The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-07
OLD FIRM STRONG
FOR ANNEXATION [. n
MIR. Leroy Brown, Real E!, Estate
Agent, Says 1t Is Ncees-
sary.
POINTS TO NoRFoLK's PROOF.
This City Showed That Expan--
sion Was Good Busi-
ness Policy

Eyes; i AM out arid out for annexation
said Mr. Leroy Brown, OF j. Thompson
Brown and Company, one of the largest
established real. estate films In Hlcf,
molxl. Would you throttle your business
BY contraction? r. continued he ycste rdaS'
when ii was suffering for expansions or
would YOU branch, out? After all, II $
simply b. business proposition. and resolves
itself down to three, words, VIII II payiS
.Richmond is growing. She is cr.atniped
aud congested. Il ain ashamed to admit
It, but with all iour boosted wealth and
.nrosperity, weFnre behind Ss0me of t(ohr
Southern cities In growth and progress
sivcness, and II VIC don't look Out, VIII
wake up to find ourselves too far 5Dehlnd
in the race ever to catch UP. II deny tue
alleged Typographical difficulties; great,
er ones than now existed when Richmond
was in its Infancy. Its first expansion
by annexation was by bridges across
creeks and gullies on Main anu other
streets and later on when our present
beautiful Capitol Park section was annex
cd, it ana its surroundings were ono series
of unsightly gullies and ravlnes. Only q
few years back Church Hill Avenue was u
ravine, and gully fifty feet deep. and when
Colonel Cutshaw5 conceived. the Idea OF
filling 1t up and annexing the two mus
some thought 1t the height OF i folilS. s}
Norfolk Proved It.
one softhe best Illustrations Of the Wis VI.
dom Of annexation Is shown BY The .SH :.
required them some years ago TO l axe
IN what was then knowngns .BramDieeton,
that is now known as the Firth Ward .l:
At that time 1t was largely built up, bur
not having any funds with which to intro
duce water, sewerage and pave streets
their progress was slow. ~ IS me see.ioil
Inhabited by people Of moderate means cans
there. being very few fine houses therein e
| am Informed It's assessed value at mat
time was about $4,000, according to- the
estimate of the County Court OF Norfoik.
In 1904 1t was assessed at a little over
$4,000 900.
Known as Atlantic City. now called Client
was annexed AT that time there were no
proper, where there was some develop.
men around the factories. The first effect
of the annexation Of that ward was the
investment Of s1,o0,0oo Of Philadelp iia
finest residential sections to be seen In
the state. ana the assessed value in
100! was s4.674,00. tits, paved almost en-
with water. Lots which sold at 8atnnt
time for about $500 to- $780, now command
from 1880 to $1,000. So rapid has been
the building in this ward mat but little
OF the territory developed by the Phila-
l=lelphia capitalists is now left ulioccpied
and none aof it1unsod, and Developments
have gone beyond that point Nl,rious
| other companies have takenAup FARM lands
| inside the ward and improved them by
concrete paving, wa tier and sewerage. and
they are now also being rapidly built UP.
Two years ago the Seventh War. was
taken III, the assessed value OF which at
that time was not over $500, 900. 1t is now
consderably overga million. j had been
partially built up, but to-day there are
! not less than four times as many houses
| built since the Introduction Of water and
sewerage, and the Improvement Of the
| strcetwaysNt han there %tis at the time
| 1t was annexed. 81,
OF this city for this scheme offannexation
to faid. and its opponents should weigh
we'll the question before assuming that
| grave SpOnsiblity. .tS5 rs IA