iron, and the building is constructed to conform
to it. It fronts on Losoya street and the river 105 feet, is 31 feet wide at
the widest end, narrowing gradually to 10 feet at the other. It is also two
stories high. This is a handsome brick building, quite an architectural
addition to the city. It is handsomely fitted up as a restaurant for gentle-
men and ladies, where all the staples, substantials and delicacies of the
season are tastefully and invitingly served. The cuisine is excellent, and
no pains are spared to make everything contribute to the comfort and ac-