The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-01-01
BEDFORD CITY.
a Great Tobacco Town and the Great
est Fruit County.
Especial Dispatch to The Times. }

Especial Dispatch to The Times.)
BEDFORD CITY, VA, Dec. 31.-In
solid growth of business and new indus
tries the year just ended tlas been the
most notable in the history of Bedford
Every line of business has shown hand
some development.
Bedford City has always been an i'm
portant shipping point, but during the
past year the freight receipts at the
Norfolk and Western depot have shown
an increase of SO Is per cent. A gain of
p per cent is noted in express matter
handled and d marked Increase in pas
senger travel During the past summer
there increase Of 80 per cent.
i'll passenger traffic.
The poStofFice within the past year has
been raised to second class and two new
clerks provided. Star routes connected
with the office supply 30 offices in
different sections of the county and very
soon mail free delivery will be estab-
iished
A cigar factory turning out more OF the
finished product than any firm in the
Sixth District. has been built and firmly
established. The largest leaf factory in
the place was erected during the sum
mer, to be used exclusively in preparing
tobacco for European shipment. Manu-
faCturers of plug and smoking have been
unusually active. and in plug a Bedford
factory still leads the Sixth District
Messrs. ]. a. Dooley & Co. have sold
3,a0G,G00 pounds of leaf at their two ware
houses during the past calendar year.
at an average price of $3.50 per hundred.
and at the end OF the tobacco season
it is expected that the rrlrnet will show
a gain of 1.003,GG0 pounds over the for
MGR year. which has been the "a te of in
crease maintained for the past two sea-
sons, This leaf is now bought principally
for direct foreign shipment TO Europe and
aroI I.,,-e how
tablished themselves on tho local floor.
Messrs w. r. and D. r. Saunders, of
Franklin county, have purchased the lot
on the corner of Bridge and Washington
Streets, on which to erect q large and
modern tobacco warehouse.
a new WOODEN mill has been erected
in 1900. and this is now being fitted with
machinery by the owner, Mr.. w. C.
Haberer. The Bedford Mills Co., the Old
company. have been manufacturing at
rush speed during the entire year. for
tie most part, the sky blue kerseys for
the army for which this mill is famous.
The mill employs 100 hands and the out
put on Government goods for the year
aas been over 100000 broad yards. be-
sides dress goods OF various Weaves and
patterns.
An ice factory with a daily capacity
of ten tons is now being built to cost
$4,000.
A Stave factory, manufacturing barrel
slaves on a large scale, will begin opera
tiOns as soon as everything can be made
ready. The machinery for cooperage
establishment making hossheads for the
place and elsewhere has already been
shipped.
At the Paris Exposition. Virginia was
awarded a first prize on it's display of
apples. These apples for the most part
are grown in Bedford county. and We're
collected in the fall OF 1899 by Hon. George
T. Murrell. president of the Bedford Hor-
ticultural Society, at the expense of the
United States Pathological Department.
Mr.. Murreli made a careful canvass of
the entire State, securing specimens as
nearly perfect as possible. and these We're
kept in cold storage until opened for the
contest in the summer OF this year. They
had kept splendidly and In the contest
OF leading winter apples. four Of the
tive exhibits chosen by the Government
exper. to represent Virginia were from