San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-29
Three-Quarters of a Million
Already Expended.
The Finest WaterWorkS in the
State-Lakes, Islands
and Fountains.
Churches, College and Orphan
age-Rapid Transit to all
Parts of the GroundS-A
Year of Wonderful
Development.

Alamo city, is destined III the future to
be known as the city of beautiful suburbs.
Within two years more ground has been
laid out in additions to San Antonio
than i'll any other city i'll the state, and
in these two years more work has been
done at "West Eud' than on all the
other suburban additions to San Atomic
combined West End was the first laid out
suburb to the city. The West End Town
Company was an association of business
men from the start; its methods have
always been the methods of successful
business men, and today it leads all
kindred enterprises in the southwest,
alike in the magnitude of its operations,
the volume of its building enterprises,
the variety and extent of its improve
ments; the provision it is making for the
health, comfort, convenience, education
and pleasure of its residents, and in its
plans for the future. 1t aims to be, and
is rapidly becoming, a city of its own;
with its own motor lines, electric light
and water supply; schools, churches and
colleges; fountains and parks and pavil-
ions; streets and pleasure boulevards;
fishing grounds and bathing houses, and
all else that we'll built city can require.
The rapid transit line that connects all
West End with the heart of San Antonio
and the electric motor systems of the
city, is also an enterprise of the West
End company, and like all other invest
ments of that company, is a paying one,
and has been from the beginning. The
Thompson-Hou system is the one
employed. The track is first-class, the
cars the finest west of the Mississippi
river, the service perfect, and continued
every night until long past the hour at
which places of public amusement i'll the
city closes, West End residents have
every advantage and none of the disad-
vantages entailed by a hone i'll the heart
of the city. Only a ride over the lines
of this road, following its windings
around and across the lake, up the ascent
to the new college and sanitarium, past
the beautiful church to the west of the
lake, taking i'll the whole magnificent
sweep of the slightly suburb can give any
adequate idea of its proportions, or of the
symmetrical whole into which it is rapidly
growing under the intelligent hand and
eye of its projectors. Not the least strik-
ing feature of this charming suburb is the
graceful, ornate, yet infinitely varied
character of the architecture of the hand
some villas, cottages, and more preten-
tious residences which are springing up
everywhere as if by magic. Thus late in
the season, December, nearly score of
buildings are under construction, and as
many more but just completed.
Including the college building, now
under contract, the foundation for which
has just been completed at cost of $1,000,
the amount expended in buildings by the
West End Town Company reaches the
very respectable sum of $685. The
original cost of the lands, including
homestead lands of some members of the
company, was $780, 900, and upon these
lands $1,000 has been expended i'll
grading, bridging, matchmaking, laying
out ornamental grounds and otherwise
improving them. The West End Street
car company has expended 500, 900 i'll its
constructions, making the total expen-
ditures by the West End Town Compa-
ny's enterprises $4,000. These are
the expenditures of a company yet i'll its
whose property has only been
fairly upon the market within the past |
year, and whose expenditures are all
cash Its policy from the beginning has
been cash down payments for everything.
AS a consequence it has no debts, never
has had any since commencing opera
tons, and it always has a safe cash bal
ance to draw upon. Its lands, costing
an average of 500 per acre, have so far
sold for an average of 81, 500 per acre and
are continually rising in value. West
End has long since passed the expert
mental period, and its ever-growing pop
llarity is evidenced in the increased de-
hands for its property, in the valuable
public as well as private buildings that
ire being erected upon its slightly loca-
ions, no less than in the broad and COM
,rehensive plans decided upon for its
uture improvement.