San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-21
LWle Sells San Antonio
Property Valued at $3.50, 900
Opens Is Subdivisions on
South Side Since Com
ing Here IL Years Ago;
Managing Hot Wells Was
First Job Here-Suffered
From iii Health on His
Arrival But Today Is One
Of City's Huskiest Dealers.

BEGINNING the "real estate game "
IN San Antonio seventeen years ago.
J. l.. Lytle today has sixteen sub
divisions TO his credit in three or four
years which he had associates. Proper
ty in them has been sold and resold. II
is estimated that Mr.. Lyle has sold
real estate in San Antonio valued at
more than $4,000. He is one OF the
most popular real es,a;e men in the
city, both in real estate circles and
with the public in general.
1t was in December, 1903. when Mr..
Lyle, broken in health, lonely, de-
spondent and with only a small
amount of money in his pocket. came
to San Antonio. He held his first
job here. that is. the first job that
paved him a salary. for in his early
boyho0d he was employed on his
fathers plantation in Tennessee.
He was born on the plantation. His
parents died before he was Is years
old and with his brothers departure
for college when he was IA. the duties
of running the plantation were left up
to him. The support OF a grandmother
and young sister was also among ms
duties. which were those of 4 man,
For several years he remained on the
plantation, caring for the crops and
the stock. until his health began fail
ing. Finally he agreed to leave the
Tennessee plantation 10 accept posi-
ton in Oklahoma. but an offer by one
OF his brothers college friends 10 be-
come manager of Hot Wells, here, was
selected instead.
Managed Hot Wells.
So in December of 1895. he assumed
the duties of manager of the Hot
Wells bathhousr. hotel and other activ-
tiles for the Hot Wells Company
which was at that time headed by !.
VI. Putnam. In spite of the fact that
Mr.. Lytle's schooling, when hoy, wa
limited, he managed Hot Wells eff
GENTLY.
But on arriving in San Antonio.
Mr.. Lytle at first was broken both
in health and in spirits and was moi
greatly impressed ~ the city, the
climate. or the people.
At the end of thirteen months. the
new manager of Hot Wells had gained
new and much improved impression
OF San Antonio. He also had gained
about 81 pounds. He had made quite
n number of friends and had begun ia
agree with the city's residents that
it had the best climate in the world
However. he decided to quit his jot
with the Hot Wells Company and &c
| into tha real estate business.
His first Office was. established or
East Houston street. above the old
Burns drug store. He began operat
ing on the "south side" and today he
is still selling property in that pOr-
ton of this city. He says he began
opening subdivisions on the south
side as he believed that property there
was more conservative and that it was
in kcepiny with the average home own
cr's pocketbook. considering the fu-
ture values of the real estate.
Opens 10 Additions.
Since that time. Mr.. Lyle has oncn-
ed sixteen subdivisions on the "South
side" and in many of them. he has
resold much of the property. He also
has opened subdivision in LAREDO
of 11G lots, 1t IS estimated that prom
erty changing hands through Mr..
Lvtlc is valued NJ more than 500
600. This is for his subdivisions
only.
Thirteen years ago Mr.. Lvtlc moved
into the Gibbs huilding. He was ITS
first tenant. Three weeks before the
building was COMPLETED. Mr.. Lyle
made an application for an office. In
spite of the fact that the building
was not finished and that the halls
and offices were Uttered with debris,
Mr.. Lvtlc insisted on oDening an of
flee. He was told by the office man
ager that he would be permitted 10
move in but that the management
would. not charge him rent. Mr.. Lyle
replied that he was looking for one of
those offices on which he did rot have
10 pay rent, and began moving his
things in.
Uses Farm KNOWLEDGE.
The knowledge gained by Mr.. IyNc
while on tho farm has in more ways
than one aided him in his real estate
business. He is an expert on soils,
and is GOOD Judge Of fruits and vegc-
tables. as well as livestock and FOUL
try. They never pass green water
melons off on HIM. even after dark.
and il is a rare occurrence when they
sell him n sick chicken.
Mr.. Lytlc says that at some later
date he may retire from active mar
agemcnt Of his business, but he has
1890, 81 Coxn,Ic Chr