The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-04-12
BUILDER or TOWNS.

suburban propositions and who. if he
lege Hills would turn it into thing OF
beauty and profit AS hint to the
owners of some of our suburban tracts
the Advertiser quotes this eoout MIR.
Gross from the Arizona ReDublic;ln.
Samuel Eberly Gross, of Chicago, the
greatest town builder in the United
States, and the hero of the legal bat
tie which carried away the honor Of
writing the play "Cyrano de Bergerac"
from Rostand, the French playwright.
is in the city, a guest at the Adams,
and his visit may mean the undertake
ing Of an enterprise, the primary IN
vestment Of which will be in the neigh
borhood of $20e.0 with greater invest
ments to follow in the future
Mr.. Gross recognized in Phoenix an
ideal place for winter homes and it is
this advantage that he proposes to
make use Of Briefly. his plan is to
secure tract of land-he estimates
that it will take at least 800 acres-and
transform it into what may well be
described as a beautiful park with an
abundance Of foliage, we'll graded boul-
evards and shady pathways, and then
SO. the property off in small parts to
rich eastern clients who are seeking a
suitable place for the erection of Win
ter home.
Il have many such clients" said Mr..
Gross last evening, and frequently
am asked about a desirable place for
the location Of winter homes, and it is
TO select such a place that am now
making this trip. 1 have been from
New Orleans to California, and have
now returned to Phoenix and I have
found no place that seems to offer such
great advantages as does this city.
Combined with an ideal climate you
have an active business city and beau
tiful scenery. The surrounding noun
tains remind me of Egypt, the climate
calls to mind the mildness of the Med
iterranean.
II am not in position now to say
definitely what Will do. 1 have an
idea that win establish the winter
resort here, ard also have an idea
that my further Investigations OF Phoe-
nix will increase this original idea, but
just now 1 can say nothing definite.
Ny plan is to establish resort like
Smiley Heights in Redlands and make
II a place that will be beauty spot in
this valley
MIR. Gross bears a national reputa-
ton as a home builder and town build
err He is a shrewd business man who
never says more than he means, and
the fact that he admits that he has an
idea of establishing in Phoenix
winter resort may be taken as a big
thing. When he says definitely that
he will do so it viii be a still bigger
thing, and as a result Of his efforts
Phoenix will become one of the most
heralded cities in the United States.
Mr.. Gross began his career as real
estate agent. He is now a real estate
operator. At first he dealt in lots. SELL
ing on commission. Now he deals in
TOWNS and cities. He has established
twenty-five towns in the suburbs of
Chicago, his home, and he has built
over 10000 homes and sold over 10000
lots He deals in houses like a mer-
chant does in clothes. He has GER
tain kind of house for the workingman,
another style for the minister, another
for the capitalist, and so on.
His proposal now to establish a win
ter resort is an immense undertaking.
no improve the ground before the erec-
ton of a house he estimates would
take three years and entail an expen-
dfture of between 100000 and $30o.0
And after this expenditure would fol-
low the erection of houses, every one
of which would be a beautiful edifice.
He was famous as a home builder
before he became famous as an author,
and the climb of the latter came from
his suit to enjoin the production of
the play 'Cyrano de Bergerac. Mr..
Gross. when he first began his bust
ness career, twenty-years ago, wrote a
romantic story entitled, Merchant
Prince of Cornville.' and it was from
this comedy that Rostand reconstruct
ed the "Cyrano de Bergerac-"
Mr.. Gross failed to secure the recog-
nitiou of his play, but Rostand was
more fortunate and scored marked
success with ..Cyrano' Then Mr..
Gross came forth with the claim that
Rostand had stolen the plot and char
acters. Rostand laughed. sneered and
denied that he was a plagiarist, but the
United States courts, after carefully
examining into the matter, decided
that Mr. Gross was correct in his claim
and that Rostand was a piagiarist, and
that s.Cyrano de Bergerac" was but
the Merchant Prince of Cornyille,' I'M
der different name, and Rostand was
enjoined from producing the play with
out the consent of Mr.. Gross.
Mr. Gross proposes TO spend a week
or ten days in Phoenix investigating
the conditions here. He will then re-
turn to Chicago. but before he returns
he will make up his mind whether or
not in the future his money and enter
prises will be loaned to the upbuild-
ing of Phoenix.
Personally Mr.. Gross is very pleas
ant man to meet, a good conversation
aIEst and a concise and clear speaker.
He served in the army during the civil
war and gained the title of captain
for meritorious services. He has held
many prominent positions and was a
wen known club man. As an author
he has written only one play, but he
has written large amount of miscel-
laneous verse which has won for him
a favorable reputation.
In many of the cities and counties of