San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-04
.STEVES URGES
IT CIVIC PRIDE:
III IN CITY
Destiny Of San Antonio
Sure, But Faithful Work
Is Necessary.

common there. when boys played mar
bles and baseball where skyscraper
stands today, Ed Stoves and Sons
Lumber Company was selling mate
rials for homes in Son Antonio. That
was more than 80 years ago.
Fifty years hence. this concern ex-
poets to be doing business on the same
basis, delivering quality materials ut
the lowest legitimate price to builders
Ut San Antonio homes.
Albert Stoves ST., the present head
Of the we'll known lumber company.
grcw reminiscent. as he discussed the
future possibilities of San Antonio.
IF there is anything in the old saying
that the past is the best criterion Of
the future" said Mr.. Stoves, then the
next 80 years are going to create
wonder city here. l sometimes have
to rub my eyes and puzzle il it is oil
true or merely dream, ms 1 look
nbout me at the San Antonio of to-
dag.
t A PLAYGROUND.
sAs a barefoot boy, myself and
other San Antonians now well known
in business here, played baseball and
marbles on a vacant lot fronting on
Houston Street right in the heart OF
today's business district where the
towering buildings stand. There wasn't
anything in sight then higher than two
stories. The lot we played on had
high board fence and when we knock
ed the ball over tae fence, We weren't
in my danger of being run down by
motor cars or traffic IL we divcd over
after it. The traffic that moved along
then was OK carts and freightcr wag-
ons. often hub deep in the muddy rutc
with here and there a carria9 drawn
by fancy horses with a colorcd coach
man wearing tall silk hat on formal
occasions. Motor cars were undrcam-
cd Of.
BUILDING HOMES.
ed Stoves and Sons lumber bust
ness was providing materials then
for homes, too, but deliveries were
slow because we freighted much of our
lumber from the old seaport of In.
dianola and often building job had
10 wait until wagon train brought in
n new supply Of materials.
"San Antonio in those days was
just a little, sleepy colonial Spanish
town, the center then, however, Of a
vast trade area just as today. Only
things moved moic slowly. Anyone
nble to visualize the growth since
made, could have gotten rich By just
buying real estate and holding on. j
suppose the same can be said today.
II We could see what is coming in the
next 80 years, we could do the same
thing.
II believe in San Antonio. The
Stoves always have believed in San
Antonio. We have helped build San
Antonio. Stoves provided the mate
rails for so many of the homes in San
Antonio, We have lost count. Then
ms today, VIC tried to supply good ma
tcrials and to help people build good
homes-homes that will last. Some Of
the homes in which our materials were
used so years ago, are occupied today
and they are good homes and will BIZ
serviceable for many years to come.
RAPID GROWTH.
People of today are living faster
than the people of those long ago
times in San Antonio. Growth will
be relatively faster and increment will
be relatively greater. But San An
tonians today as in former years must
continue to believe in their city, to
work for their city and to support
every movement for the good Of fu.
ture San Antonio. Cities are not built
today nor yet tomorrow. They arc
The products Of several generations of
workers. Tho old regime did their
I,,l L. -,
tons for our magnificent city Of to-
day. and it is up to us to pass along
their heritage to the oncoming gencr-
atoms So that they can create here.
the greatest and best city in the
South.
WORK FOR CITY.
"Wc must support our chamber Of
commerce in its drive to raise funds
for advertising our city. We must
support our industries and help them
10 expand while welcoming new In
dustrics to locate here. We must lend
willing hands to our bankers and mcr-
chants and home builders and dcvcl-
opers in order that San Antonio may
grow. We must each Of us, display
a personal interest in our city and
boost for it on every occasion. That
is the spirit that will make San An
tonic great. The days OF pioneering
are gone. The city is already under
way and thu work of the builder of
the future, is that of inducing capital
and brains to come here and join with
the capital and brains We already pos
sess to make our city bigger and more
prosperous than ever in our history.
Il might add that the same climate
is here that the pioneers had. tho
wonderful water supply is here, the
fertile soil is here, the raw materials
are here in fact, everything tina. San
Antonio had 30 years ago, can be
found still. All the other things have
been creatcd-the tall buildings. paved
street, pretty homes, parks and paved
roads, are creations OF industry and
thrift. 1t is merely matter OF In
crcasing them to enlarge and beau
tify the San Antonio OF the future
and this can be done by united effort
on the part of true believers in the
destiny of San Antonio.
CITY OF MILLION.
Il have lived my life in San An.
tonion. To me, San Antonio is the
most beautiful and lovable spot on
the face OF the great green earth.
wouldn't want TO live anywhere else,
10 be in business anywhere else. to
build anywhere else than in this great
state Of Texas, an empire in itself,
the greatest, richest, most magnificent
part of the union.