USA > Texas > The Standard blue book of Texas 1912-14 > Part 2
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THE TRUTH IS GOOD ENOUGH
It is our purpose to do our part in putting the world in touch with all of these facts and the great possibilities of capital seeking profitable investment, and tell the world that the truth is good enough for Dallas and her trade territory.
We are going to show the world that Dallas with her population of 100,000 has less competition, more money per capita, prosperity and opportunites than any city of like size on the American continent, and that its natural conditions and wonderful resources could easily support a city of one-half million population.
The throbbing and pulsating heart of the greatest and wealthiest undeveloped territory of raw material and matchless resources of any State on the American continent now desires to take advantage of her material and favorable trade conditions and claim her proper place among her sister States and cities of the American Union. I ler position is enviable and almost invulnerable.
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The Standard Blue Book of Texas
The State of Texas
Texas, an Empire within itself, now has the honor of being the first state of the American Union in point of value of her principal farming crop, aggregating three hundred and sixty-four million one hundred and ten thousand dollars, forcing Illinois to the second place.
Texas is now in the flower of her development, historically speaking, the Territory of Texas acceded from Mexico in 1836, the climax of which was brought about by Gen. Sam Houston at the
MR. E. P. TURNER General Passenger and Ticket Agent, T. & P. Ry.
MR. W. G. CRUSH General Passenger Agent, M. K. & T. Ry. Co. of Texas
Battle of San Jacinto with six hundred men conquering Gen. Santa Anna "The Napoleon of the South- west" with his army of six thousand Mexicans.
Texas has owed allegiance to six governments and has been under as many flags. There have waved over her in token of sovereignty the Fleur-de-lis of France, the Royal Banner of Spain, the Snake and Eagle of the Mexican Republic, the Lone Star of the Republic of Texas, the Stars and Stripes of the American Union and the Stars and Bars of the Southern Confederacy. Her history is attractive and romantic, dating back to the inception of the older states. A European Colony was founded on her soil in the seventeenth century, on the banks of the Lavaca River was established the first European Colony in Texas where a fort was erected, and known as St. Louis.
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The Standard Blue Book of Texas
Texas has 274,000 square miles in area. Out of the vast acreage of land every state could be carved and each state having its products, advantages and possibilities, the variety of climate, soil and conditions being such as to give Texas every range in the field of agriculture, stock raising and mineral resources. In order to give you a more exact idea of its exact size, we call your attention to this fact: if Texas were a great trap door, hinged on the state of Louisiana and we could turn it over, it would cover the Gulf States, part of Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and all of South Carolina, and then a small portion of it would lap over into the Atlantic Ocean; furthermore, placing the population of the world at one billion five hundred million people, you could place the entire population in Texas, giving a ten acre lot to each head of the family and there would still remain fifty thousand vacant lots.
Its longest distance from north to south is the same as from New York to Chicago, its greatest distance from East to West is the same as from Shreveport, Louisiana, to Richmond, Virginia. No one can make a mistake by coming to Texas; society is wholesome, its lands are fertile and can be bought reasonable. The "black belt" is probably the most fertile portion of Texas, of which Dallas and Trade Territory is in the center. East Texas has its unlimited supply of iron ore and an abundance of fertile lands whereon can be grown all kinds of fruit and tobacco, and containing thousands of acres of virgin forests. West Texas has her thriving cities and great cattle industry, including the great "Panhandle Country," new and wonderfully promising in its agricultural developments. North Texas with its rich soil and diversified farming produces nearly everything under the sun, and South Texas with her oil, rice, truck farming and tropical fruits insures great possibilities for its future development.
MR. ALEX SANGER President of Dallas Chamber of Commerce
MR. McK. J. SULLIVAN Sec'y and Treas. of A. J. Perler & Co., Owners and Publishers The Standard Blue Book of Texas, Edition De Luxe of Dallas and Trade Territory
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MR. J. R. BABCOCK Secretary of Dallas Chamber of Commerce.
