The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-09-05
RIcf1MoND,sS POPULATION.

RIC{zMONBsS#FO ULATION.
There are so many evidences on every
hs..d Of R..cf1snoni's progress that it IS
hard for the people of this community to
believe that our population has increased
less than 400 within the last ten years
Eich.nond,s progress Is shown in the large
increase in bunk cleariags. in our manu-
sactured products. In iobbing sales. in the
number of persons employed, in bank de-
npsits. in savings banks deposits. in new
industries on every hand, and 50 on. Nitn
such a large increase in trade and industry
it is hard to believe that there mas oeen
only small increase in population.
But two things are to be considered
Richmond has not taken in any new terri
tory since 1890. ana the effect of the troll
ley lines has been to decentralize the pop
ulation and to build up the outlying dis
tracts at the expense Of the city. Anybody
who takes a ride out into the West End
over one of these trolley lines will see
that there are enough houses in that direc-
ton and beyond the corporEte limits, to
make a small size city. Taxes are much
lower IN The suburbs, living IS cheaper and
the trolley lines. affordinS cheap and
sn,,;cl TRANSPORTATION, make it quite con-,
yeDier,t for men who have their daily oc-t
cupation in the city to reside outside OF
the corporation If Richmond had tnken
IN these suburban settlements, together
with Manchester, she would have shown
I'D this time with population of some
thing like 125,010.
But there is another thing to be con-
s:dered While the progress Of Richmond
during the past several years has been
most marked, it must be remembered that
from the summer of 1893 until the summer
of 1897 business was exceedingly duh in
Richmond. Some Of our large industries
were almost idle, others were working on
short time, few of them were working on
full time ind many men We're out of en-
pioyment. Under such conditions it WIS
necessary that some people should move
away, and we think it highly probable
that Richmond lost several thousand in
habItants during that time. We remember
to have heard it said some time in 1896
that there were at least thousand vacant
houses in this city, principally dwellings.
IL the census had been taken at that time
we are of opinion that the population
would have shown a decrease as COM
pared with the census of 1890
But Richmond has taken on new life. The
industries which We're idle several years
ago are now working on full time, some
of them both night and day. One very
largo new industry has been established,
another very large industry is now under
construction, and a great number of
smaller industries have started up within
the past two or three years Where there
were one thousand vacant houses in
Richmond in 1896. real estate dealers now
say that the demand for houses is
greater than the supply, and We have re-
Gently heard an ohservant man say that
in his opinion if seventy-five new houses
in Richmond were built they would all be
rented before the paint was dry.
Iaklns all these thiiss INTO cohsiuela-
| ton, there is. certainly no case for de-
spondency by reason of the Disappointing
census figures. Richmond is one of the
most substantial cities in the country. and
I it has now entered upon new era OF
| progress and prosperity. Never before in
| the history of the city did the people OF
Richmond have more implicit confidence in
their city, and this faith viii in no degree
| be shaken by the poor exhibit the census
| takers have made for us.