The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-03-29
ROANOKE TRULY The MAGIC CITY
This Claim Supported by a Solid
Array of Facts.
Its Wonderful Growth In Ten Years-The
Taxable Values VIII Compare with
ANY City In the Commonwealth
Amount of Money Paid Into tho State
Treasury-Roanoke Healthy City.

Roanoke's claim to the proud distinc-
tion OF being the magic City of the
South" has been frequently disputed.
Manufactured statistics have sometimes
been thrust forward to rob it of this
honor, but they were invariably shat
tered by the formidable array Of facts
presented by THE TIMES and business
men who were enlisted in its upbuild-
ing and acquainting the world with it's
unsurpassed advantages and resources,
In less than ten years Roanoke has
grown from an insignificant village and
way station on the Atlantic, Mississippi
anu ohlo Railway, to prosperous city,
ana headquarters OF the great Norfolk
anu western SYSTEM In 1882 Big Lick
numbered from 400 to $50 people, but to-
day, according to the best authority, the
population Of Roanoke is from 25, 900 to
| $1,000 souls.
Hon. NJ. G. Thomas, we'll known
throughout this section as shrewd cal
curator In matters political, industrial
ana Otherwise, places the number of Re-
anoke's inhabitants at $1,000. In cleo
t,ons his calculations have always
proven reliable, his estimates OF maiori-
ties having been verified in every in
stance.
c. w. Turner, commissioner of the
revenue, is another good authority. He
never fails to make most conservative
estimate when asked for figures. He
says that Roanoke has q population of
not less than $4,000, probably more. His
accuracy may be disputed, but it is
attested by the fact that his estimate
OF the number of people residing here
In 1870, made before the Uuited States
enumerators began their work, was
only 43 in excess of the number of in
haoitants reported from the census
office at Washington. Lynchburg, not
counting her suburbs, and Petersburg,
each century or more old, fell short
OF the actual population of Roanoke.
Commissioners Turner is authority for
the statement that the population OF the
city Increased over 5000 during 1891.
Those of our citizens who know him
and the accuracy of his estimates will
cheerfully subscribe to this declaration,
outstanding the past year was re-
Earded as unusually dull in business
circles.
TAXABLE VALUES.
Roanoke, considering its age, can we'll
afford to challenge comparison with any
city of the commonwealth in all re-
spects. Tho assessment of real estate
and personal property will compare
most favorably with other cities, as the
subjoined table shows:
he s E.sas f ss5 rrSg . rs,s Is,
P snSinc.:. s,ass,ass 2,2soiso T57i,Ss5
fs stelsS"Tgg 5sssss 2sS9a 1S5S4a
Tho reader will observe that Roanoke,
not yet ten years old, falls short of
,tttr "a
1924, 61l. and exceeds Petersburg, an
other old city. S703,7Gl. Each of these
cities have claimed a larger population
than Roanoke, and have a greater num-
Der OF railroads centering within their
borders.
TANES PAID THE STATE.
Roanoke can point with pride to its
contributions to the State treasury in
the matter of taxes. For the year 1891
IT contributed the sum of S12O, 35091.
Of this amount tho handsome sum of
$4,000 was turned in by Clerk Brooke,
OF the Hastings Court. The amount of
real and personal property. liquor and
general license tax turned in by Roam
oko and the three other cities herein
before named is rs follows
Roanoke, SS7, ,hj6 SO; Danville, S52,-
S3l.2o; Lynchburg, $72,Si6.11; Peters.
burg, S69, 300.0S.
In these items Roanoke exceeds
Lynchburg Sl4,S20.4l: Petersburg ST.
366 43, and DAnville $3l, s35. 2G In tho
matter of capitation tax Roanoke is
ahead, having paid SASH, while Dan
vile paid S2,6Sl, Lynchburg APPS. and
Petersburg $4,79l. Lynchburg paid in
tax on liquor licenses So ,937 Oh more
than Roanoke, but on general license
fell short Sl5.S72
| For the year 1892 the Magic City, not
withs standing the dullness in real esta te
circles and consequt n. reduction in tax
receipts from real estate agents, will
equal its record for 1891 in revenues
| paid into the State treasury.
HEALTHY CITY.
/ In refuting the statements that have
gone abroad in regard to Roanoke being
an unhealthy city, it is only necessary
to quote the reports Of the Commission
ers of the Revenue for Roanoke, Dan.
vile, Lynchburg and Petersburg, made
under oath, to show tho falsity of these
reports From the annual report Of the
auditor for the year ending Dec. 81, 1890.
the following statement OF deaths is
| taken:
White. Colored. Total
ROANOKE. ...19I 50 80
panVtile ................ l0i 2o5 3D
| LynchburC. 222 4g3 7I5
! Petersburg 1902 sO3 sos
( In justice to Roanoke it is proper
to state Just how tho commissioners
| gathered these certificates. No corpse