San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-18
Crowd Estimated at $50
Attends Opening Of
Bishops Town.
SELL MANY FARMS
Predict Value Of Property
Will Increase Two-fold
by 1924.

. auction held by the f. 4. Bishop land
company, Friday, at its new town of
Los Angeles in LaSalle county, on
the s. A. U. & G. railroad. A large
number of five and ten acre tracts of
land were sold. The crowd attending
was estimated at 450. j. Ii. Kirk
patrick and Bill Rogers were the auc-
uoneers,
Two special trains, one from Cen
tral Texas and one from San Antonio
carried the large crowd of visitors to
the formal opening of Los Angeles.
The central Texas train arrived there
thursday morning and the visitors
spent Thursday, Thursday night and
Friday in the town. The second train
load of visitors departed from San
Antonio at o'clock Friday morning
and arrived in Los Angeles at soon
the same day in time to attend one
OF the best barbecues ever held in
Texas, according to statements made
by several of the "old timers" The
menu consisted of barbecued meat, two
kinds Of bread, pickles, chill, beans,
onions, ice cream and cake. The ladies
from the surrounding towns furnished
the cakes. There was enough food to
furnish three meals for the $50 hum
cry mouths.
Tell Of Possibilities.
Immediately after the barbecue.
Bill Rogers, j. III. Kirkpatrick, How.
ard Bland and L. q. Bishop made
short speeches.
Mr.. kirkpatrick told Of the posi-.
hIIlfIaa Of fba
district. He said that its soil was some
OF the most fertile in the world and
that any crop would grow in it. 1t is
the best soil known for raising alfalfa
Mr.. kirkpatrick said, and as it is ir-
rlgated by water from a number of ar.
tesian wells it will grow anything
including onions, spinach, cotton, corn
and every other farm and truck pro-
duct He told the visitors If they did
not believe the country would raise
the various products he mentioned to
80 only mile from the town site and
see for themselves the large fields OF
alfalfa and other crops. He pointed
nEt the fact that just because the
land would not grow d great amount
of timber was no reason for its moi
growing farm products. He relnted o
similar incident that occurred in Kan.
sas when many visiting farmers said
ait can not be done" for if trees will
not grow nothing else will and today il
is one of the richest farming districts
in the world.
Says Investments Safe.
Mr.. Bishop explained the terms or
which he was selling the town lots
and the farm tracts. He said he would
demand a one-fourth cash 2 payment
and the remainder could be paid on
terms. He told Of how the property
in and around the town was already
selling and said that more than 7I
people were in the crowd Friday who
had already purchased total of 800
acres of land near Los Angeles and
that many of them were anticipating
improving their properties at once. He
said be expected to have sold more
than a quarter-milion acres of land
by the end of 1928 and that at least
10000 acres would be in cultivation.
Il honestly believe said Mr.. Bishop,
shat a piece of land purchased here
now will increase in value two fold
by the end of this year."
Development Is Rapid.
Six months ago, he said, there was
not single house in Los Angeles and
today they are 4 number. There Is
large hotel here of twenty rooms,
he said, q school house, lumber COM
pany, several grocery stores, a gaso-
line station, a large water reservoir
and numerous other improvements in
Guiding fifteen miles of graded streets.
He said be believed Los Angeles had
the correct soil. climatic conditions.
and enough artesian water to make
one of the best farming sections in the
south provided it had the assistance
of good farmers.
First Lot Sold for $3.50.
N. kirkpatrick was the first auc-
tioneer. He stood in the back seat
of an automobile and moved from one
lot to the other as he made the sales.
The first lot was sold for $3.50. II
was town lot which probably will be
located in the center of the business
district at later date. The second
was sold for $725. All of the lots sold
at auction brought between $50 and
$500. The auctioneerS were forced 10
stop the sale as darkness drew near
but not until they had sold more than
100 building sites and a number of
tracts of land.
Before the auction it was an
nounced that lot would be given TO
anyone who would construct a brick
store building in Los Angeles within
the next six months. 1t was also an
nounced that three lots would be given
away to the same number of people if
they would contract with the Bishop
Land company TO build dwellings on
the property beiore t3e end OF the
next SIX months. anyone who would
build a two-story business building in
the town during tiat tine would have
the assistance of Mr.. Bishop in that
Re would lease the upper story.
Opening Success.
As managers OF the Bishop Land
company expressed it. "the opening
was bowling success" and as far az
entertainment and sight worth see
1rg were concerned. every one of the
I,O visitors agreed that they had n
wonderful time A unanimous vote of
thanks was EXTENDED 10 Mr.. I,ishop
Tor the entertainment he lad provided
which not only included the barbecue
Which vas held TWICE during the day
but band that Played number Of
pieces before the last train left the L.
u. N. depot and also during the day.