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

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churches was about S675 900.
The magnificent new City Hall is under
ROOF end work on the interior is progress
ing. The Commonwealth Club has been
completed and will be opened this month,
the Masonic Temple and Grace-Street
BAPTIST church are partially occupied,
the chapel Of the Church of the Covenant
has been finished and dedicated. and both
within the corporate limits and in the
suburbs many new and neat residences
have been put up. Before the end
of the present year il is hoped that
ground will have been broken for the
Chamber of Commerce building. the
new State Library building, the
Richmond aud Danville and the Chesa-
peake passenger depots and other imposing
structures. On Broad street. where last
year saw the occupancy OF two of the
largest and finest dry-soods stores IN the
South. the walls of another similas estsb-
lshment are going up. and one or two
more are said to be in contemplation.
All the new residences in Richmond
show marked tendency towards pictu.
resqueness in architectureSand are filed
with every modern convenience and COM
fort. whke the new business houses yield
to those Of no city in suggestions Of sta
bility.
POPULATION AND HEALTH.
"A conservative estimate OF the popula.
tion OF Richmond and Manchester and
suburbs OF both is 10000. The census
Of June. 1890. gave the two cities
9O,6S4, but this IS regarded by oui
people as far from being accurate. a
careful enumeration would. it is believed
give Richmond between $4,000 and $1,000
Manchester 10,ooo. and the suburbs of the
two.cities 10000 more.
The mortuary record for 1891 sustains
the reputation of Richmond for health
fulness.. In 1890 the death-roll footed up
'2.126; in 1891, 2, 2,23G-a decrease III favor OF
last year of l2O,, and that. notwithstand-
ing the fact that during the past two
months the weather throughout the coun-
try has been particularly severe on aged
people. According to the statistics fur
nished by the Board of Health the aver
age rate of mortality was greater in 1891
than in 1890. but this excess Is apparent
not real. The rate for 1891 was calculated
on a basis Of 5000 population. whereas
the basis of calculation for 1890 was
O.OOO In 1891 over ~, 600 lineal feet OF
water-mains were laid. and considerable
sum was spent in sewerage aud street i'm
provement, these and other artificial
supplement = to the natural drainage condi-
tions rendesing tho sanitation Of the city
more perfect than ever before
TRANsl oRTATIqs FAouiTIEs.
'Richmond's transportation facilities have
taken forward strides. and the promise il
this direction for the near future is
bright.
The work of improving James river-our
great waterway to the Atlantic, 127 mile,
distant-has progressed steadily, and al
present vessels drawing lG1s feet can reach
the wharves at Rockets at high tide
This, however. is only guarantee of 6
depth Of q feet at low-wa.er when the i'm
provement shall have been completed
Signs of permanent revival Of direct-im
port trade over this highway are already
manifesting themselves. and the outlook
for our entry ports. Newport News anC
West Point, was never better. In addition
to the regular lines of steamers now run
ming from these two ports and from thit
city, large feet of transatlantic steamers
is to ply between Newport Nows and the
principal European ports, thus necessarily
giving a tremendous impulse to Rich.
.mond's foreign trade.
The seven railroad lines of Richmond
link her 10 the sea, the East. the great
Northwest, the Pacific s.ope. the vasi
south-central cotton area. and the Gull
and the entire south-Atlantic seaboard
draining the intervening territory and put
ting her IN touch with ell the principal
commercial centres Of the country. Lo
Gated as Richmond is on the great route o
passenger travel between the far North
and her southern sisters, the number o
tourists who stop over here to visit thu
historicpoints OF interest IL annually in
creasing,' thus creating demand for a
large uptown hotel. which in the nature
of things cannot much longer remain un.
supplied.
Tie year was not one of activity in rail.
road building in the State. yet 1t was not
without some progress in that field. Sew
eral important spurs of both the Norfoll
and Western and the Chesapeake
and Ohio systems were completed
which. when the industrial pulse OF
our mineral belts again begins to throb vii
pay tribute TO the capital city. The Bel
Line connecting the Richmond, Fredericks
burg and Potomac with the Richmond an'
Petersburg railroad and passing arount
thriving Manchester was also completed
during the year and the promiseof a simi
lar line connecting the JameS-Riye
division of the Chesapeake and Ohio wit
the Eastern division of that road is still
held out. The enterprise for new roa'
from Richmond to Ridgeway, N. c.. ha
not been abandoned, and bill has beef
introduced INTO the Legislature looking T.
a consolidation of railway interests, whicl
would seem TO insure the opening up t
Richmond of the Northern Neck and tn
counties stretching thereto.
Our special and exhaustive railroad arti
Gle in this issue shows an enormous in
crease in the business of the lines centrin
here, and that these conditions and pros
poets are such as must rebound vastly t.
the benefit Of Richmond.
ASSESSED VALUE OF PROPERTY.
The assessed value of Richmond rea
estate for 1891 was SiO.256,s59; persona
property. SIS, ,9S7.sl4. Manchester rea
estate. S2.6l5,sS7; personal property
S29i, 1916. Henrlco real estate (chief
suburban property. Ss,29l,99S; persona
property about S2.50O.
The total bonded debt of the city i
s6.l47.675.60. represented by valuable con
yertible assets, such as the Water Works
the Gss-Works, her public buildings, he
large park acreage. DC. Although tn
electric-light system receives larg
patronage, the increase in the consump
tion Of gas in 1891 over 1890 was II ,55
cubic feet; increase in water rentals
$4,000 The price of gas to consumers
now Si.50 per 1000 cubic feet, bat Il
February viii be reducedto Sl.25 per l,0oC
The gain in city taxes for 1891 over 1s9
uas S7e G55. 76. gain in State taxes for th