The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
Opportunities Exist on Every
Hand, but Especially in San An
tonic Are the Openings for Cap
ital and Trade Particularly AL
Turing.
CITY CONTROLS COMMERCE
OF "A PRODUCTIVE COUNTRY
It's Growth Year by Year Is Phe-
nomenal, but There Is Still
Room for Many Kinds of Manu-
featuring and Other Enterprises

Special to The Journal. ,,'
San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 29.---Among
the Southern cities which are yearly
growing In favor as winter resorts, San
Antonio holds a very prominent position.
and certainly there are few places Of it's
size Offering more varied attractions than
this quaint old city, where side by side
with the landmarks OF bygone years,
there are all the modern buildings and
the bustling life of the present day.
Located in most picturesque region,
with an ideal climate, beautiful parks
and wonderful medicinal sulphur springs,
San Antonio attracts tourists from all
over the United States, and there are
many visitors who remain several months
to enjoy the beauties Of the place or to
regain health in the invigorating air. 1t
is estimated that between 10000 and
$4,000 people came to the city each year,
chiefly during the season between Sep
TENDER and May, and often the accom-
modations for guests in the various
hotels and lodging-houses are very in
adequate.
There are fine opportunities for profit
able investments in hotels or apartment
houses, where furnished suites could be
season in the city. Land is remarkably
reasonable, and building material is not
eoxd BE-
ed at a. comparatively small cost and the
returns upon the capital invested. would
be large. Among the. residents there is
and very few are to be found. SO there
is no doubt that twelve or fifteen such
buildings, from four to six stories high,
could be kept rented from year TO year
were supplied with the best modern
equipments. The roof gardens, which
are often seen nowadays on buildings OF
this sort are very attractive feature,
priced.
Mercantile Life of City.
The visitors are of great value to San
Antonio commercially as they stimulate
the retail business in supplies Of many
kinds; but apart from these s interests Sin =:
prosperous and steadily growing. Wool
cotton, hides and other raw materials
from the country all about, are brought
to San Antonio markets and the city
the headquarters and distributing point
for the great cattle business Of central
and southwestern Texas Jobbing and
fine openings for the investment Of cap
ital In these enterprises.
The city, affords so many advantages
for mercantile activities. There are seven
national banks and two state banks all
doing an excellent business, and in add.
ton there are four private banks. all
According to the official report for last
year, the ombined capital stock, includ-
ing the surplus, was considerably over
s4,ooO,ooo, and 1905 will show a great
To II
month has shown an increase in the
amount Of deposits and In the number
Of business transactions handled by the
banks, showing incontestibly the steady
the city. Nj ~.
Has Excellent Railway Facilities.
Another factor of great Importance
to- the business man is the transportation
facilities which the city affords, for with
out. good railroad service he would De
most seriously handicapped. San An
trunk tp I'm lines 'o and Several others Of less
extent in mileage but Of great Importance
to local interests, because they AFFORD
direct communication with the outlying
supplies Of raw material are obtained.
There are new lines in contemplation.
which will give many other sections; rich
in agricultural stock raising go or san ana
tonic their trading center, so that the
supplies of raw material OF every sort,
already very large. will become practi-
The fact that the keen, far sighted
railroad men have made this city, Of the
Alamo an objective point in laying the
plans for their great systems speaks vol
ture mercantile greatness OF the city.
The passenger service on all these lines
is excellent, but naturally it Is the freight
service which most concerns the business
1t 4f,@~N Ia veil
any cause. for complaint. AS a rule
freight is handled very expeditiously by
all the railroads, and the most improved
methods of preserving perishable goods
use, thus making It possible to Ship to
distant markets without deterioration
in the merchandise.
Desirable Manufacturing Conditions.
With ample supplies Of raw material at
hand, the shipping facilities excellent and
freight rates reasonable, the conditions
for manufacturing are most desirable:
Already there are more than e hundred
| ufacture, and the demand for these vari-
Gus articles is far in excess Of the pro-
ducing capacity OF the plants. There are
tsbHfa alse and there is an extremely
| fine outlook in these lines OF business,
| for in the country about San Antonio
| there are to be found some Of the largest
dens in the state. The yield from these
| irrigated fields is phenomenal, and the
profits are correspondingiy enormous
The revenue from single acre often
Two Of the largest breweries in the
| South are located in the Alamo City
and their employees number into the
hundreds. There are cotton seed oil
shops lithographing and printing estab,
ishments, candy factories, cement, brick
and artificial stone works, broom and
paper box factories, marble works and
many Others all doing a thriving bust
| ness. Yet there are many manufactur-
| ing fields which are untouched, and they
! offer fine opportunities for the enter
prising capitalist. Cotton, wooden and
paper mills are very much needed, and
| a rich harvest waiting. ....
Wholesale Trade Of Section.
! The control of the wholesale trade Of
south and west Texas is largely in the
hands of the thirty or more wholesale
firms of San Antonio, but, as these Sec
be readily seen that there are unrivaled
opportunities for trade along innuner-
able lines, and merchants who enter the
| field now viii have great advantage over
when competition has become as power
! full as in the older states.
Perhaps no stronger comment could be
made. upon the business prosperity q. Of
rapid rise OF real estate values within
the last two years and the great amount
of building which is in progress. Busi-
being erected ali through the CITY. and
before they are nearly completed they
are snapped up by those who are walt
| ing for opportunities to rent desirable
properties, 50 that It is difficult to Sc. e,
| watch is kept upon the real estate mar
ket.