The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-25
STAY At old HOME
IS THE new SLOGAN
Virginia Boys Need Not Go
West or Anywhere Else
Just Now.
ny FRANK s. wooDsoN.

Two or three months ago 1 wrote
from Suffolk, the city of Suffolk, II
you please. because 1 wrote Just q few
days after the former town had been
made city by law. and II 1 remem-
Der Alright, 1 spoke of the population
OF Virginia's youngest city somewhat
after this fashion,: Suffolk people did
not want their good ola town to be
called city. as they preferred to re-
main part of Nansemond county, but
there Is a law on the statute books
which says that when a Virginia town |
gets by the 5000 mark as to popula-
ton 1t must be city, This town ran
by that mark two years and more ago, /
but the folks preferred to go slow
and 1t was only on the first day of this
month tOctober) that the town of Suf /
folk was formally and legally declared
to be Virginia's twentieth city, the
population having been found to be in
the neighhorhood of 1000 within the
contracted corporate limits and some
thing like 5000 Just beyond the mar
row limits. these latter being to all
intents and purposes citizens OF the
city,
then went on to say that the fig
ures of the United States census
takers, who performed vigorously there
in the spring had not been made pub
very much from my calculations; cal
culations that 1 made after careful
conference with Secretary Fitzgerald,
of the Suffolk Board of Trade.
Omcial Figures That Are Good.
And now come the official figures
from the Census Bureau at Washing
ton, and they are placed at zoos, just
eight more than Secretary Fitzgerald
and put them down at two months or
Haf1 Il bot ,{,r.
at 1t pretty close. And, by the way
these official figures show that the
city of suffolk has grown In TN years
lust SO per cent. Is there another city
in Virginia that can show such per-
centage? And then that growth is OF
| the substantial kind But I have so
recently talked OF Suffolk will leave
1t off now, that is, for the present.
These census reports that are COM
| ing In by slow degrees ought to at
| tract the attention of all Virginians.
| For instance, Hampton grew in de-
/! cade from $500 to $500, just using
| round numbers and then there is South
| Boston, one of the finest towns in the
| State, that jumped from about 1900
| to nearly 1000. or to be exact, to
| 3,s27.
| have not heard from Emporia yet;
/ but Just keep your eye on Emporla
am thinking that is the next Virginia
| town TO bud into a city l don't know
/ yet just how many people live in that
elongated town, but do know that
| the water power and the electric pow
! err recently developed in Meherrin
River there and the new industries
| that are coming in are adding largely
TO the population, and, as + said be-
fore. l am looking for Emporia to be
the next town to pass the 5000 mark
and become a Virginia city by law
Emporla needs some things before 1t
puts on city airs. but mighty few
things, and those that are needed will
be quickly supplied by It's wide-awake
people. 4 taxicab line or street
railway line to carry folks from the
north side to the south side and vice
versa, is one of the needed things.
And maybe another hotel would not
really hurt the town.
Some Other Good Towns.
And then 7 am told that the census
returns are going to show some very
fine things for Buena Vista. That
town has in times past had something
Of black eye, but its vigorous folks
know as well as any folks in the
world how to cure up black eve
and tTIay have used all of the neces-
sary salve Now the little city is on
something of BOOM quiet, sensible
kind of boom, not the absurd kind
of one In the which 1t was born. but
one that means real, substantial prog
4 ress.
II And then again there is the good
| Iittle town of Wayerly, the metropolis
of Sussex county OF course, / do not
know what the census-takers have
placed the population at, but I dc
know that what it will lack in guam
| ttty It abundantly makes up in quality
doubt If there is town in the State
| that has better business contingent
!, behind V than this same little towr
/, of Waverly Should not wonder il
: Waverly becomes city under the
yirglnia law BY the time the neS'
census is taken
! Burkevile dear old Burkeville, ia
: nous for fried chicken and many othei
good things, Burkeville has many in
Z dustries Of one kind and another, ant
!, It's population has increased wonder
: fully In the last ten wears. Some daS
\, II Is going to be a city, too, and TIN
: fellow who gets in on the ground moo,
n EnoW will some time or another loon
J. IN aus il bis man in that town.
i, In the snule county, that is To say
r Nottoway from which the prcsen
ECovernor Of Virginia haiis, there ar,
Eson,n other good towns; Blackstone
III and Crewe, for instance, These town
z are grawing axe a spring tlower AM
= growing on twentieth century indus
q tries, Industries that emploS man.
/. mon, Some day, maybe within tn
neXt tan wears, they will likely b
!. L titles within the meaning Of the Viz
q sinia LAM
Il All of these towns, and 4 could nam
] many others, are GROWING hecaus
+ they are hacked up by splendid agri
4 cultural sections, corn-growing an