Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-09-04
CITY STATISTICS.
THE INCREASE Of WEALTH IN NINE
YEARS.
Comparison Between 1870 and 1879 Show
an Increase Of Sixteen Per
Cent-0irect Taxa
ton is Less.

The statistical treasures OF the city Oh
Wheeling are certainly like unto tle
light which is placed under a bushel; as
was proven satisfactorily to the mind oil
REGISTER reportorial explorer recently,
who endeavored to obtain the means VI
setting forth certain facts IN regard "
the progress OF the city toward wealth III
the past ten years. Therefore, as lhe
diver ever prizes the pearl the most ne
finds beneath the stormlest waters, the
following statistics should be regarded
as OF more value, as they were not only
difficult 10 obtain but are OF themselves
very meagre.
THE INCREASE OF WEALTH.
Between the years 1870 and 1850 the
reputation OF the city increased about
- per cent. growing from some 22,OOO
TO $1,000 Has it been at standstlll IN
wealth? No, 1t has increased about
tyenty-one hundred thousand dollars,
in the assessible valuation OF its real ara
personal property. To obtain this result
il was necessary to ascertain the tota'
returns for taxation for 1870. Tins was
no easy matter. A radical overhauiing
of the Undiscovered volumes IN the Guy
archives failed to bring to light any real
estate or personal property DOCKS
for that year. 1t seems AS
if. when the assessors had completed
rheir work and the collectors had billed
the hooks, they were made into lighters
or used TO light the fires about the City
Building. At any rate they were non est
jurephtS. In his extremity the reporter
hunted I'D General Feeney's ledger for
1870, and after thumbing over the pages
found that Collector Warden was charged
with $40, 693.5S collections for that year.
The ordinances OF the city revealed the
levy for the year IN question and by
lengthy and intricate calculation 1t was
at length ascertained that the total
assessment for 1870 was as follows:
Real S',o@nl 20
Personal Property ",O'"O>o 81
Total 800 %
The books for 1880 are not yet ready
and OF course the amount OF the returns
rs therein set forth, is liable to correc-
ton by Council and could scarcely be
used in this connection. The reporter
accordingly had recourse to the books OF
1879. where the assessment is set forth
as follows:
Real Estate l5 ls6
Personal Property lo92O
1Otal............... ...>li, DOL loo
For
Increase sl.I36.6 i6
By this it will be seen that the asses
sible wealth OF the corporation has, i'll
nine wears, increased a fraction over 10
per cent.
TAXATION Is LESS.
There is another fact in this connec-
ton that is worthy of interest. The city
has largely increased in size and popula'
ton aud. of course. its running expense
is much heavier. But while this is 50,
the direction taxation is less; that is to
say, there is less taxation now, in pro.
portion, or less per capita, than in 1870.
The collectors return in 1870 was S1o,-
600 in round numbers. 1t will not 90
$4,000 more in 1880 and yet there is an
increase of 10 per cent. oil wealth and 80
per cent. of population, The tax levy
on real estate in 1870 was 80 cents on the
500 valuation and in 1879 was so cents,
the former showing an increase over the
latter OF so per cent.
The revenues OF the city are greater
now, as might be supposed, but the diff
ference is made up of licenses, etc, OF
which the coffee house licenses, amount
to $4,000
INCREASE ON THE ISLAND.
No portion OF the city shows the
marked increase in population and
wealth that is exhibited by the Island.
1t population in 1870 was 1898 and is
now, according to the census returns,
2,S44, an increase of about 100 per cent.
In wealth it has done even better. The
assessors returns of personal property
for taxation in 1870 was only S19,S65.
Last year it was S235 ,0S0, an increase
of 800 per cent. In real estate the
showing must be much greater, though
the records will not admit OF apresenta-
ton OF the figures. The assessors, in
those degenerate days, had loose way
OF conducting the assessment. Not Il
single ward is carried alone, but the en-
tire city is run in together, never hav-
ing been 50 much rs separated alphabet
ically. Consequently no figures can be
obtained. The reporter ran across
real estate Dt)Oh lOI IoDOJ NuiSl iIui INV
wards separated, but at that time there
was no Seventh ward-the Garden
Spot" was mere farm and its assess
ment does not appear.
The books oil 1879 show, on the Island,
real estate to the amount Of SS22, 620.
II has been estimated, from this, that
the value OF the real estate has increas-
ed, in the last ten years, the enormous
proportion OF 500 per cent.
A great increase will be found in the
Sixth ward also could the figures and
necessary data be obtained. Ten years
ago large portion of the ward was en-
braced IN "Caldwell's Field" then an
immense open space, entirely unoccu-
pied. Now it mas been almost solidly
built up, placing its value much greater
as town lots, and bringing in the addi-
tional personal property.