Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-05-22

state banks and one private bank.
They are In the Eleventh regional re-
serve district. They have heavy cap
ital and carry large deposits.
At Waco is located the great central
power plant for the Texas Power and
Light company, which distributes
electric energy to the hundreds of
towns in Central Texas for manufac-
turing and domestic purposes and for
the operation Of street car lines in.
many towns and the operation of in
terurban cars between Waco and Dali
las. A pipe line is now building from
the natural gas fields at Mexia, AZ
miles east of Waco, with a guaranteed
low rate for manufacturing purposes,
fixed by the franchise grant.
COMMISSION GOVERNMENT
Waco is under the commission form
of government. 1t has many miles Of
streets paved with bitulithic and brick,
and under city regulation property
owners put down cement sidewalks
throughout the entire residence Sec
ton. The city tax rate is 81. 663, but
the most of this is for permanent Inn
provements, so that 1t ia more of an
investment expense Of the property
owner than q contribution to munich
pal maintenance. The city owns the
water works plant, and recently in
stalled an immense filter plant, taking
the water of the Brazos river and after
filtration using it to supplement the
artesian flow that is tapped by numer-
GUS wells connected with the system.
Waco is directly yer the artesian
water supply of the state. This water
is reached at a depth OF 1000 feet and
reaches the surface gushing, at a tenn
perature of 103 to 100 degrees Fahren-
heit, and from an eight-inch well the
supply equals a million gallons a day.
In addition to the city-owned wells
belonging to the water system, there
are private owned wells Of just as
strong flow.
The interests of the city In q COM
mercial way are looked after by two
organizations, the Waco Chamber of
Commerce and the Young Mems Bush
ness League. They are active in their
work for the city, to present its adj
vantages to every enterprise seeking q
location and giving inducements to-
those which are believed to be proper
ly located If brought to this city. The
Young Mems Business League has
membership of about 1000, and every
year it conducts trade trips to all parts
Of the state.
PARKS AND FAIRGROUNDS
Waco is a city of parks and play
grounds. The natural growth of trees
upon the streets makes 1t attractive to-
the visitor and in addition there are
public parks in every section of Waco.
The largest of these is more than 100
acres, in the natural forests In the
northern part of the city limits, over
looking the high entertainments of the
Brazos river. This park was the gift
of the Cameron family to Waco. 1t Is
to be forever free and open to every
citizen, and never is there to be a FIVE
cents worth Of commercialism within
its limits; not W a bag of peanuts
can be peddled inside of it. In this
park are perpetual springs that have
been flowing for half q century or
more. 1t is a park of natures beauty
From the park there is a river drive
way extending for two miles along the
banks of the Brazos to the business
section of the city.
Waco is the home Of the Texas Cot
ton Palace. This is an annual exposi-
ton that Is open for two weeks in
November. 1t includes exhibits of
all kinds, especially of cotton, live
stock and other products Of the state,.
and having amusement features 1t at
tracts thousands Of people to its doors.
The exposition is located in u of the
city parks, and in order to provide
more ground for this purpose a bond
issue OF $50, 900 was recently voted by
the people.
The justice precinct in which Waco
is located has but recently voted an
issue of 81 ,075, 900 in bonds for perma-
nent high ways leading out from the
city to all parts Of the country, none Of
the money to be spent in the city
limits. thus providing easy access for
the county residents for their trade
interchange with Waco.