The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-30
THE TOWN OF
FRANKLIN
Steady and Hearty Growth
Promises Future Greatness
INDUSTRIES OF THE PLACE
Schools Are Unsurpassed and the Citi-
gems WeIl-,o-Do and Law-Abiding.
81 Peanut Factories-PeopleH Have
Fine, Old Time Hospitality

Peanut Factories-People Have
Fine, Old Time Hospitality,
(special From StaiY Correspondent
FRANKLIN, SOUTHAMPTON COUN-
TY. VA, May a.--The visitor to the lit
tie town OF Franklin is bound to be I'M
pressed with It's beauty first and later,
after he has looked into the affairs of the
people, the general prosperity that is
making them well to do, II not wealthy.
The town has never enjoyed boom, ana
there Is no Indication that one Is about
70 mako It's appearance, but there Is on
3 every hand the evidence of steady, hearty
and stable growth, and there Is reason to
think that eventually the little town on
the Blackwater will be n city Of come size
and much Importance In the business
world OF his section OF the State.
Shortly after the war tho entire ousi-
ness portion OF the town, with the ex-
ception Of ono house, was Destroyed by
IRE All the business houses Of the
3place have been built since that time, and
In the place of the old frame structures
which were burnt, there are now really
handsome buildings OF brick and stone
and iron. buildings which would 90 credit
TO places OF much greater size. There are
two or three stores which are as wen
appearing MS almost any In Richmond.
and there are improvements planned
which which will add materially to the
appearance OF others, which arc not now
SO high In the scale OF good looks.
one Is struck at once with tho num-
her OF trees which limo the streets in every
ssection Of tho town. 1t is the absence
4 OF all shade that Is the curse OF SO many
of teh town OF Eastern and Southside
Virginia in the eyes of the stranger, but
i n the streets OF Franklin, the refreshing
shadow of foliage is cast In all the streets,
and the wayfnrer Is grateful accordingly.
B. There are no water works in the town,
"a but there are over half u hundred ar
Gtesian wells, and tho water Is as good as
any found anywhere away from the coid
sprirgs of the mountains. There used 10
be a very high death ratio in the town
from fever. but since the people have
/: been using the water from the arteslan
wells there Is seldom q case OF tyPhold.
There has been two deaths from this dis
4 ease this year Ono was contracted While
& the young lady was on a visit to friends
IN another town. The other death was
Z that Of on infant, and in this case, the
source Of contagion could not be traced.
Though there are no water works at
present, there WILL be such before long II
Z the Intentions OF some Of tho most influ-
entail people Of the plac are carried out.
ELECTRIC LIGHTS.
The electric light system seemed to
mo tn be an unusually good one, but 1t
As not satisfactory to the citizens, and the
present plant. which Is owned by the 1nu-
snicipality. Is being improved. made prac-
ticnly new, at a cost OF slo.ooo ana wnen
this is done, the entire debt of the town
will amount to only $4,000 This debt
is in the form OF bonds outstanding, bear
ing only five per cent. interest. The rate
of taxation IS only 80 cents on the 500.
Il When the people Of tho town sit down
some day and seriously consider how 1T
tie is the tax rate. they are going to rise
up and demand water works. even at
the cost Of Increased taxes.
There is good telephone system In tho
town. with eighty-four subscribers. There
,Hare many business men who live In the
4 suburbs and to these tho phone Is al
most Indispensable.
spoke just now Of the two pretty bus
mess houses In Franklin. alluded to the
hardware store of w. T. Pace. and tho
furniture store Of W. J. M. Holland. each
Z OF them magnificent brick buildings, and
each concern appears to be doing a fine
Z. trade. AT the hardware store there Is
big trade In building material, and there
Is also much done In the way Of supply
ing the farmers Of the surrounding coun-
try with implements used in the cultiVa-
tuOps OF C0kLOu di4 pc&llulS.g ~ As u IefCt
that tina. proprietor OF the store has been
utterly unable to meet tho demand from
the farmers this season. He accounts for
H this on tho ground OF the scarcity OF
labor for the farms, greater this year
than ever before. making the use Of ma
chlnery in the culture Of crops more ne
oossary,th than ever.
scRBEN DOORS.
Mr. Pace called attention to another
fact that was significant, He sells screen
doors and windows, and mentioning that
he was not able to get from the factory
enough OF these to supply the demand
Il now. said that only few yenrs ago they
were considered a luxury whereas they
arc now looked upon as necessity. MI.
Robert J. Camp. secretary ond Treas
urer OF tho great Camp Manufacturing
Company, located at Franklin. where 1t
Il manufactures over hundred thousand
feet OF lumber every day, came into >hp
store about this time and mentioned the
fact that he shipped great deal Of
dressed pine lumber north for the manu-
faoture OF fly screen.
II buy chiefly from Cortland, New
York." said Mr.. Pace.
There is where we ship tho greater
portion OF our stuff that goes to New York
State" said Mr.. Camp, land ] have not
much doubt that we sent those people the
very lumber that Is In this screen" and
he placed his hand on very handsome
screen door standing near.
'"rhere Is a good profit In the freight
paid on the lumber both ways" he said
The impression was made on me that
no had in mind a project to establish in
this section a factory for the manufac
ture of the screens the lumber for which
he is now shipping North
The hardware store does a large whole
sale business among the nearby merchant
OF Southampton and one or two counties
over the North Carolina line.
TWO BANKS.
There are two banks In Franklin. Thu
private bank OF Vaughan and Company
controlled by Mr.. C. G. Vaughan. Sr.
and his son. Colonel G. C. Vaughan, Il
an old institution and does large bust
ness. The Merchants and Farmers Bani
is State Institution. and does a gooc
business on a ca pital of s2s40O, The dis
counts. when late report OF tho condi