The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-01
And Bright Prospects for the
New Wear.
Tho business Men Intervicwed--Thcy Say
ROunokc's Trndo Has Grown I'm
mcnscly--Rcal Estate Values Havc In
creased so Per Cent. Every Line of
Business Growing and Hoanokcrs
Hopeful.

y
went tho rounds of tho city and visited
representative men in every channel Of
trade and their universal verdict was
that their business had Increased be-
| You'd their greatest expectations and
hopes.
~ number OF reasons were addUCcd to
account for Roanolic's phenomenal pros
| perity during the past year Chief
| among these arc the numerous now in
| dustrics secured during the year, which
brought with them an increase of popu-
lation. The prospe rity of the town has
been creator in 1890 than in any other
year of its short but cvcntful history
The outlook for the year which mas
just opened is very bright for Roanoke.
~ new railroad. tho Roanoke and South
crn, is being constructed which will give
an Increased impetus to tho business of
this city Before tho year 1892 shall
dawn, Virginia and North Carolina.
Roanoke and Winston. will be connected
by bands OF steel. and trade and traffic
between the two most prosperous cities
of the two States, will begin.
1t was only Il few days ago that the
Richmond Times sounded the warning
to its merchants. that Roanoke. upon
tho completion of the Roanoke and
Southern, would receive a large part of
The North Carolina trade that Rich
mond has been getting for years past.
and avoiding the building of railroads
in North Carolina from Richmond.
which would enable that city to retain
its hold upon it's old trade
BesidcS the Roanoke and Southern
thcrc are prospects for extensions OF the
baltimore and Ohio, and the Chesapeake
and Ohio to Roanoke.
1t is the consensus OF opinion that
Roanoke's future is more promising now
than it was at the close of 1859 for the
past year.
Fortunes have been made in Roam
okc during the year that is gone in the
real estate business" said james :.
Simmons to the report T.. '.At this
timo last year there was no money
pl, d gcd for securing new industries or
ontei prises. Now the Roanoke ID
velopmrnt Company has three or four
millions of dollars pledged for st curing
manufac tories. Three times as niucn
property has been sold as the same time
last year
"a now railroad is being butt into
the city. and there is good prospr CT of
two others, all of which, / think. will
mako the Year 81 dawn upon us with
greater encouragement than we have
ad i'll any previous year"
"Salts have been 800 per cent. better
than last year" said Francis Is. Kemp.
land the average advance i'll real estate
has been ut tho lowest 30 per mt"
In spite OF tho strngcncy in the
I'll f~ic
always been plenty OF money to be had
in Roanoke for business purposes, but
not for speculation. The banks of the
city are now making out their annual
statements, which will be ready in Il
few days for publication. 1t is safe to
predict that these will show less CON
tested paper and less past due paper
then the last years statements of. the
same da.e showed and atlcast $50, 600
more cash on hand and half a million
more deposits.
Tho grocery men have done II big
business during the year, but cannot
tell exactly what the percentage OF it's
increase over last years trade is, as
thoy have not yet gotten their books in
order. In fact most all of the stores are
now taking an inventory If their stock.
Eggs have been higher this year" said
=
them before. Last summer they sold at
from % To % cents per dozen, and now
they are selling for 80 cents. The wear
before they sold at from l2js to 10
cents"
Tho wholesale grocery business has
had Il big increase in sales over those of
last year. The increase is estimated at
from 3d.: TO 80 per cent. The only
trouble in this line OF business is the
slow collect on, 1T 5ributcd by the hole
sale grocery men partly to the stringcncy
OF money market and partly TO the fact
that the country mcIchanls have Of late
been investing heavily in real estate
ana in order to meet payments have
been taking money from their business.
The jcWclry business in Roanoke has
been very nearly twice as good as that
OF last year. the holiday season being
the season OF largest sales.
The book stores and stationery firms
have inc ousCd their trade TO Il large
cAtolt.
inc drug and prescription business
has Increased its volume OF trade 30 per
cent. over last year
The stove and TN ware business has
increased largely. One of the features
Of the trade Is The large trade OF the
Roanoke stove men i'll Southwest
Virginia.
The hardware TRADE has been as
fortunate as the other departments and
has Increased from - to 40 per cent over
last years businc S.
The clothing men have made money
100 and say that they have ciusc TO be
satisfied with their trade fol the past
twelve months 1T has increased about
80 per- mt.
When is,lcd about the outlook for the
coming year. Wilbur :. Pole said: Cir
cnmsiances surround d by facts. compel
US U rrali2n thAL IN tho vnnrs 1901 .,nL