San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-30
Says Southwest Texas Has
Brightest Future Of Any
Section in United States;
Prominent in Local Real
Estate Circles, and Civic
Duties Occupy Much Of
Time-Sens Real Estate
Here for Thirteen Years.

firm in the Gunter building, is one OF
the leading land dealers of San An
tonic. He says, he knows that South
west Texas has the brightest future of
any section in the United States, and
is especially impressed with that Sec
ticn known as the lower Rio Grande
Valley. He says he believes that dur
ing the next ten years, the valley will
become the largest grapefruit and
orange section the world has ever
seen. Mr.. Rohde has been seInns
property in and land around San. An
tonic for thirteen years. He is
prominent figure lin local real estate
circles and civic duties Occupy large
part of his time. e
Born December 8, 1882, and prac-
tically reared on "a farm adjoining
the Guadalupe river, ten miles north
Of New Braunfels, in Comal county,
Mr.. Rohde always had a desire to be-
come land merchant. At the age
Of "a he moved to San Antonio, which
was in November 1909, and soon after
his marriage to Erna Ida Hoeke OF
New Braunfels. When IL years old,
he satrted to work in his fathers mer-
camille store, which was. located
few miles east of New Braunfels on
the Post road, He. remained there I'M
til 1908, when, after living in New
Braunfels for year, and during
which time he already had begun. 10.
sell lots located in San Antonio to his
friends in all parts of Southwest Tex
as, he had an opportunity to study,
the possibilities in store for San An
tonic and its surrounding territory.
First Sale Is $125 Lot. -
With every year that followed since
moving to San Antonio and becoming
one of its active citizens, he expanded
his knowledge of these possibilities.
During the thirteen years he has lived
here he says he has seen most Won
derful change in the city's growth and,
development. Lands in San Antonio's
trade territory, with their unusual
fast development, have also attracted
the attention of Mr.. Rohde.s
Speaking Of his early real estate ex-
perience in San Antonio. it delights
Mr.. Rohde to tell of his first sale
made in. San Antonio. This was the
sale of. d S126 lot in keystone Park
to friend at New Braunfels. He says
he had no idea of ever going out. If
the mercantile business prior to this
time, and was about to continue in
this line in another town, when one
day an agent selling San Antoine real
estate interested him in selling Key
stone Park lots TO his friends, and 1t
was this first sale to his friend that
halted him from again following the
mercantile business. After selling 200
Keystone Park lots, his plans were set
tied to permanently continue in the
real estate business.
He says he could think of no bet
ter place than San Antonio for the
real estate business, so continued SELL
ing lots individually until 1913. when
]. i. Lyle. prominent real estate man
here, invited him to become his part
ner. He was associated with Mr.. Lyle
for six years, during which time he
received some valuable experience in
selling residences and acreage. In
August, 1919, he, together with Will
liam Beuhler of this city, organized
the firm of Rohde-Beuhler Realty
Company. Since that time Frank Z.
Gittinger, a well known insurance man
of San Antonio, became associated
with the firm and it is now called
Rohde 4 Gittinger.
A Leading Real Estate Firm.
With policy that features service
in every line of real estate, Insurance
and loans, the firm of Rohde x Git
finger has prospered and today is one
of the best known real estate firms in
San Antonio. He says there is not a
day that passes without some fsiend
sending him u prospect for new bust
ness, or asking for information, that
is always dependable, regarding real
estate values in city property and
farm and ranch lands.
A great many sales of fine lands
have been made by Mr.. Rohde. He
enjoys discussing the wonderful possi-
bilities in store for those who will IN
vest in Bexar county and in South
west Texas in general. As he be-
lieves that the Rio Grande Valley is
one Of the greatest farming sections in
the world, he advises those who are
investments to buy in the
" Magic Valley" He contends that
with the continued intensive develop
ment of land in the Lower Rio
Grande Valley, and a prosperous cit
rus fruit grower to be found ON every
twenty-acre tract, that people all over
the United States will begin to apprc-
ciate Texas lands Of every kind, which |
will instill a demand for development
of every acre of dry land in South
west Texas. When once the people
appreciate the use of irrigation. the |
dry land SECTIONS will also be pro-
vided with water by means of waters |
from rains which at the
present time only cause creeks and |
rivers to rise and flow into the gulf. |
Three Crops Year.
In other states, he says, especial |
" above the Mason and Dixon line.
the average farm makes only one CROP
a year while in the average Southwest
Texas community two crops are pos
sible each year, and in, the Lower Rio
5rande Valley as many as three are
made yearly q ~ ~
Forseeing the coming demand for |
ands, the firm of iRohde & Gittinger
las established two. additional de
partments in its offices. One. the
land department, of which NJ.
W. White is manager and the other,
he Lower Rio Grande Valley land de-
partment, with s. w. Davis as mana
,er. Joe Caldwell is manager of the
a .. Il. !. l