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The Standard Blue Book of Texas
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A Group of Representative Real Estate Dealers
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J. P. Murphy C. F. Bolanz
7 Ed Tom Randle 8 9 J. W. Lindsley I. P. Gamble
10 J. Eliner Turner
11 Win. S. Johnson
12 C. W. Oldham
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17 A. M. White
18 W. B. Howard
19 Dr. J. B. Cranfill
13 T. G. Oldham C. L. Dealey R. L. Hight, Mckinney, Texas D. McCullock
1 I. A. Miller
4 J. W. Crotty
5 1. (). Jester
6 J. A. McAleer
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The Standard Blue Book of Texas
Dallas, the Metropolis of the Southwest A Good Place to Live ·
Dallas is a City of elegant homes, splendid churches, well equipped schools and unsurpassed social conditions. It offers that rare combination of opportunities to enjoy health, wealth and happi- ness, the three jewels of man's existence. It is therefore a most ideal place to live.
With her many and varied industrial institutions and the continual and increasing growth, Dallas is ever affording new and splendid opportunities for men wealth bent, and in this day of push and energy no ambitious man cares to live where he cannot make money. Wealth alone is of little account unless its possessor also enjoys health and happiness.
Socially Dallas has a welcome for representatives of every respectable stratum of humanity. She has not her Ghetto nor her Chinatown, nor has she the sensation-mad gilded autocrats that make gay Gotham go round in a giddy whirl, but she has that great middle class of citizenry whose social environments and whose home lives make the American family life the best in the world.
Some of the things that make Dallas a good place to live are: Churches of every denomination, a splendid system of public schools, four colleges, several high-class preparatory schools, unexcelled social clubs, all kinds of fraternal organizations, half a dozen theaters, several parks and playgrounds, numerous charitable organizations, beautiful and exclusive residence sections, good street car service, gas, well lighted streets, high-class hotels and boarding houses, fine hospitals and sanitariums, a low tax rate and the best form of municipal government in the world.
Not less than $2,076,000 is invested in buildings, and lots, equipment of Dallas colleges, acade- mies and schools, public and private. About 25,000 students of all ages are enrolled in the educational institutions of Dallas, 16,596 of whom are in the public schools.
GEOGRAPHY, CLIMATE AND HEALTH.
There is no more important item in life of any individual than health. There is nothing so menacing to a large community as the carelessness of the few, when many may be affected by it. Dallas is unusually protected, not only by location and climate conditions, but by a commission form of Munici- pal government, whose watchword is the welfare of the city from every standpoint. Conditions con- ducive to good health are as carefully guarded as those of any other department of the city government. The health department is equipped with an efficient corps of competent inspectors whose duties are to see that all ordinances relating to the general health are rigidly observed.
By reason of the ideal geographical location and climatic conditions Dallas has never had an epidemic, and during many years with loosely enforced health laws, the death rate has been unusually low. With an efficient Board of Health such as is now enjoyed by the city, the conditions have been very much improved, with brighter prospects for the future health of the metropolis of the Southwest.
Dallas lies in an undulating country at the head of navigation on the Trinity River which flows Southeast through the middle of the City. The normal level of the river at the foot of Commerce Street is 420 feet above the sea. Oak Cliff on the hills of the West rises 75 feet higher and East Dallas has as much as 90 feet advantage. The City's longest levels lie North and South
The atmosphere is dry and exhilarating. The highest summer temperature has been 116 degrees (August, 1909), and the lowest 10 degrees below zero (February, 1899). The mean annual temperature for years has been 65 degrees. There is never a time when the wind is not moving and the average throughout the year is about 10 miles an hour. The average annual rainfall is 35 inches.
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PARADE DAY
DALLAS TEXAS
COMMERCE ST. WEST OF MURPHY
Main St. - Parade
MAIN ST. BELOW AKARD
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The Standard Blue Book of Texas
LCRABDOCK&CO. VOUORS
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SEASON
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The Standard Blue Book of Texas
CIVIC AND RELIGIOUS LIFE.
It is estimated that 40,000 persons in Dallas are church members. There are 82 churches and chapels for white persons and 27 churches for negroes, a total of 109 places for public worship. Growing out of church work are two rescue homes for women, three settlement homes, six public nurseries and day homes, three orphanages, one Catholic sanitarium, one Baptist sanitarium, three special disease sanitariums, one Children's hospital, one colored hospital, four medical colleges and a number of de- pominationally maintained schools by night and by day.
