San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-23


insurance dealers. From a compare
lively minor position in San Anto-
MOS business world, Mr.. Rogers has
advanced rapidly, until today he NOT
only is one of the best known real
estate men here, but is known in COLI
nection with some of this city's largest
business concerns. Beginning as a gas
meter reader for the San Antonio Pub
lie Service company sixteen years ago,
Mr.. Rogers is today prominent fig
ure in civic affairs rs well as in pri-
vate business projects of note.
Mr.. Rogers is secretry treasurer OF
the San Antonio Development COM
pany, member of the firms of
& Co., and n director of
the following concerns: Travis Invest
ment company, Central Trust COM
pany, San Antonio Building X Loan
Association and the Texas Title COM
pany. He is also president of the Tex
rs Association of Real Estate Boards.
having been elected at the annual
convention which was held last year
az FL Paso.
The Travis Investment company,
of which Mr.. Rogers is one of the di-
rectors, has constructed the Robert 70.
Lee hotel and has underway ten
story office building at the corner OF
Travis and st. Mary's streets.
Mr.. Rogers first sales experience
was obtained in a mems clothing store,
which position he secured before ris-
ing to fairly prominent position with
the Public Service company.
A Native Texan.
From De Berry in Pamela county
where he was born October 10, 1887,
Mr.. Rogers moved to Carthage, the
county seat of Pamela county, when
IL years of age. Here he attended
the public shoots and after finishing
high school he went to Houston where
he secured his first job as sales
man.
This was with one of the principal
mems stores on Congress avenue in
Houston. His salary at first was So a
week. A year later, Mr.. Rogers Sc
cured employment with Ed Khan,
mems store on Main street Of Hous.
ton where he remained for another
year, gaining some valuable experience
as salesman.
From Houston he went 10 Minden
L., where he was employed in a gen
eral store. Finally he decided that il
was necessary for him to enter college
and consequently he entered Baylor
University at Waco. He graduated
from this college 16 years ago and
came to San Antonio.
Soon after his arrival here Mr..
Rogers was employed by the Public
Service company rs a meter reader. He
was beginning "from the ground and
was going up" After reading meters
here for one year he received his first
promotion and became a bookkeeper.
His next promotion was to the posi-.
ton of assistant purchasing agent OF
the company.
He remained in this position for
some time after which he went into
the real estate business with Richey
& Casey where he remained one year
and then went into business for him
self. Russell Hill joined him il years
ago and the firm Of Rogers-Hill & Co
was formed.
Buys First Real Estate.
During Mr.. Rogers career as a
business man in San Antonio he has
accomplished much, and has seen some
interesting as well as beneficial
changes here.
Prior to the time that he went into
the real estate business, Mr.. Rogers
purchased his first piece of real estate
which is located in the 200 block on
Warwick Boulevard. He paid for the
lot with a diamond ring in addition IL
$3.50 cash. At that time, which was
about II years ago. the property was
worth $1,000 and today it is said to be
worth several hundred more. But
probably the most insteresting stor,
relative to the ownership of this first
piece of real estate, which was ther
the "Rogers Estate" is that told by
Mr.. Rogers Of how he sold the prop
erty at a profit. But not all of the
profit was in cash, for several other
articles, including a horse, two bug
gies, a COW, and n calf were accepted
in trade in addition to payment OF
$500 in cash. The property was sold
to a Mr.. Wommack, who at that time
was a city detective.
The first house constructed by MI
Rogers was at Ill Hillcrest avenue
The lot was purchased from j. III
Kirkpatrick. On it Mr.. Rogers con
structed a modern six-room cottage
When it VIZ; nearing completion NJ
Rogers "entered the realms of matri
mony" in time to move in while thu
finishing touches were being put on thu
new home. The lot was paid for an(
Mr.. Rogers says he figured 1t would
take him ten years to pay for tn
house in monthly installments. But hi
and his wife had lived in the hous'
scarcely a year when Mr.. Rogers sold
il at a profit. The house was con
structed at a total cost of $4,000 anc
to construct the same kind of a hous'
today would cost approximately S6O0o
Mr.. Rogers estimates. Following th'
first sale Mr.. Rogers sold the sam'
house four times for different owners
In addition to being one of San An
tonio's most active real estate men
Mr.. Rogers is also a well know
rancher, having for a number of wears
owned n 10000 acre ranch near Dilley
About 500 acres of the ranch are II
cultivation.
Recently Mr.. Rogers constructed
one of San Antonio's finest homes o.
Gramercy Place in which he is resid
ing. Surrounding the home Of Mr.
Rogers are hundreds Of palatial hame
and a large number of them are II
that we'll known and fashionable resi-
DENTAL district Of Monte Vista. which
was placed on the market BY Rogers
Hill & Co. scarcely two years ago