The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-12

during the war tnat II has acquired since.
the South would have peen far better
prepared 70 endure protracted strug-
gle. The Industrial eminence OF this city
Is due almost entirely to its citizens and
local capital. A municipality must have
wonderful natural advantages and Its
moral stamina and iIi inteiiectnsl eapscityy
70 begin, as was the case In 1866. with
almost nothing and achieve so much In
the direction OF wealth and progress in
one generation. Unskllled labor In Rich
mond is very largely furnished by
colored people. The skilled artisan Is
white In this place as almost everywhere
labor and capital on the whole on more
amicable terms. So many mechanics own
homes In Richmond and have a personal
stake In the community that the working
classes as we'll as their employers have
its welfare at heart.
Newly established plants or those OF
comparatively recent origin. which serve
to show the extent OF Rlchmonds prog
ress In manufactures are w. II. Trlgg
shipbuilding works. locomotive and ma
ion iron and nail works, and the Ameri-
can Ether Co, which by a new process
controlled here. will produce coal gas
and ether as by product. Another fea-
as the Union Stock Yards.
Tobacco Trade.
Although the day has long since gene
by when Richmond's business prosperity
was almost entirely dependent on
any one line of trade. time was when
tobacco, leaf and manufactured. was the
chief source OF revenue to the city. To-
day the trade IN tobacco employs q
large percentage os the city's capital,
and perhaps more than any other one
branch OF business contributes to the
business each year represents q sum ex-
ceeding sl2, 500, co., the average annual tax
on which is now nearly 5000; ;ooo. In the
last 80 years about s55, 900 has been
paid 10 the government In revenue taxes.
In cigarettes the yearly output reaches
nearly 10 the billion mark and the plug
tobacco figures run into the millions OF
Richmond is the market for a wide ex-
tent OF tobacco country The tobacco Is
the planter direct in private conveyances,
but the hogshead receipts principally
from interior markets, In Virginia and
near near by states. stu form , the most imp9r- I
These are brought by rail. Fourteen to-
bacco growing counties are In the district
SSsssiS 20 Hiehmond Ihese py
hatan, Buckingham, Cumberland, E1uvan-
ma. Goochland. Hanover, Louisa Henrico'
K1pS'as Kipp asd Sw Queen eH The three last named
counties produce little In comparison with
most OF the others. The average price
paid per 100 ss Is from 70 tbugb s The Rinp Suns
mond channels Is thus very large. Not
all OF the money paid. however. is carried
away. as Richmond merchants sell large
quantities OF clothing, household goods
and utensils, farm implements, etc, to
the growers, and thus the business Of tho
city is added to.
The consumption OF bright tobacco In
largely on the increase, and the area for
producing II has been somewhat extend
ed IN beth NGrih 3obssso and soqh csrqn III Rich,
mond Is largely for export. Dark. black
or olive green leaf Is used for English
fully grown in Aljemarie. Fluvanna,
Buckingham, Cumberland and Powhatan
counties. These grades OF tobacco bring