The Young Men's Christian Association has a $175,000 building and 3,200 members with six secretaries in charge of the work. The Young Women's Christian Association has its quarters and a membership of more than two hundred young working women. The Public Library costing $150,000 bus more than 15,000 volumes. Handsome homes are owned and maintained by the Elks, Dallas Columbian, Tennis, Golf Turners Swiss, Texas Art League, Wah Hoo, Daughtery Lake, Fin and Feather, Trinity Rod and Gun and Eagles Clubs.
PARKS AND PLEASURE RESORTS.
No other city in the Southwest is so well equipped with places of outdoor amusement as is Dallas. There are some seven or eight parks and playgrounds owned by the city and comprising several hundred acres as well as a dozen or more large privately owned parks and pleasure resorts.
Within recent years the park system of the City has been greatly developed. Starting with the City Park of 16 acres, as a nuclues, the city has within a few years added Fair Park of 127 acres, Marsalis or Forest Park in Oak Cliff with 36 acres, and Oak Lawn Park in North Dallas with about 28 acres. In addition to these large park properties there have also been bought and equipped several public playgrounds.
Each section of the city is equipped with its own park. East Dallas has the mammoth Fair Park of 127 acres and with improvements valued at $500,000. This is the chief amusement park of the Southwest. In it are entertained the Fair visitors during two weeks each year and for the balance - of the year the place is thrown open for the benefit of the public. It is a second Coney Island or White CITY.
The City Park is the beauty spot of the city. It is located in South Dallas on Ervay, Gano and Park streets and is a delightful retreat for seekers of fresh air on warm days.
For the Oak Cliff section the city has recently acquired at a cost of $15,000 the Marsalis Park of . 36 acres in South Oak Cliff. It is a natural beauty spot and is being shaped up by a landscape gardener.
PUBLIC PLAYGROUNDS.
Dallas is making rapid progress in the development of a play ground system. Trinity Play Park is the best playground in the State and the peer of any in the South. It is in three divisions, the older boys, older girls and children each having their separate play space which are equipped with the best steel apparatus-flying and traveling rings, horizontal and parallel bars, vertical and inclined ladders and poles, teeter ladder, swings, giant strides, see-saws and slide. Besides there are two basket ball and volley ball outfits, and for the boys an eight-lap running track and pole vaulting and jumping pits.
The shelter house contains eight shower baths, locker room, office, etc.
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The Standard Blue Book of Texas
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES.
As an educational center Dallas ranks with the largest and best cities of the South, with a free school system far superior to any city in the Southwest. The city is equipped with nineteen modern brick and stone school buildings, exceeding $1,200,000 in value; 330 teachers are employed and more than 15,000 pupils are enrolled. The cost of maintenance is more than $300,000 annually. A fine high school building has just been completed at a cost of $200,000 .. In addition to the public schools d Dallas there are four colleges, four seminaries for young ladies, two medical universities, one college Pharmacy, two Dental colleges, two conservatories of music, two boys' academies and two free kindergarten schools. There are also two training schools of the highest order in the two rescue homes for young girls.
The total value of all school property, both public and private, in the City of Dallas exceeds $2,000,000, and there is now knocking at the door of the city other educational institutions of such magnitude as to guarantee for the City of Dallas facilities equal to those enjoyed by older educational centers of the North and East.
JOBBING CENTER OF SOUTHWEST.
Dallas is conceded, even by her rivals to be the greatest jobbing point in the Southwest. The fact that she does enjoy such enormous jobbing trade has been given as the reason for her metropolitan appearance.
Located in the center of the black waxy land, the richest farming country in the world and de- clared by President Roosevelt to be the Garden of the Lord, Dallas has within a radius of 100 miles more than two million thrifty people who buy their supplies through Dallas. The total value of the jobbing business for 1910 was more than $130,000,000, an increase over 1909 of almost $20,000,000. Practically every branch of commerce is represented here by a wholesale house and many larger firms of the East and North have found it advantageous to place large branch houses here.
Being the center of a rich farming country Dallas' largest business for years has been that of farm implements and machinery. In this line Dallas leads the World, as she does in the manufacture of harness and saddlery. Practically every manufacturing concern of any note in the implement, machinery and vehicle line has Dallas the distributing point for the Southwest and many of the large concerns have their main offices here.
