Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-20
pride OF THE SOUTH
Atlanta Most Progressive and
Up-to-Date City.
BUILDINGS EQUAL TO ANY
Wholesale Business Gradually Re.
covering From Depression.
COTTON AWAITING A MARKET
Most of : the Mills Working Two
Thirds Time-Finest Corn
Grown in the State.
BY WILLIAM z. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM z. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
-. ATLANTA. April II. 1905
If Macaulay's New Zealander should
drop off train in Atlanta he would find
the most progressive. up-to-date city. in
the south, and striking contrast to
Charleston. Savannah. Augusta and
other old-fashioned places of more con-
seryative disposition. Atlanta has the
most beautiful railway station south of
Washington. and one of the finest and
most convenient in the world. 1t is not
only an admirable example Of architec-
ture. but its arrangements for handling
passengers and baggage are beyond criti-
cisn. The design is Moorish. and the
material is cream-colored brick. There
are other and many new and handsome
buildings equal to the best in New York
or Chicago. No city has finer business
houses. The same may be said Of the
residence district. which is filled with
attractive, and. in many cases. costly
homes.
some of the figures which have been
given to me by Mr.. F. NJ. Hafer. the
assistant commissioner of immigrat on:
Population with suburbs. about 10000
Banking capital, $2EUO,Uu
Bank deposits more than sD.0OOW
Bank clearings for last year. $214.OOO,O 600
Wholesale trade. 1OO,0OOOOO.
Retail trade, S25.OOO.O0O
Two hundred and twenty-five manufac-
turing esta blishruents turning out $50
nually. and employing 10000 hands, with
a payroll Of $7.O0o.00O annually.
Wholesale Business Falls OF.
Has there been any falling off in the
wholesale business Of Atlanta and other
Georgia cities since the panic?' l asked
Mr.. Hafer.
Yes he replied. Estimates by COON
sentative men place the falling off in bust
ness between 20 and 35 per cent. ill,s
slump. If it may be so termed was not
noticeable until after the holiday trade.
Georgia made good cotton crop, and the
farmers who marketed their cotton early
got the benefit Of good prices and set
tied their debts promptly In most cases.
which enabled our people to continue their
purchasing in the market up to and in
Guiding the holidays The holiday trade
generally throughout the entire state
was good, and in many lines exceeded the
trade of 1906
Have the wholesale dealers called in
their drummers, and to what extent?"
1T is estimated that about one-third of
the travelling statesmen out of Atlanta
were either laid off or held back from
spring trips. There Is no way in which
we can get at these facts exactly, and
can only form an opinion based upon what
We hear and know in regard to the stu
alton. The Wholesale houses advise me
that there is no trouble whatever now in
securing the services of experienced tray
cling men-men who have been on the
road for years. and from the numbers of
applicants for positions they estimate
that about one-third of the drummers
have been laid off, The wholesale trade
of Atlanta amounts to about 500, QUO
per annum, and covers the entire south
east, from Virginia to Mississippi and
Louisiana. In some lines--patent medi-
cine. for instance-it is International At
lanta sends out about I 200 to 1,5OO trav-
cling men; about 'one-third of them have
been laid OF or have had their spring
trips delayed. The statesmen who went
out early, as well as those whose trips
were delayed. report business as decidedly
poor