The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-12-11
INDUSTRY REVIVAL
IN OLD ALEXANDRIA
Commercial Development
in Past Thirty Years.
TOWN OF MANY FACTORIES
Money and Trade Flowing Into the
City-SOme Of the Local
Establishments.
TOWN OF MANY FACTORIES

City-Some of the Local
Establishments.
The twentieth Gentry is opening well
for Alexandria. Its commercial and
trade prospects grow brighter as the
new century advances.
Less than thirty years ago the river
front Of Alexandria remained as 1t had
been left at the end OF the war for
the Union-in a dismantled and appar-
emily desperate condition. Its ware
houses We're unoccupied. Business was
done at only two or three OF the
wharves there.
Industrial Resurrection.
Now all this is changed Not only is
the entire river front of former years
occupied by fiourishing establishments,
bat the river front has been extended
nearly half g mile to the north, and
considerable distance to the south, anu
bids fair at no distant day to occupy
the entire extent of the channel that
passes on the west side of the river,
from the old canal locks to Jones Point.
The passenger passing on the river
sees first. on the northern edge Of the
town. the Old Dominion Glass Works,
which employ several hundred men,
while IN the distance toward the west.
the Belle-Pre Bottle Works. employing
like number, Is sending out volumes
of smoke from its high stacks.
These two glass factories, with the
Virginia Glass Works, at West End, are
now doing a most prosperous business
and have brought TO Alexandria hun
dTeds OF glass blowers from other places
and are training many young Alexan-
drians 70 industry in that lucrative bus
mess.
Where Ships Are Made.
Next. south OF the Old Dominion
Works. is Deans shipyard. now in It's
infancy but already doing a large
amount Of work for Washington and
the whole Potomac region. Then comes
the extensive and lofty acid manufac-
tory OF the Alexandra Chemical and
Fertilizer Company. which more than
replaces the loss of the Pioneer Mills,
formerly on the south edge Of Alex
andria.
In connection with these works are the
extensive buildings OF the Alexandria
Chemical and Fertilizer Company, COW
eEng SIX or seven acres and busy from
morn until evening. and often far into
the night These establishments sur
round the old FISH wharf that has been
dwarfed by the new trade.
Then comes the extensive commercial
establishments and coal yards Of Col.
William A. Smoot and then the Globe
Flour Mills. which replaced a plan IA
nous in this section or the country
many years ago. J. r. Zimmerman g.
Co.'S extensive establishments are next
on the south. Then with new wharves
ard new buildings are the works Of the
Mutual Ice Company. which, with an ar
tesian Well and all the modern improve
ments, manufactures thousands Of tons
OF Ice annually.
Building Materials.
After a block OF commercial estab-
lishments come Smoot & Co and II
X. Fields & Co.. who conduct planning
mills extending 10 Lee Street. These
supply building material 10 Washington
and all this section OF Virginia, and at
the same time do a large commercial
business with North Carolina, Maine.
and Nova Scotia. and other lumber
cenJers.
Then begins the steamboat wharves
Of the AleXandria-Wash ferry.
William A. Reardon's agency for Ran
dalls and the Baltimore lines Of steam
ers. and w. c. Wattles' agency for the
Norfolk line. Crossing Prince Street.
manufactures are again resumed The
Emerson Pump Works are putting on
the market a fine pump, which Is des-
uned. IS IS believed. TO work a reVO-
luton In water supply throughout the
arid regions and in the mines OF the
country.
Aitcheson & Bros machine saving
establishment adjoins Capt Herbert
BTyants extensive fertilizer works at
the foot os Duke Street. There, too. W
;. Moore's Sons are carrying on large
Next is the freight depot OF the Bal
umore and Ohio Railroad Company,
which connects by a ferry vita the RAN
way al shepherd and joins rails with
the Southern Railway Company that
connects with all the trunk lines Of the
United States. Barytes Mills and Ag-
news shipyard continue AleXandTia's
Work 70 the south.
Big Chemical Works.
In the very center OF the city at King
and Fairfax Streets, the chemical works
OF +. S. Leadbeaters Sons manufacture
drugs, medicines. perfumes, etc, 10 an
extent fully equal to many OF the large
northern establishments. and supply
most Of the Washington druggists as
well as those of Norfolk. Alexandria,
and other Old Dominion cities.
A Tremendous Trade.
The grocery establishments Of Charles
King & Son. F. s. Harper. Lindsay &
Co, ana j. III. Crilly q Co, do n ire
mendOus business.
All things indicate that Alexandria =
at present exceedingly prosperous In
business and that the promise of the
opening OF the century Is vastly greater
than ever before in the history OF the
ancient city.
In this sketch no mention has been
made OF the immense railroad improve
ments which are expected 10 cost many
millions of dollars, and 10 bring to Aley-
andrla and its neighborhoOd a working
population Of about 1900 people.
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