With the trade territory rapidly filling up with thrifty and intelligent people from the North and East, it is confidently expected that the increase in business done through Dallas jobbing houses during the year 1911 will far exceed the increases shown in the past. Many Northern and Eastern firms, which have formerly handled their trade from distant points through traveling salesmen, have recognized the necessity of opening branch houses in Dallas in order to be nearer the trade. Their traveling salesmen still cover the territory as in former years, but the proximity of their branch houses give them a decided advantage of other firms not so situated. With the establishment of branch houses at Dallas and carrying large stocks of goods in warehouses they have been able to increase their business from twenty-five to fifty per cent. by reason of their nearness to the trade. Thus the motto of the present day successful business men "get close to the trade" is being exemplified by the up-to-date method of Dallas jobbers.
TRAFFIC CENTER OF THE SOUTHWEST.
Why? Dallas is located in the center of that most populous, progressive and productive section of the State known as the Black Land Belt, in which grain of all kinds, cotton, fruits, berries and vege- tables are grown in profusion; it has more jobbing and manufacturing establishments than any other
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The Standard Blue Book of Texas
city in the Southwest. It is served by Nine Trunk Line Railroad systems, the lines of which radiate in seventeen different directions furnishing through fast train service from all the principal markets of the North, East and West, and from Gulf Ports in connection with the Steamship Companies operating to and from Atlantic seaports. It has Special Merchandise Car Service over all railroads out of the city, so arranged that shipments made by our Jobbers and Manufacturers may be delivered at their various points of destination within a radius of 300 miles without delay. It has two Electric Interurban lines, the trains of which arrive and depart every hour, handle mail, express, baggage and freight, serving adjacent territory on the West to Fort Worth and on the North to Sherman and Denison, enabling merchants to telephone their orders to Dallas and obtain delivery of their goods the same day. It has the Dallas Terminal Railway and Union Depot Company which operates a Belt Line around the City (upon which most desirable sites for locating additional manufacturing plants may be found) furnishing track facilities for numerous manufacturing plants and rendering switching service to and from connec- tions with the several railroads entering the city. It has the Trinity River which, by a system of locks and dams now nearing completion, will in the near future be navigable through to the Gulf of Mexico, furnishing a through water route for our products to the Atlantic Seaboard and insuring a basis for much lower rates for freight. New transportation facilities, now in hand. when completed will place Dallas in direct communication with one thousand miles of new territory, increasing of facilities for making prompt delivery at seventy-five additional cities and towns.
DALLAS A MANUFACTURING CENTER.
Dallas has always been the manufacturing center of the Southwest though held back for years by reason of the fact that adequate freight rates could not be secured that would enable its plants to compete even in the immediate territory with outside manufacturing concerns and by local prejudice against home industries. Under the more favorable conditions which have been brought about the development has been rapid in recent years. Dallas now has 760 different productive industries with a capital of more than $20,000,000 invested. Two hundred and sixty-four of these are large plants, employing 6,189 mechanics and laborers. The average wages are $2.96 a day for skilled laborers and $1.75 for common laborers. The development of the manufacture interest of Dallas within the past five years may be exhibited in tabular form as follows:
1905
1910
Number of Industries
247
760
Capital Invested
$10,891,089
$28,000,000
Total Output.
$15,627,667
$45,368,615
Total Number of Employes
4,275
9,100
Annual Pay Roll
$ 2,587,353
$ 4,775,000
Dallas now has oil and natural gas for producing power, the advent of which has made coal cheaper, so that fuel for manufacturing purposes can be had here at rates that are as reasonable as they are most anywhere else in the country. There are at present prospects of the brightest nature that will eventually give Dallas an electric power at a price to manufacturing plants of one-sixth the present cost. This in connection with the opening of the Trinity River to navigation during the coming fall will give water rates on all incoming raw materials, thereby giving Dallas a decided advantage over all other Texas cities as a desirable location for manufacturing concerns. With the growth of Dallas during the past five years and the wonderful development of the trade territory surrounding Dallas, there is not a more inviting field on the continent to day for the investment of capital in productive industries and Texas is just beginning to grow.
