Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-02
CITY OF PETERSBURG.
An INTERESTING REVIEW OF THE
TOWNS rnosnEss IN 1902.
EMlNENTLY SATISFACTORY.
President Of the Chamber of COM
mercc sny. II Broke All Records
some missionary sta,issics-1m-
mense Tobacco Sales.
= rNTEREsTINt: REyIEw OLE THE
TOWNS PROGRESS IN 1902.
EMlNENTLY SATISFACTORY.
PRESIDENT of The Chamber of Com
mcree says II Broke All Records

PETERSBURG, VA. Jan. i.-Spe-
cialo--A review Of the city's trade. for
the year iusi closed shows a highly sat
tsfactory condition of affairs. Mr.. Bart
lett Roper. president of the chamber OF
commerce. says the year has been moro
satisfactory than any in the history OF
tho city. The spirit of enterprise re-
Gently developed is going on steadily. both
on the part of the city government and
SIS people. Great investments have been
made. improvements enlarged, Industries
advanced, and along all the lines OF man
ufacturfng and commercial enterprise
there has been q great advance
Tho aggregate Of bank deposits during
the year increased 30 per cent and the
3obbing trade has advanced in about the
sarpe ratio. The great trunk factories OF
tho civ the largest IN the country,
y,l,osa trade reaches over the world,
have doubled the capacity of their plants.
pod all the manufacturing interests OF
Tho city have made great progress, Win
many new ones sprnging UP to com
pete for business.
The wholesale grocery business OF the
city during the year was large, agsre,
eating in value about s3,5oo,pn, WIN soou
rollecticas. The wholesale cocfecuonar!
trade was larger than for years past
Tho four large trunk factories OF me
city give steady employment TO nearly
lEO0 hands and manufacture about I'9V'
trunks and over 5000 travelling bags d
day.
Petersburg is probably the sioa..s'
market for Spanish peanuts IN Inc "ol i.i'
its products being shipped To all parts
Of The country, as well as abroad Inc
business which 8 few years ago was
email has grown into immense proper
tons The old system OF cleaning, 'ae-
Eortinc and Smelling peanuts by haho mas
been abolished, and everything is zone
nv machinery. The business done in pea
nuts the past year exceeded sLooo.VVe
The citys cash receipts for taxes during
the wear was s2G5, 900. All of its obiiga-
ficns have been promptly met and there
is a cash balance of $4,000 in the trea-
sury Ii has sinking fund OF $685.
interest-bearing bonds and s35 in cash
The bonded debt of the city is sl,32l.ooo
The foundries of the city have done n
great volume of business. Foremost
among these is the plant of the Peters
burg Iron Works, which for years. indc-
pendent Of other branches of business,
has done a vast deal Of work for the
government in the manufacture OF pro-
1cctilcs of all kinds. The company mas
plso a large shipbuilding plant, which
has been operated with success. This IS
ia be enlarged. The company employs
hoo or 400 hands and pays out 10000 a
month in wages.
The Titus plant is another great ma
chine manufacturing establishment ana
It's output is shipped all through the
4 country and abroad.
Taking all things into consideration
the past year was a most successfui
business year in Petersburg, in al'
branches Of trade, and the prospect is
for an equally satisfactory new year.
The sales of loose tobacco in this city
from October l. 1902 TO January l. i9VS.
amounted to 3,S72,47S pounds, showing
u gain of 2,2o2 293 pounds over The cor
responding quarter of l9Ol-l9o2--"h1ch
amounted TO 1,61o,lS0 pounds
GOOD MISSIONARY WORK.
Rev. DR.. J. NJ. Pitcher corresponding
.ecretary of the SundagSchool and Bible
Board of the Baptist General Association
nf Virginia, publishes the following sta
t}sttcs of the work Of The missionaries
of the board during the past year: Miles
travelled 1,GSG,645; visits to tainilieS,
s.SGl9: families found destitute OF the
Bible. % 936: Sunday schools organized,
Tp5: conversions and bapusms, $500;
churches organized. 81; sales of Bibles,
4t.27s for $42 $40: sales OF Testaments,
| 52T for slSGS6: sales of books. 1888
for Sal. 1855; sales of tracts de,453,osl pages)
for SIS. 2S7-a total of sl2S,la. large
number of Bibles, Testaments. books,
ana tracts was given away.
MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.
During the month of December the
nolIce made lGS arrests. The total ar
rests for the year were 1850. The police
have made wonderful! record and very
few criminals have escaped them.
The office at Young's woodward was
entered last night and a fine bicycle was
stolen This morning Robert Dodson was
caught trying TO sell the wheel, and
pleaded guilty to the theft
A spccial session of Petersburg Lodge
Of Elks was held yesterday afternoon
for the initiation OF candidates.
There was an immense audience at The
Academy of Music last night to witness
and enjoy 'Pickwick.'
The old year was watched out and the
new welcomed in by large congregation
al washington-Street Methodist Episco
pal church last night, Rev. Or. Starr
delivering the sermon. And the dying
wear was runG out and the new welcomed
nv The chimes of st. Paul's. which In the
clear midnight air, wero heard Il
,-I, CITY