Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1867-01-08
i. Y. STOKES. l. 60.
THE BUSINESS. AND
BUSINESS MEN OF RICHMOND
Grocer. and Commission MerChant

In cntc- beim"t days. ere the fair busom OF The
Mother Of Sruics and Statesmen had been scared
aud scarrrd by tho desolations Of war, Richmond
tho ernat nnrepot for tho agricultural produce
of 1t State famed for the fertility of its soil and
the peculiar adaptation Of its climat to Turning
pursuits. Here the teenling Valley-that cornu-
copia of Virginia plonty-sent ts countless herds
Of fit cattle; here the unrvalled tobaccn dis
trcts Of Virginia cont vasi quantities Of tho In
dian weed to so"the the trOu bles OF world, aud
here Underwater poured its flood of golden grain,
which, after being sub jected TO the action OF the
largest mill, upon the continent went forth to the
markets Of tho world, confessedly witho ut rival.
Our store-houses tcemcd with plenty, and the sails
of tho ships that bore our produce whitened every
ser.
Then came the unsuccessful struggle for Southern
Independence, and upon Virginia fell the Lr mt OF
tho contest. From the seabOard 10 tho mountains
her soil was the theatre of war whose atrocities
have parallel in civilized history. "Steel to the
bosom and flame tn the roof, tho watchword
of the invading hosts who, under Hunter and
Sheridan and other, Of Lesser note, swept our soil
"a with the bosom of destruction. Stock was
slaughtered, agricultural implements destroyed,
mills and Sranares given to the flames, md widows
and orphans, h"uscless and hungry, wrung thor
llnnds and watered with their tears the smoking
| ruins of what once were happy homes, and around
whose very Ashes they still covered in their wild
despair
! rns conclusion Of such var left our egricul-
| tural population with nothing but the soil upon
,rb; nj ;,nt all IF atn
seed labor and agriculture! imnsments, tho pros
poet seemed almost hopoloas, but with tho encrSy
rvinced upon hundred battle-feds, our sx-sol-
tiers set to work to conquer adversely. Like Gin
| cinna,us our Generals guided the plough, and
| Young men reared in ease and afluence toiled in
the fields as their slaves had mover done. In
prOpliuus seasons have done much to render fu-
tile their heroic efforts and the crops have been
comparatively failures but with all these draw backs
il is estimated that sulieiency Of food has been
raised in Virginia during the past year to feed her
entire population, fact which speaks volumes for
the Industry and energy Of her people and gives
bright promise for the future. The soil is being
gradually improved, farming utensils replaced, and
the rncupcrntivr powers of the State developed in
a manner which will bear fruit ut no distant day.
Thcn will Richmond renew its former prosperity,
The hmm Of trade will give new life to her thorough
fares, the whirr Of machinery will lend animation
TO her factories and foundrios and the magnificent
buildings, erected by her cnterprising merchants
will be throngcd with visitors from the rural dis
lrcts, exchanging the products OF their farms Tor
those Of the loom and the anvil. Her commission
houses will TEEN with plenty, and our enterprising
commission merchants will again DO engaged IN
the shipment of vast quantities of produce to all
parts Of the globe. Tho commission merchants OF
Richmond have long enjoyed high reputation for
tho energy which they have manifested, tho mag
nitudr of their operations and The lofty integrity
which has characterized thor business transac-
tions, and prominent among this portion OF our
community stands the firm Of
\. =. STOKES & CO.,
gentlemen who have superiors as energetic, cour-
ten,ls and rcabln business men. The firm IL com
posed of Mr.. \. Y. Stokes and Mr.. Thos. X. Potts.
The senior ,m-tner, II Southerner by birth and in
sentiment WAS formerly engaged in business IN
Danville, but engaged in commercial pursuits IN
Richmond in 1853, rs one of the firm Of Hsrtsook i
Stokes and was excessively connected with the
houses of Flanagan, Stokes Il Co., Stokes Y Co.,
Riyes y Stokes, the present firm having been re-
orrauized since the war. Mr.. Stokes is u gentle
man we'll known to our people ono Of tho most
spirited men in tho community, full Of entsr-
prise, and ever ready to forward any benevolent
work by liberal contributions from the competence
which II. haa rnalizod NJ the remit nf his cnergv
aud industry.
| Ills nssociate, Mr.. Potts, is wnrm-heartcd son
Of the Emerald ISLE who settled in Richmond prior
to the war, and who during that struggle manifest
el in moro ways than ono his warnest sympathies
for the SUCCESS of the Confederate arms. Mr. P. s
stirring business man, and has contributed no lit
tic TO tho SUCCESS which has attended the firm.
The large warehouse of Messrs. Stokes & Co. is
located at the southwest corner OF Cary and Wall
Streets is four stories in height, with breadth Of
scventy.ive by a length Of ninety-6ye feet being,
probably, tho largest building occupied by any
single commission house in the city. On each Of
the floors il stored an immense amount Of groceries
and country produce embracing great variety OF
staple articios such as bacon, butter, lard, cheese
cuifve sugar, meal, flour, buckwhcnt mnasses, sy-
rlr, wines, spirits and host Of the good things Of
this liE. too numerous to cnunerate, all OF which
nre offered at prices reasonable to preclude the
possibility Of their being purchased cheaper in tn"
Richmond market, and 30 great are the induce
ncnts held out to buyers that the extensive trade
which the firm is carrying in all parts of Virgil
MIA and North Carolina il rapidly increasing with
each successive month. Some i,ea Of the mag
nifudo Of their operations may be obtained from
the fnct that their sales of -four alono amount to
twenty-five thousand barrels annually, with other
articles pruporionateiy.
Every fortnight large auction sale Of groceries
is held, tho value of tho goods sold ranging from
| $4,000 TO $4,000 on each occasion; but this docs
| not interfere with the largo wholesale orders which
are daily filed by tho finn. The commission depart
\ mont embraces country produce Of oil klnds and
special attention IL devoted TO the sale Of leaf to-
bacco. some Gue sules Of which were made during
the past year. This branch Of the business is un-
der the special supervision Of MIR. Potts.
| Messrs Stokes l. Co. are also agents for tho
Lcnksyillo a. c. Cotton Factory, establishment
whose manufactures have for thirty years main
tained high reputation in The markets Of Viz
Qinin North Carolina and Tennessee, where they
are extensively consumed. This factory turns out
all sizes of yarns, together with osnaburgs, sheet
ines and other goods, oil of which are strong, du
rable and FREQ from tho shams peculiar to so many
Northern cotton factories. Wea-o pleased to learn
that the sales Of these articles by Messrs. S. & CO.
are very large and increasing.
The firm are also interested In the Southern
Fertilizinc Company, which is engaged in the
manufacture Of fertilizers, and whose extensive
factory at Rockets, turns out variety of COM
pounds admirably adapted TO tho needs of our
farmers. Col. Gilman, formerly of the University
of Virginia, and celebrated for his skill as chemist
and his intimate acquaintance with tho soil Of Vir-
gna, is at the head of this factory and has staked
his reputation upon supplying the asriculturslsts
of the State with fertilizers especially adapted 70
their use.
While recommending, however, to all our people,
trial of the fertilizers manufactured BY the Vir-
ginia Fertiizing Company, TO such Of our citizons
az prefer foreign fertilizers will Sav that M.ssrs