The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-02
REAL ESTATE AND
BUILDING NEWS
The Week Before Fair
Was Fairly Activein ]
and About Town.
SALES MADE AND
SOME TO BE MADE
Folks Coming to the Fair Will
Take Time to Examine Rich
nond Dirt as an Investment.
A Glimpse at Some Pri-
vate Correspond
ence.

It Is quite likely that the returns
from the census bureau concerning
greater Rchmond's Increased popula-
tion We're not read with more interest
anywhere than in the, Offices of the
real estate agents. One OF the well
known agencies on Main Street went
80 Tar as TO say that In It's opinion
the publication OF the ngures Knocked
business Into a cooked hat for several
days because SO much time was con-
sumed In discussing them. Maybe
that was merely this man's way Of
explaining his failure to make big
deal that has been several weeks on
the string and has not as yet ma
terialized
Whether the census figures, or not.
made business dull, the fact remains
that comparatively small business was
done by the real estate men last week
That Is to say. the business which re-
suited in real sales was small, the
total deals for the week being a trine
under 100000 in value. but there was
not a little activity in the matter of
exhibition OF lots and properties and
in negotiations that are likely 10 lead
TO future sales Of considerable dimen-
sions
Hopeful Agents Talk.
Not less than twenty-five agencies
report sales consummated and all of
them report fine prospects for future
sales. and. as before stated. the actual
sales footed up something near TO
100000. and the prospective sales to
something very much larger, maybe
two millions or more. 1 the hopeful
minds. All OF the agents are very
hopeful. Hope IS a good thing Take
he rnrSl Tsal1 l1rsn "a
have to blow his horn before sun-up
the next morning, This kind OF hope
may not always nateriallze in sales
and the collections of commissions,
but II keeps the boys in good humor
"a hopeful hnmor anyhow.
This sort OF thing is not to be
laughed at. The real estate agents
have very good reason to be hopeful.
for very few people outside OF their
domain haze any idea OF the large
number OF persons in distant lands
who are looking towards Richmond
and Virginia with an idea Of living
here some sweet day" Many OF the
agents report large number of let
ters from almost every section of the
country, from all manner of people
making inquiries as to farm lands.
fruit and grazing lands. saltwater
farms and suburban homes, who are
attracted TO this goodly country by
the allurement of good and cheap liv-
Ing. pleasant climate. hospitable peo-
pie and unexceptional educational ad-
vantages.
The Thing is Worldwide.
II these inquiries came from one
particular section they might be in.
terpreted as the result OF some special
eHort or local advertisement but the
plain TACT is that these inquiries are
widely distributed and reach from
the frozen fields of Saskatchewan to
the torrid plains OF Mexico and Central
America.
The writer Of these few lines. whose
name Is generally attached to one OF
dustrial Section OF The Times-Dts-
patch. gets letters nearly every day
from distant parts asking for definite
Information concerning Virginia lands
and Virginia town lots. One before
me now Is from Idaho and the writer
OF the same wants to get to country
In which he can raise cattle without
having them freeze to death in the
winter I am horing to land him in
Tazewell or Washington or Pulaski or
Grayson comfy. or some other blue
grass county. Possibly he may be in
duced to become a neighbor OF Henry
Stuart up in Russell county
Agents Get Many Letters.
Nearly every day real estate agents
show me letters OF this character, but
as a general rule they do II In strict
confidence after swearing me to
secrecy. because they seem to be afraid
that the right hand of some other
agent will find out what their left
hand Is bobbing up against.
One agency, however, that is not so
awfully frightened along these lines is
j. Thompson Brown & Co., and they
report the receipt of a large number
of letters Of the character mentioned.
Usually such misslyes come In after
billiards. hurricanes and snowstorms
In the regions not so blessed as vir-
ginia, but this year they are dropping
in considerably In advance Of these
things. From the wording Of some
of the letters OF this kind have seen.
take 1t that not a few of the writer's
of the same will be dropping into
Richmond this week to attend the
State Fair and to get posted on the
lines they are much interested In and
that, by the way, shows what a good
thing a State Fair is,
Some Of the letters Of the kind re-
ferred to are right amusing, but a
serious answer to every one of them
could we'll he. "Come right along; all
s u yOuI N"" w LN0tSAi III olu
Virginia." Mr.. Brown showed big
batch of these letters and commented
as he went along.
"Here is one" said he, from one of
the most eminent chemists in the
West, the read Of one Of the largest
concerns in this country. an over
worked gentleman, who proposed to
take rest fcl year or more. He is
already located here and has returned
tS fa tl,,o
3Is one from another cultured gentle
man, a professor of Greek, who wants
to locate here for rest and recreation
as we'll as educational advantages for
his children.
Another from wealthy banker who
Is looking for sport and wants game
Il ---Ml lContInued on Third PaEe.l