Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-01

year. Besides the depreciation In vslus,
merchants say customers have been
buying lighter stocks, and with re-
districtcd territory to work In, they |
were satisfied To do business during
the rear amounting to 81 600, 900. Tbs
shoe-trsde sales comes next, and
amount TO 1880, 900. This branch Is
said to have held Its own the past year.
In the hardware trade the decrease in
prices lessened sales considerably; |
they are put down st 100000,
while in 1888 they are said
to have run over million dollars. The |
sale of drugs amount to e625,000.
which figures would not vary great |
deal with those of the previous year.
The drug jobbers have quite a large
trade in tobacconists' supplies, and
most of their goods 90 to Virginia and
the Carolinas. The sale Of leather is
on the increase, and amounted the past
year to 100000. in the notion line
there was thought to be some falling offin
the general result, sales only amount
ing to s25O,000. Sales in the milli-
merry. hats, and caps lines amounted
to s275.000. The sales Of sta
tionery, paper, and blank-books are on
the increase they are placed at $780,
600; furniture and pictures-frames,
$500, 900. The sales of clothing are
small for market like Richmond and
the need for more houses in that line
keenly felt. The sales amounted to
s175, 900. The glassware trade sales
amounted to sl50,000; rubber goods
and plumbers supplies, 5000, 1000, and
woodenware and brushes, 100000
carpets, $4,000, and miscellaneous
1915, 900. The failures in the jobbing
trade we're few and less than during the
previous year. The prospects for the
present year are considered good, and
merchants anticipate doing an increased
business of at least 100000. The
pumber of changes in business firms at
the beginning Of the year will not be
large. Several new houses will be
started in the jobbing line.
SOCIALLY AND SPECIALLY.
Richmond is at the head of tide, and
l24 miles from the ocean as a vessel
runs. The population is estimated at
from $4,000 to 1000; Manchester
across the James river has 1900;
suburbs Of Richmond, 5000. Total,
say $4,000. Deaths last year were of
whites, S42; of blacks, 937-total,
1,779; which is very good record
indeed for healthfulness. We have 81
churches, with 1926 members; ga
church-going people," as is often said
Qf us. In 1884 the value Of real estate
here was $30,066, 1872; now it is $780,
s93, LAG. In 1884 the value Of personal
property was sl3,537, ,G35; now it is
s13,751,6 ,66G.
The tax-rate is sl.40 on the sl00 for
the city y; 40 cents on the sl00 for the
State.
On all these points, and about build
ing and building operations, this paper
contains great mass Of information in
detail. 1t also gives list Of the nota-
bic local events Of the year, and of
the deaths Of well-known Richmond
people. Further, it gives resume of
the work of the various departments
of the city government and Of the rail-
roads of the city; gives great chap
ter about churches, church work,
church societies, and benevolent, social,
musical and dramatic, and military Or
CARNATIONS: departments of city trade,
commercial bodies, &c. gives another
chapter about educational institutions
and deals with criminal statistics, me-
neurological records, and hundred and
one things that bear upon the past
years history and the coming years
promise.
We may scan our city's account with
1885 with pleasurable emotions; we
may look forward into 1886 confident
that it only demands energy and public
spirit on our part to make our city very
great. Brilliant as Richmond is in his
toric renown, gloriously as the past
centres about her name, there is pos
sible future which may eclipse all that
is gone before. To that end let every
loving son and daughter work. May
Richmond grow in beauty; may she
increase in happy homes ; may her pop
ulation advance in numbers, in intelli-
gence, in virtue; may our aim and re-
solve be as oui salutation is
"A Happy NeW Year"