The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-12-23
F Inc RECORD Of
SMYTH COUNTY
Nhiic Not One of Richest. This
County Has Made Rapid
Strides.
THE SCHOOLS AND ROADS
Both Have Received Intelligent
Consideration and Both
Have Improved.
LsneeLa. 70 Ihe rimss-p.apa.en.l

MARION. VA. December 2-Whio
Smyth county ranks at a considerable
distance from the TOP I'M the matter oe
material wealth. among the counties OF
the state, Treasurer Wright has made
an unusually good record in the col
lection OF taxes during the time OF his
service. and especially during thu present
yeag. i'm proportion to the amount OF
taxes assessed. o. To the first day oe
December OF this year. at which time
tuc five per cent. penalty IS added out
OF total OF $50 2I3.76. the treasurer had
+ collected S43.oSS.ss. leaving a balance OF
Sll2i~. subject to the penalty for nom
. payment before the time specified. Judg>
+ ing by collections OF former years. about
S5oo0Oo of this balance will be collected.
This Is excellent showing. taking in
consideration the fact that a large part
Of 'the amount uncoilected is made up
OF delinquent capitauon taxes. This viii
give To the county a total revenue. from
realty and personal taxes amounting to-
about SfS.o0o.00. of which about S12oOeds
goes To the State.
The total assessed value OF all property
( I'm Smyth county is S3.G07, PSI. 50. Of which
g.. 2.3 800 IL real estate. and 81. 3sl Go %
is personal property. The county Is
naturally divided by mountain ranges into
three valleys. which form the three dis
tricts OF the taxes collected up to tina
first OF December OF this year. St Clair
District, on the south. contributes
s.. 76f:S; Marion District. In the central
valley. contributes S2i, 7Ol35. and Rich
Valley. on the north. contributes Si3.-
ayi.2.i- Tho county has q total area OF
3i5.425 acres. with an average assessed
value OF Sf.s7 per acre. While this valua-
ton seems remarkably low. the fact must
hc taken into consideration that perhaps
two-thirds of the county is mountainous.
and for the most part untillable. A con-
siderable portion OF the mountain section.
however. is well timbcrcd and has in
creased largely in value since the be-
ginning OF the development OF the lum-
/ Der interests In this section.
Value of Land.
| or the total acreage OF the county.
Marion District has 10. 4S2 acres. with an
AVERAGE assessed value OF S4G6 per acre:
Rich Valley has i0Se95 acres. with an
average assessed value of S6.54 per acre.
and St. clair has 002 acres. with rn
average assessed value OF &.43. Much
of the mountain land OF the three dis
tricts is valued as low fifty cents per
acre. and some OF 1t is commercially
/ worth no more than this The farming
/ land ranges from $500 to 5000 per acre.
J The average valuation OF the farms in
! Rich VALLEY and Marion Districts is per
/ hNns between $500 and $1,000 per acre.
and i'm 81. Clair considerably lower And
! right here appears the travesty on Justice
which exists On land assessments. not
only I'M tine State as whole. but In the
different districts OF the same county, and
TO "a more limited extent in the individual
/ holdings I'm ghe same district. Rich VAL
/ ley. with its nearly twelve square miles.
/ and much or its soil Of the finest blue
grass variety. by Tar the richest sec
tion OF Smyth county, from an agricul-
tUral and stOck-raislng standpoint paws
propOrtionately no more. 81 as much land.
taxes. as the other districts of the coun-
o.. And In considering she assessment OF
lands i'm this district IL must De remem-
bercd that the average is greatly in
creased by the large holdings OF tho
Mathieson Alkau Works at Saltville.
much OF whose real estate. exclusive oc
buildings. is assessed at about 81 1000
d per acre.
Industrial Activities.
in the matter OF Industrial activities
during the last decade. the progress 90
Smyth county has been remarkable. in
line with the awakening an over the
state The approximate total actual vaius
! of manufacturing plants and enterprises
is easily hfteen million dollars. Here
again. however. the assessed valuation IS
3 not nearly onc-siNth OF this amount
while the assessed valuation OF farming
! lands and personal property is nearly. if
I not quite. one-third OF actual values. OF
/ the fifteen million dollars estimated. per-
/ haps nearly ore-half Is embraced en- tho
/ .aree enterprise of tac Natheson Alkau
/ WORKS Ht Saitviile. the commercial opera
/ uou OF whose property has always been
perhaps the chief industrial activity az
This section. Lumber and mining interests
also are growing rapidly. the Increase in
values n these mines being especially
noticeable.
Railroad property has improved in line
with growth in other directions the as
sessed valuation ot such property ia
smyth county being as follows. Norfols
and Western. with Twenty-Five miles %
main track and nf