The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1883-03-29

into Galatea. Verify, art has been enslaved
by garniture and the stage is becoming daz-
cling array of feminine raiment.
PROMOTERS OF CITY IMPROVEMENT.
The growth of the city is retarded in no
small degree by the refusal of property holders
to sell small tracts of land. There are hun
whose means will permit of but small invest
ments, and are diverted to other channels. l
is such as they who do most toward building
up city and they should be encouraged,
Wealthy owners of real estate retain it for
years in an unimproved condition with view
TO its ultimate sale at large prices, due in many
instances to improvements in the vicinity by
the possessors of less valuable because less
extensive tracts; while the purchasers of small
divisions almost invariably use all means
available to improve them. If but for this
reason alone owners of large areas should
combine to place small tracts within the reach
of the more progressive element. By dis
posing of few lots singly to persons purpos-
ing to build they may ensure the rapid
advancement of the value OF adjacent property
which they still hold, and may continue con-
tentedly to hold till the energy of their neigh
bors shall have brought about a
valuation anticipated in connection with
an intention to sell or to improve.
Such conduct may not be deemed
creditable; it may be said that no man should
take advantage of opportunities for gain af-
forded by others to the compensation for
whose work he in no way contributes, but the
person who would be thus deferred from reap
ing profit would be singular, and society
would but laugh at him for exemplifying The
cries OF justice advanced but never before
put into practice.
The history of San Antonio is marked by
illustrations of the facts above set forth. The
men to whose energy and skill in business the
city owes most of its prosperity and growth
are not'those who inherited large possessions,
but those who by thrift and economy steadily
accumulated money and regularly invested it,
proportions, in reality. The greatest of San
Antonio merchants of the past four or five
years came into town with a peddler's pack
on his back. His first sale was Of tin cup,
for which he received in Mexican coin the
equivalent to I2H cents American money.
Holding it between his fingers he said, "This
shall be the beginning of my fortune; shall
use this to pay for parcel of ground" In
short time he did own ground - at first
very small tract. He improved
it as rapidly as possible and, that done, used
his surplus income to secure other property.
By his industry and shrewdness he managed
to accumulate large possessions and as these
enhanced in value so did the property of 9TH
ers, affected in some cases by the improve
ments made by him. like example of the
attainment of private and public ends from a
small beginning attaches to the reputation of
one Of the most prominent residents of the
city, man credited with having contributed
n a very large measure to the city's welfare.
Immediately after his arrival here he worked
as day laborer and his wife did washing for
neighboring families. A portion of the money
they earned they used in the purchase of
realty. This they improved to a standard far
in advance of that set by all others. They
made their grounds attractive and other per-
sons purchased in the vicinage and initiated
their improvements. The result was that they
became wealthy and were enabled to enter on
a greater scale of speculation. Their pros
perity was to some extent the prosperity of the
entire city.
But persons who have attained wealth in
the manner aforementioned often forget in
late life the lesson learned in the days Of their
small acquisitions. They apparently ignore
the fact which they had made evident that
municipal progress is largely due to the efforts
OF progressive spirits of moderate means, and
thatit were better for city to be pc ssesssd of
numerous competing persons with small CAPT.
tai than of few selfcontent men of great
wealth.