The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-12

Richmond's Resources.


shat for,y-onc years ago F'chh'ohu IS
confederation which DESTROYED '"o
,,rca tor, mart OF the business district "
Il sunday night, April 8, 1865, l1chmond was
evacuated by the Confederate government
nnd soon thereafter the CITY was =.
f,omes All that portion OF the CITY eur
!, :, ,c,ed in the district bounded by Twenty
x second Street on the east, James wv"
m the south, Fifth Street on the "es'
and midway between Grace and Uranium
Streets on the north was In great part
destroyed.
In 1864 the assessed value Of real cs-
sate in Richmond was s2l,7l7S24: IN 1853
II +be assessment was reduced to sl9,344,oos'
4 rut even this reduction Of two and halt
4 millions Of dollars did not begin TO re-
present the loss to the city In values.
When Richmond began to rebuild the
,.Kole (south was devastated and Virginia
Il MasI In a worse condition than any South
4 ern state because during the long ana
u disastrous war her territory was the bat
4 tie ground. The property loss TO Rlch-
,nond was enormous and there was no
rich country surrounding from which TO
draw trade and supplies. But far greater
4 than all this was the loss which Rich
M nnond had sustained In the large number
III Of her progressive men slain IN battle.
n rhe prospect was indeed gloomy and tho
Il tn1poverishment Of the city is best UNI
R 1ers TODD when It is stated that the entire
II personal property assessment for tho
u scar 1865 was only s2,ls3,l9
VI We make these statements not for the
N sake Of resurrecting the past, but for
&; the purpose Of comparison and contrast
" To-day the assessment of real estate Is
n ss2,le4, 54l, and since 1865 the city has
N added very little new territory. 1t IS
NJ also 10 be remembered that money was
III much inflated in 1868, and we think it
safe to say that during the past forty
VIII years real estate values In Richmond
s have enhanced at least four fold. But
ss that does not begin to represent the In
4 crease In the wealth of citizens of Rich
1nond From the ptlful sum of SlS,l92
1S& in 1865, the assess mcnt Of personal prop
erty had Increased in 1906 to ss7n2,517
4 II plete but it will show something like
NV s+oO0O,CUO in Rchmonds favor. There are
several citizens of Richmond, each of
y whom now owns as much personal prop
] crty as the entire cirs5 assessment In 1865.
e The report OF the United States govern
4 ,nent shows that Richmond is now fifth
i: among the cities of the Union In per
I S,capita wealth.
S8i We have in Richmond two citizens
\ worth from $4,000 to sloo0,00.
Y -Four citizens worth from 100000 to
NJ S5.co0GO0. = !:
Five citzens;'woith from 100000 TO
VI $2.cpo0oo.
Six citizens worth from $4,000 to ST.
W 10000.
b Fifteen citizens worth from $4,000 TO
S6 $4,000.
Forty citizens worth from $4,000 to
III $4,000.
Seventy citizens worth from $4,000 to
mn 10000.
isl The men who are Included in this list
are, with very few EXCEPTIONS Southern
Il men. and have made their money in
12ichmond since the war. When 1t IS
f@ considered that our entire property as
n easement In 1866 was less than $50 600
Il The exhibit seems to US to be pretty
4 good,
H In 1865 the city Of Richmond as a mu-
vi nicipality had one little reservoir, a
dilapidated gas plant, an old barn OF a
E-rtuilding for city hall. a few insignir-
II c&nt schools buildings, no sewerage sys,
& tenn to speak of and a few streets paved
with cobble stones; to-day We have q
tg8clty hall which cost a mil!oa and n hal!
tsSdollars. water works and mains yaiuct
Hat three and half million dollars. gas
Urn works and mains valued at three mil
n lions, a sewerage system valued ut S,l9b.
Il 900, parks and small squares valued &
$4,000. public school buildings and equip
u ment valued al *5799S, and other prop
III erty. making an aggregate of near
AZ sl2 5000 and with tho sinking fund a.
jBaggregate OF moro than 100000 Tn
"a excess OF municipal assets over tho en-
Tx VI tire bonded debt OF the city Is about fiv
sEs& and half million dollars. In addtlo
EN- TO all this the streets OF Richmond az
y as well paved, perhaps, as those of an
fSp,s city Of the size of Richmond In II
Union,
We could prolong these comparisons i
al definitely, hut our purpose Is already A
Il 6complished, We desire 10 show In
lAS Richmond Is able TO have clean streets, I
best sanitary arrangements, public
s4f bTary. an agricultural fair and all 9th
MI u luauries she may fancy, we are not
t1lced to the alternative Of one or t
4; VI AZ her; we may have all.
8s3543E .siet ---------:-
Immigration for the South.