Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-01

thereon. 500. 7a> value Of town lot. owne.
by negroes Mus: value Of building,
'nereon. tM<7o. Total. ss4e,Ses,
FROM these statements Il appear, tina,
.ne average assessment OF the lands OF
we white persons IL s42s per acre with.
OUT ana B.& with the buildings ard OF
tnose owned by the negroes 10 si3S with
Out and @f5 with the buildings, that
negroes are assessed with one-twenty-
Iourth or taxes on real estate outside OF
'he towns, and with one twenty-fifth OF
all taxes on real estate.
SECTION ".
In this section lie eight counties. which
alphabetically named, ere Isle OF Wight
Nansemond, Norfolk Prince George
Prince Anne. Southampton, Surry, and
Sussex.
statement I. Acres OF land owned by
whites. i.734.tH: acres OF land owned by
negroes. lio.7Gs. Total, i,s{5,2l0.
From this II appears that negroes own
one sixteenth Of the land, and more than
one sixth OF their entire holdings In the
State IL In these counties.
statement 2. Value OF land owned by
whites. $9,liS25s. vaue OF buildings thereon
&.l1S.337. value Of land owned by negroes
$pi, sos; value OF buildings thereon, H75.-
fo3 Total. $l2.cees4.
Statement 3. Value OF town lots owned
by whites. 81 1921. value Of buildings
thereon. s2IiS.l7G. value Of town lots
owned by negroes. s15S, 1876; value OF build
ings thereon t26L2le. Total. $L0e0.5l5.
From these statements 1t appears tina,
the average assessment per acre OF lands
owned by white persons. without the
buildings. IS $5.27. and with the buildings
$40. and OF land owned by negroes is
S. 90 and &5i. That negroes are assessed
with one twcnty-hrst OF taxes on real
estate outside Of towns and with one six
tccnth OF all taxes on real estate In this
section.
SECTION V.
This Is Southslde Virginia, known as the
BLACK belt" and contains seventeen coun-
ties. which are Amelia. AppomattOx.
Brunswick buckingham, Campbell. Char
lottc, Chesterfield, Cumberland. Dinwiddie,
Greensville, Halifax, Lunenburg. Mecklen-
burg. Nottoway. Pittsylvania. Powhatan.
and Prince Edward. II is bounded on the
North 10y James river from Lynchburg
To city Point, on the East 10y the Atlantic
Coast Line railroad, on the South by the
North Carolina line and on the West by
the Virginia Midland railroad from Dan
willie to Lynchburg.
Statement I. Acres Of land owned by
white persons, f,S52.32S. acres or land
owned by negroes. 2&9.023-total. 5,lyl. Sol.
This section contains about one ffth of
the entire acreage Of Virginia. Negroes
own here nearly one third of all the land
they own ia the Commonwealth. Ihey
have acquired nearly one tweHty-second OF
the entire territory. If TO this be added
the quantity they are in possession OF
under contracts to purchase partly com
piled with. the percentage Of their hold-
ings will be much larger
If the negroes who have acquired the
legal title to land could be collected In
body, and each assigned the quantity he
now owns, neither Amelia, ApJomattox,
Cumberland. GreGsville, Nottoway, Pow
hatan. or Prince Edward county contains
land enough for the purpose.
From observation extending through
many years. and from frequent inquiry
OF. and comparison of views with many OBJ
servant men in other counties, l believe
that the following are truths regarding
not only this. but other sections:
When white men cease farming, they
leave the country, taking with them their
families. with the intention 10 stay away,
and they abandon their lands. leaving
them uncultivatcd. or what is worse, rent
them To negroes. The cities have been
filled up with country people who have
done this. under the sad deusion that
living can be more easily obtained In the
city than on the farm. and that their chill
drcn can DO better in factories or in the
employment of corporations than by fol-
lowing the ploW or tending the stock.
ON the other hand when the negro
ceases 10 boz a farm laborer he goes away
q 1ahfuH with
the avowed intention Of returning, and
on his return. 10 invest his money, saved
from wages as a mental in the city, or as
a laborer on the public works, in land,
not that he may cultivate II, but as a
home for his family while H. is away
working for wages. When he thus re-
turns with his savings h. finds in the
white man who has abandoned his land
ana who IN the city, IS in sore need OF
money 20 supply him with the nec"ssarles
of life. not only a willing but eager
seller. ready 10 cut off any number OF
acres. from one TO one hundred. according
TO the negro's ability To pay. The number
Of tracts of land annually return q d'hh-
Quont for taxes. and the constantly IN
crcasing number Of deeds 10 negroes for
small parcels Of land. which are put 10
record attest these truths.
whites. sl7G5S.o33; value Of buildings
thereon. Ss.lGi.Is5. value Of lands owned
bv negroes. SSlS.Gii. value Of buildings
thereon. 1881 $50. Total, 219lI9o7.
Statement 3-Value Of town lots owned
nv whites. $50 S39; value OF buildings
thereon. sl.50S654 value Of town lots own
ca bv negroes. $p.3S2. value Of buildings
thereon. 81. So. Total. $25l5,Ip.
From these statements IT appears mat
the lands Of white persons without the
buildings are assessed at S.5' per acre
ma & with the buildings. and the
and Nu with the buildings, ana the
lands Of negroes at $50 and A.N That
negroes are assessed with l-2S Of taxes
ON land outside of the towns.
AS A WHOLE.
Having thus given the statistics Of
each of the i've sections into when !
divided that portion of Virginia under
confederation. | combine them that you
may gee what they are as whole
Statement Acres owned by white
persons In Eastern Virginia, l6Si.yoi'
acn.s owned 10y negroes in Eastern
Virginia. 62}522. Total, l2,SOS'iS3.
statement Value Of lands owned
by whites. S59,237,sll value of build
ings thereon. 81 399,6n; value of lands
owned lN negroes, g. i"''o'li N'iu' VI
buildings thereon. $l,OlSio. Total $A,-
0g5.7e}
statement 3.-value Of town lots
owned by whites, $LSl3.266; value of
buildings thereon. SSH, 1879; value of
town lots owned by negroes $bSl1,
value Of buildings thereon. &2763l.
Total N4lOj.2n.
From these statements the following
apt,.ar to be facts:
|. Negroes have acquired legal title
To more than l-l9 of the acreage of the
90 counties.
.. Their lands, with the buildings
thereon. are valued at l-2l Of the en-
tire value Of the lands and buildings
in the % counties.
g. They own more than Ill Of all the
real estate in the towns Incorporated
in those counties.
l. The lands owned by the white per-
sons without the buildings are assessed
for taxation at the average value Of $42S
per acre. and with the buildings at 1904
per acre. This appears TO be a very mod
crate and reasonable assessment, If not
a very low valuation. But from personal
knowledge of many of the counties in
South~de Virginia, and from inquiries
made OF intelligent and observant men
residing In Others l feel confident that
my estimate is rather under than over
the true quantity. when | say that three
fOurths of the lands owned by white
persons are not and have not been for
years cultivated. and therefore have
yielded their owners no income where
~ Ia ~