Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-07-28
Tax lReturns---Indlanap0lls
and kYansEil G.

Income Tax 1Retufns---IndlanapOlls
and ETansvii c.
There 10 no way of ascertaining the
commercial activity of different cities
so satisfactory, as an examination of
the Income Tax Returns. The profits
Of mtr chants, generally speaking, are a
certain indication of the amount of
business they do 1t is not often that
a merchant does more business-sells
more goods-to realize an income of
ten thousand dollars than his neighbor,
whose income is returned at ifty thous-
and dollars. For this reason We have
been surprised at the income returns of
the merchants and business men Of In
dianapolis, as reported in the papers of
that city. From their opportunities and
boastings, we had supposed that their
business transactions were largely in
excess of the mercantile community of
any and all other cities in the State.
The Indianapolis merchants, it will be
remembered, had few competitors in fit
ting out the immense armies that were
organized at the Capital. Soldiers from
other portions Of the State, regardless
of their own convenience and the inter-
ests of the section where they enlisted,
were marched to the Capital, both
to receive their bounty, on entering the
service, and their back pay on leaving
it Our city and county, with others,
had to send agents to Indianapolis to
pay the bounties which our people were
taxed to raise. A large part of this
money passed into the hands of the In
dianapolis merchants. 1t could not be
otherwise. Yet, Notwithstanding these
advantages, the income tax lst shows
that the heaviest business houses and
manufacturing establishments in that
city have not done as much business or
made as much money as similar estab-
ishments in our own city.
The largest incomes reported in In
dianspolis are those of the Fletcher
iamiIy-bankers and heavy real estate
owners-one Of whom returns an in
come of $31 ,043, another of $50, 800 and
another of $22,30S. These income ex-
ceed those Of our bankers proper; that
Is, men who devote all their time and at
tention to that branch Of business. Our
largest bankers are g. w. Rathbone,
$50, fO4; Sam'l Bayard, SIS, ,442, and w.
J.. Lowry, $lS,9ll. But when We come
to comparing the returns of the Indian
Apolis merchants with those of our city,
their trade appears Insignificant.
The largest mercantile houses in In
dianapolis, go far as we are acquainted
with them, appear TO have done much
smaller business than was generally
supposed. VIM. Glenn, the proprietor Of
the. celebrated New York Store Of that
city, reports ss the result of his years la
| bors $40, ,730. The Geisendorff Brothers,
proprietors of the large wooden mills
and heavy contractors to furnish the
Government with goods for army cloth
ing, report each $l0,050 E. G. May
hew, the heaviest boot and shoe house
in that city, and also heavy Govern
ment contractor, reports 50, ,l64. Charles
Mayer, one Of the largest grocers, gives
In $6,030. John Holland, another gro
Ger, reports ST,764. w. ]. Holiday, a
he'd iron house, returns 81, ,592 james
NJ Hume, (dry goods. returns $ll, ,l19.
| L. W. Hasselman, (machine shop,) re
ports $ll, ,269. J. M. Lord, proprietor
of the rolling mill, reports SIT 7,252
These, we think, comprise the largest
business houses and manufacturing
establishments in that city. Let US
now see how the business of our city
compares with them.
Among our largest dry goods men We
report d. ]. Maekey, $4,000; Matt
Henning, 6o.OO0; G. Maghee, S49, $50
Isaac Keen, $4,000; VIM. E. French
: $l70Il;G G. P. Hudspeth, $20,064; J. B
Hudspeth, $4,000; ]. S. Jaquess. 1858
John s. Hopkins, ii, AGO, and N. NJ
GoOdlet, SIo.0s5. Our grocery men re.
turn: Charles veile, $50, ,160; C. r. Be
men S2l, ,246; 8. Z. Gilbert, sl9,OI2
George r. Preston, $1,000; ]. NJ
Stockwsll, 81, ,lS2i Wheeler & Riggs
$lS,s5S. r7our Boot and Shoe men re
port; Peter Semonin, $S0,447; Hiram,
E. Read, $lT,44s W. W. Nor.
: gan, st5,6s5, and John Il Morgsu,
$l6,093. The iron meu and hardware
establishments are represented by Sam
3 uel Orr, 1885, Geo. S, sonntag, So
II 74S; Il, P. Wells, $3.50; c. 81. KeI
loge. IS, III, and Ed. Boetticbee, S.
: $50. Our Foundries and Machine shoF
present VIM. Heilman, 5,S32; John a
Reitz, SIC, 200; Christian KratE, IS, rs.
Our Commission Houses make a II
spectacle showing with VIM. Brown I
$5e,eao, and r. n Dunkersor, &c So
E 900 hs
:. These hastily compared statistics wi
show, We think, either that our bushes