SOUTHWESTERN STATES PORTLAND CEMENT CO.
PLANT OF THE ... TEXAS CO.
CONTINENTAL GIN COS
DALL'AS COTTON OIL" & REFINING CO.
DALLA
TEXAS PORTLAND CEMENENCO.
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PUBLICATION CENTER OF THE SOUTHWEST.
As a publication center Dallas has led the entire South for a great many years. There are at present seventy publications printed here, including three daily newspapers, three semi-weeklies, twenty- three weeklies, five semi-monthlies, thirty monthlies and three quarterlies. These periodicals cover practically every field of endeavor in North Texas, from the daily newspapers with their unexcelled news service to the many trade journals carrying valuable infomation to their subscribers.
The Dallas News is the leading morning daily of the South and in addition to carrying a full Associated Press report, has a State news service that exceeds that of any other newspaper of the United States. The News maintains a corps of staff correspondents over the entire country and spares no expense in getting the State news when it is news. In addition to the daily news there is published a semi-weekly which has a large circulation among the farmers and rural districts. The Semi-Weekly News is devoted to the interests of the farmers and stock raisers of Texas.
Of the evening papers the Dallas Times Herald is the older publication and has an extensive circulation in every part of the city, together with a substantial out-of-town circulation. The Times- Herald carries the complete afternoon Associated Press report and as a local daily paper is regarded as the best afternoon paper in the Southwest.
The Dallas Dispatch has a wide circulation in the City of Dallas, carries the Scripps-McRea report and is an aggressive and enterprising evening paper in all matters of vital interest to the City . of Dallas.
1937099
DALLAS A FINANCIAL CENTER.
In banking circles Dallas has the largest bank in the State of Texas with total resources of over 13 1-2 million and deposits of over 10 1-2 million. The combined resources of the seven banks of Dallas aggregate $37,408,814.00; total deposits run over 27 1-2 millions. The banking situation in Dallas is a fair barometer of the business of the city. Her clearings run over a million dollars daily and this is accounted for perhaps by the fact that Dallas is the largest inland cotton market. Over a million bales of cotton are bought and sold in Dallas each year. These figures based on the last official call, March 7th, 1911, shows in a concise and definite way the resources and equipment of Dallas banks for taking care of the enormous volume of business of the city and surrounding country. There is probably no city in the United States with more substantial banking concerns, per capita, and no city where sound industrial enterprises are more quickly financed and more cordially welcomed.
TRINITY RIVER NAVIGATION.
Prior to 1878 the Trinity River was regularly navigated six to eight months in the year, nearly four-fifths of the distance from its mouth to Dallas. The river not having been improved, its natural condition did not permit such character of navigation as could compete with rail transportation.
The Government has entered upon a plan to put in a sufficient number of locks and dams to permit boats drawing six feet to be able to run every day in the year. These boats will carry cargoes of four to six hundred tons dead weight. The capacity of the river will be sufficient to handle more than ten million tons of freight, or estimating by boat loads, fully twenty thousand annually. It will be a great highway of commerce and will exercise a dominating influence in the establishment and con- trol of freight rates South of the Missouri and West of the Mississippi Rivers.
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The Standard Blue Book of Texas
ADMINISTRATION BUILDING & ENTRANCE
AGRICULTURE &. MANT'Y BUILDING2
GRAND STAND
TEXTILE FINE ARTS BUILDING
State Fairof TEXAS
AUDITORIUM
COLISEUM
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The Standard Blue Book of Texas
The United States Engineers have estimated the improvements to cost about $5,500,000. Of this amount there has already been appropriated and provided about $1,000,000 for the construction and completion of five locks and dams and for clearing the river of timber obstructions. The present Congress will appropriate and provide for three more locks and dams and further improving the channel and maintenance about $800,000 more.
STATE FAIR OF TEXAS.
There is probably no institution in the United States which has such an important bearing on the city in which it is located as does the State Fair of Texas. Located in The City of Dallas within easy reach by electric lines of all parts of the city; the grounds and improvements owned by the city and under the control of the Park Board, with the exception of thirty days each year, which time is allotted to the State Fair Association, the grounds are used the entire year for a public park, the equal of which is not to be found in the entire South.
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