Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-12-10
u. S. ARCHITECT
ASKS QUESTIONS
ABOUT THIS CITY
Ne Gathers information Concerning Every
Feature OF City, TO be Used in COnnec-
lion With %Sheppard's Bill for Federal
BuilGinq for Brownsville.
INFORMATION FURNISHED SERVES
PURPOSE OF A PERSONAL VISIT
Brownsville Post Office. With Assistance OF
Chamber OF Commerce, Gathers Data
and Statistics to Determine Value Of
Property if Site is TO be Bought.

FIUptfl1 w Ottt 10 III Ur DUuJHl
Literally \ thousand and one questions
concerning the city u Brownsville are
answered III "A report mailed today to the
supervising architect ot the United States
treasury department hy the Brownsville
post Office. The report covers practically
every feature vi the city, and the request
Tor IL arose uut al the bin introduced ~
The lnitcd States senate hy senator Murrl-
Sheppard providing for u new federal
building for the city ~ Brownsville ~ cost
about S4jO,00O. and which d j. proposed
shall house every branch Of the federal
service having headquarters III thi, city.
The report was sent " the Brownsville
post office tor answer. aud by the post Of
lice was turned over t. the Brownsville
Chamber vi Commerce. Secretary d.. a..
O'Brien worked nn the matter Tor several
days. completing II yesterday and returned
IL 10 the post office for transmission 10
the supervising architect AT Washington.
The questions asked are for the purpose
Of giving the supervising architect ideas III
preparing the necessary plans and ~pcciti-
t%catiou~ IN the event congress authorizes
the appropriation for the building, and
are III 70 great detail that they serve fully
to inform the department without the
necessity of q representative visiting this
city until II has become necessary L. pur-
chase a site.
The information furnished included the
principal characteristics OF the surround
inc country as 10 agriculture and stock
raising; topography NJ the city and coun-
try; meteorological characteristics. char
acterI~tIcs 81 the city. covering educational
facilities, and ASA re-or, for tourists; the
city government. wealth ana resources.
property valuation. capital invested m
manufacturing Industries and their out
pat. resources ANA annual business NJ th,
national and slate banks. municipal inn
provemeni-. public service activities. popu-
%Iatiou. transportation, bu-me~~. and end
less other details under these heads are
answered.
The report also give~ the character ~
improvements W thr business section. ~ TN
thc percentage constructed ~ brick. rr-
mcnt pr frame. The area ot the business
district ~ given a~ fourteen blocks, and
thee iourth~ WI the bushes houses are
stated u- being located IN a certain section.
The approximate location III the business
center ~ given WI Twelfth ana Washington
streets. ~ The Herald corner.
The size 81 lots in the business district.
ami the approximate value VI lof, ~ gone
nt". thc information furnished stating that
a iot m the hu-ine~~ section d. valued ai
S20,oUo. Bu-mc~~ lots arr given ~
juNl10 tcrt IVY ~izr.
The report STATES that Tho rc- idcncc See
tion covers G0o ~Inarc block. and thar m
Tins number 81 block arc ~olidly covered
IN r-idrnrc-. The area available lur r,-i
dcncc- IN ihc city limits In given at 500
block~.
Public and semi public building iutorma
ilnu IN also among The data asked tor. The
report values ihc city bali ~ Sl5.0u0. the
fire station w $4,000. The county court
house. constructed III brick and granite.
with marble finish. at S250,000: the Coun-
try club building 10 Sl0.0OO. the Masonic
temple. brick. WV 93O.0O0. ana giyc- the ar-
pruNInutc cost ut three brick iheAirr
buildings nd 100000.
III religious aud educational structures.
seven chHrrhc- representing five drunmina-
tion~ ARE valued at $4,000: two public
schools are listed. but one !, owned by
the city, and 1t Wy valued III 10000: the
total value ot the Catholic school build.
n-~ Nm placed af SlS.500. aud includes
two convent~ and two parochial schools.
>ub-~urtacc conditions. the labor mar
kct. mails and newspapers and other de-
tail~ are gone into. and taken altogether the
report covers practically evtsv detail that
might b. considered u factor III deciding
upon thc character Of building IA hc con
~imcied, and thc rrice Al which the necc.-
~ary property might w purchased.
Tie government nrW owns " federal
building M Brownsville. erected about
twenty-five years aru - \ co,t of about
500 uu.
MANY Groin naare T,r,.a n.