The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1908-04-13
OFFERS TO BUILD
100 ROOM HOTEL
Capital Ready. If Site Is Donated
by Citizens.
Letter Received by Secretary Of L. R G.
v. c. Club, who Suggests that Mr..
StiIlman Be Asked for Site-lfs
Up to Brownsville.

If Brownsville's citizens will do
nate a site for a 100-room hotel.
the hosiery will be built by outside
capital, according to a letter re-
ceived by the secretary of the Low
er Rio Grande Commercial club
yesterday from Charles A. Johnson
of San Antonio.
Mr.. Johnson said that he was
representing parties who desired to
build-a hotel in Brownsville, pro-
vided a site, close to the station,
were doated for that purpose. He
said that the hotel would contain
100 rooms, and would be modern
in every respect. If the hotel IS
built, Mr.. Johnson will lease 1t
from the owners and manage 1t
himself.
If you think your people are
able and willing to donate site, .
continued Mr.. Johnson. ! will go
into details with you. and make
/
you definite proposition.
In his reply, the secretary OF the
Commercial club suggested the
ground on the river front near the
ferry board walk, known as Carson
Park, as site for the hotel. This
property is owned by James H.
Stillman, president of the City Ma
tional Bank of New York. and 1t
was suggested that, in view OF the
fact that Mr.. Stillman is DESTROYS
of presenting to Brownsville some
memorial of his late father, Mr..
Johnson should write him with
view to having the proposed hotel
located OH this site. 1t was sug-
gested that Mr.. Stillman be re-
quested to donate the site to tie
city for the purposes of a pubic
park and that longtime lease on
a portion of it, be given to the pro-
moters of the hotel proposition.
The subject of securing hotel
of large proportions and modern
construction has received consider
able ate ltion in Brownsville, but
as vet none have taken hold OF the
question with any definite plan IN
view. Is is well known chat there
are persons who world be wiling
to offer a site for such an enterprise,
if a reasonable price for the land
should be allowed in payment tor
a block of stock in the company
building the new hosiery. 1t IS not
known, however. how Mr.. Still
man would look upon a PROPOSE
ton to donate a site to a private
corporation. 1t is not at all improb-
able hat, if the city should ask
him to deed over the park to it, he
would do so, but he might not be
willing to accede to such request
from private parties.
TIE HERALD would, suggest that
such an important matter deserves
the personal attention of the clti-
zens of Brownsville, and that the
matter of securing the hotel site bel
not left to strangers. The people
of Brownsville have been asked to
donate site, on which company
proposes 20 build a 100room hotel.
If Mr.. Stillman could be induced
to make such a gift, it is far more
likely that he would do so in re-
spouse to request signed by the
leading citizens of Brownsville,
than on being asked by a man who
does not reside here, and whose
only object is to obtain a site for a
hotel which he proposes to operate.
If there is anything in this PROPOSE
ton for Brownsville, our citizens
will have to exert themselves to
secure it. 1t is hoped that the mat
ter will not be permitted to lag,
but that Brownsville will display
sufficient enterprise to secure the
new ho.el. None question the need
of such an enterprise here. Aud, If
our people will exert themselves,
they may succeed in landing this
offer.