Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-01-01

increase over the previous years business
and a great deal of money made. This,
too. although one OF the largest tobacco
manufacturing plants in the city, suffered
disastrous.f fire in June.
The comparative manufacturing exhibit
for the two years is as follows
Number OF establishments IN 1890. ......... 1888
Number Of establishments In 1S9l..........774
Decrease. ............................
Number of hands employed In 1890. .....21,61s
Number Of hands employed in ls9l...., .2l,3s0
Decrease. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 23S
Capital in business In 1891 .sl7,1s5.500
Capitalhn business In 1S90......... 16,506,520
Increase. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. se7s.eso
Amount OF sales In 1890. .......... 834, ,5s09a7
Amount Of sales In 1s9l.....,...... 34,45e,OO0
Derease. .................... sl2I.e47
An analysis. however. of the figures in
the full table, considered in connection
with review Of manufacturing operations
elsewhere, will demonstrate that Richmond
stands in the front rank of those industrial
centres which have stemmed the tide of
reaction successfully, and will start the
New Year full of vIgor and hope
OUR JoBBINo TRADE.
Our iobbing trade makes splendid ex-
hbit and constitutes most appreciable
factor in raising the average of the years
business transactions. As. early as last
January the jobbers predicted that the
showing Of 1891 would be highly satisfac-
tory, and that energetic guild of Richmond
advertisers, the drummers, set to work to
make good the prediction. And they did it.
They thoroughly worked their old terri
tory, went into new fields as fast as possible,
and notwithstanding the low price of cot
ton, the reduced price of many other pro-
ducts. and the financial situation, they
advanced the sales from S32 ,Oi2 900 in 1880
TO S36, ,OO9.O3O in 1s91-an increase of
81. 1861, ,030.
The iobbing sales for the past four years
were:
1885 s27, 100000
1850. Observation-Disclosures. 2g,l40,00O
1870 3cc'0aaoo'oooo
1891 oo,oV',V"V
The increase in capital invested over 1890
was about $500. 900, and among the items of
increase of sales are the following: Groce-
ries and liquors. S2,6O1, 800; provisions.
S767, 1925; dry goods and notions. $780, 900.
Where there have been decreases they were
clearly to have been anticipated. resume
of the jobbing trade is that it has been
vigorously pushed, has augmented IN bulk
has greatly increased the amount of money
brought into the city. To-day'ou our drum
mers control more territory than they ever
| did before, and the new year promises a
vast Improvement on the old, seeing that
| all the interests that sustain Jobbing must
recuperate.
| SIGNIFICANT FAcTs.
During the year there were forty fail
ures in the city with liabilities put at S2f6,-
$50 and assets at S1l9.20O. In view OF the
stringency of the money market in the
early months of 1891 these figures carry
very favorable comment. The liabilities
attaching to the failures of 1890 were
S23O.0OO, and the assets were placed at
S94,95O.
The bank clearsnces were S119,740, ,556-
an increase over 1891 Of $7,197 ,4i9.
There was a large increase in tho receipts
| of the post-office over those of 1890. The
| total from all sources was S22O, ,662. 10. as
against s213, 1921. "a the previous year. The
volume of mail handled was also much
above that of the previous year.
The exhibition of the Virginia State
| Agricultural and Mechanical Society was
| not only the most successful financially
| and in point of numbers In attendance
| that has been held for years, but had the
valuable effect of bringing the people OF
| distant parts of the State in closer rela-
tions with our merchants and manu-
| facturers.
The tobacco trade IN all Its branches is
treated most elsborately in special arti-
| Gle in the DISPATCH this morning, and the
information therein presented, together
| with the statistics we publish from the
| United States Internal-Revenue Depart
ment and the totals in our table of manu-
| features, fully covers the operations OF
the year.
The settlement of the debtquestion is
now only q matter of details, and Rich
mond. in common with the rest of the
Commonwealth, will partake of the bene-
fits accruing from the final disposition of
a problem which had for SO long plagued
the people.
Our losses by fire for 1891, exclusive OF
those at the Cedar Works and the Rich
mond Locomotive Works, which are out
side ,f the corporate limits, were $780,
972 "a; of this amount Sl63,022.52 was on
sto III and S37, ,950.22 on buildings. The
ma 1aeement of the fires of the year de-
me. .Istr..ed the high state of discipline
and the efficiency of the department. To
the department equipment were added two
La France steamers. two hose-wagons, and
1000 feet Of hose.
The police department maintained its
high reputation for vigilance and faithful
discharge of duty. The number Of arrests
for the year was 6,79i-largelv for trivial
offences-and the general record was that
of a well-ordered. law-abiding city.
The Coroner made 244 examinations du-
ring the year. and the incidental expenses
of the office amounted to $l.60. Ot the
examination of cases where color was de-
terminable 80 were white and 100 colored.
CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS.
Richmond still holds the banner as a
community of church members. In 1880
her church membership was S9.72l. In
1891 it grew to 43. .504--an increase OF S,7S3.
Tho comparative contribution figures tor
all purposes for the same dates were $685.
g57.2s against $336, 26.16-an increase in
favor of 1891 of Sso.469.5o. Add to men,
bership total the host of Sunday-school
scholars andit may 30 Justly claimed that,
in proportion to population. more people
receive religious instruction IN Richmond
than In any other city in the Union.
The city's homes for. the aged, orphan
asylums, and other benevolent institutions
have been we'll supported. Excellent work
has been done BY the missions among ths
poor. and our infrmaries and retreats for
inyalids have received considerable outside
patronage. 1t is hoped that themovcment
for large public hospital here win soon
take practical shape. ~
| Che total enrolment Of pupils in the
public schools was 1l,77i. Add to this the
| npr;js In the pt,iyato schools colleges. aca-