The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-12-27

over Half a Milton in Improve
ments.
Mnny Handsome Residences and substan-
tial Business Buildings-A Great Rec.
ord In tho Building OF Industries-
What Salem Has Dono In the Way of
Public improvements.

Tho year 1891 has witnessed to most
gratifying extent the material fulfill
ment Of all the promises regarding
buildings and industries SO freely made
during the flush specializing times of
1870, and to one who has cast his lot in
Salem for better or for worse there is
no more pleasant task than that of tell
ing how grandly she has grown during
the dark days of tho present year. Tho
writer for ne arly week past has made
q complete and thorough canvass of the
whole town, obtaining tho most accu-
rate facts and figures regarding the &C
tual cost of buildings and improve
ments completed or in course of con-
struction from the first of January, 1891,
to the present. In no case has the cost
of the ground upon which structure
stands entered into the sum of its cost,
and in every instance the reporter has
sought to get the closest figures OF cost
rather than any fanciful valuation,
whilst it is certain that several of the
smaller buildings and improvements
have been overlooked, so that the
reader at distance may consider that
II anything the figures mere given un-
derestimate the work done in tho
Queen City Of the Southwest the past
year.
And what grand record Salem
makes when the large sums spent in
substantial buildings and permanent
improvements are carefully examined.
Even the unequaled record of 1890 does
not seem to overshadow the record of
'0l to any great extent when the differ
ence in tho money markets of the world
IN these two years are considered.
+ In 1891 Salem has erected one hun
dred and seventy-four business blocks
and buildings at total cost of ssh, $50,
and has spent on improvements the
large sum of S132, 500, the two aggregat-
ing the enormous amount of S64655O,
and all this with population of about
5000 people.
BUILDINGS FOR INDUSTRIES.
During 1890 the Salem Furnace, the
Wagon Works, the Wooden Mills, the
Steam Tannery, and various other in
dustries were completed, though some
OF them did not go into operation until
this year But this article has to do
only with buildings, not machinery,
and when it is stated that the eight
buildings put up in 1891 for industries
cost $4,000, the reader will readily
perceive that these must be substantial
concerns.
On the land of the Development Com
pany stands to-day what is said by ex-
perts to be the finest carriage factory
building in the South, that of tho Chad.
wick Two Wheeler. The structure is of
wood, facing two streets in the shape of
an l.. Its dimensions are l6OxG0 one
way and 50x60 the other, with several
additions. The building is four stories
high, we'll lighted, heated by steam,
and there is altogether nearly two acres
of floor space. A new engine and boiler
OF many horse power run tho vast
amount of machinery and the two big
elevators, and already some very hand
some work is being constructed. This
vast edifice cost S25, 900. On the land
OF the same company, and adjoining the
Holstein Wooden Works, is large four
story brick building. 50xlOo, recently
fitted up as a clothing factory. This
concern, without its machinery, was
cheaply butwell constructed for Sis, 900.
Another large brick building put up
recently at identically tho same figure
as that of the foregoing, is that of the
well-known Edward Corbett Mill Sup
ply Company, on the lands of the I'm
provement Company. on College ave-
nue., opposite the orty-thousan nd dollar
passenger depot built last year by the
Norfolk and Western railroad. The
Corbett building has two stories in
the front part, used for show.rooms and
offices, with large factory building
behind. The dimensions of the front
are 60x50, whilst the rear portion is
| lO0x6O. This establishment manu-
features all manner of supplies for flour
mills, and has store in Washington,
d. c. Next, according to size and i'm
portance is the Salem Rolling Mill, on
on the lands of the Riverside and Glen
more Companies. This building is I65 X
90, with wing 14Ox2O, and cost 50, 900,
but will not be completed until next
spring. Tho Electric Light Plant
building on Roanoke avenue, 9cx6O,
built OF corrugated iron on heavy ma
sorry, was put up this spring for SO, 700.
The Mattress Factory, Bottling Works
and Mineral Fibre Factory (the latter
burnt down recently, were all con-
structed this year at total of $4,000.
HoTEL SALEM.
In solitary grandeur, like some
gigantic castle of modern times, stands
Hotel Salon, with tower nearly 100
feet from the ground. This beautiful
hostelry has 1O6 rooms, water in
every part, electric BELLS elevators,
steam radiators and in fact every known
modern convenience. At present 1t is
not open for guests, but is the head
quarters Of the Kelley Sanitarium for
the bi-chloride of gold cure OF inebri-
ates and opium slaves.
| RESIDENCES.
Probably IL there Is one particular in