Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-01
ROANOKE.
Not Wholly without ProGress-A
Few Statistics.

ROANOKE, VA, December G.-CSpe-
1.-THE year just closing, while it may
not be called a prosperous one to Roa-
noke. has, nevertheless, been not wholly
without progress and advancement, and
the conditions for 1897 bid fair to be much
more satisfactory The city is only il
years old, and despite its rapid growth
and the subsequent general business de-
preston which began in 1893, 1t has held
its own to a remarkable extent all things
considered. That year found the city
with a population close on TO 20000' but
the enormous shrinkage in values which
followed compelled a number Of its in
dustries TO suspend operations. and drove
many of its people to seek employment
elsewhere and gradually the reduction of
rents and the decay of boom towns on
the line of the Norfolk and Western filled
all the vacant residences here, and caused
almost all the stores 10 reopen; so that
now the population is not much less than
Il 900. with a permanent revival of bust
ness in all lines. The bonded indebted
ness of the city amounts to 1892 100. and
the annual levy for State. city and pub
lic-school purposes IS $3.50, 1881
The assessed value of real estate IS
Sc. 7SS. 2S9: personal property, $685. l26;
capitation tax. Sl,9575O The city owns
five school buildings. four brick and one
frame and employs 50 teachers, 30 of
whom are white and colored, and the
number Of pupils enrolled is 250O-l 800
white and 600 colored The amount levied
for school purposes by the city annually
is Sl2051 49, ana that by the State IS
81. 30744 being q total OF SlS35S.1S. The
Increase in the number of pupils over the
session OF 1s94-95 so far is 500. The
amount levied for city purposes last year
was $SSSO524, and the State tax was
SSS. 1896. The sinking-fund tax Is SS92l
annually. About 80 new buildings have
been erected in the past twelve months,
among them the government post-ofiice
buildings. for which Congress has APP
nropriated $4,000, and which is now nearly
completed
The Roanoke Machlne-Works gives en-
plovment TO 1900 men, and the average
monthly payroll - $4,000. The three
furnaces employ about go men, who are
paid about 5000 a month. The employees
OF the Norfolk and Western offices num-
Der about 100, with monthly payment OF
go 900: and other employees of the same
railway company are paid monthly mere
about $4,000 Tho Roanoke Brewing
Company. 2 houring-mills. l tobacco-fac-
tory Ice-factores. and a cold-storase
plant also did good business this year.
and paid out in wages several hundred
dollars a month.
The Norwich LockWorks. the American
Rridge-WOrks, tho DuVal Engine-Works,
and three large carrage-factories. while
NOT MS actively engaged as in 1890, die
some work during the year
tAe eApress company officers re-
port slight increase in bust
ness this year, as compared with
1885 and the money order department Of
the post office also shows an improve
ment The eleven wholesale merchants,
including drug. dry goods, and furni-
ture establishment. have done good
business in Southwest Virginia, West Vir-
ginia, Tennessee. and North Carolina.
amounting TO millions Of dollars.
Roanoke's Fire Department is partly