The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-20
equipped shoe factory in the entire
strictly up.to-Date.

Strictly Up-to-Date.
This factory was built and equipped
along the most modern and eccentric
lines. and attracted wide attention and
favorable comment throughout the
country. particularly in the older shoe
and believed that 1t would not be a
| success In competition with the Older
| factories OF the East and West. The
i reverse, however, was the case, as the
reliability and attractiveness OF the
4 shoes made here met with favor and a
4 ready sale, and the business increased
Il from year to year.
The year following the Georgia D.
Witt Shoe Company erected its modern
Ninth Street factory, which has been
1 operate constantly since in n most
successful way.
Encouraged by the success OF these
| two factories. there were three other
large buildings erected, and. profiting
by the experience OF the past they
were made more complete and up-to-
date. They were completed during
1906 ono each by the Craddock- Terry.
Company, George D. Witt Shoe Com
pany and Smith Briscoe Shoe Com
pany. This gives Lynchburg five shoe
factories, employing 1000 or more.
hands and constituting leading In,
dustry Of this active. hustling South
ern city.
Comparative Figures.
1t Is believed here that the six
wholesale shoe houses Of Lynchburg
will distribute this year $s,o00,000
worth. or more OF shoes. one-half Of
which will be manufactured here.
When it is rem embered that ac-
cording to the census report Of 1900,
the entire South only manufactured
s3,000.000 of shoes and the larger
part Of these were made in prison
shops, in some cases leased and oper-t
ated by New England manufacturers,
strides have been made in the shoe
manufacturing business in Lynchburgs
since. 1901, No other Southern city,
and only few cities throughout the
United States to-day manufacture.
more shoes than Lynchburg, and II.
one can Judge the future by, the past,
what has been accomplished in this
direction is only an indication OF the
great expansion which may be ex-s
.pected Of the shoe manufacturing In
terest OF L4ynchhurg and of Virginia.
Figures That Talk.
The rapid growth Of the shoe busi-
ness is best told in cold figures. cov-
erng the past twenty years.
In 1883 the total shoe business OF
this town amounted to 100000. Ten
years later in 1897. this business had
grown to s2.500,o00. while last year the
volume reached so,ooo,Oo0. What
other community. North, South, East
or West. can show such striking de-
velopment in any one line of manu-
featuring, and, that new and difficult
ono to the section?
Few, even of those actively connect-
ed with the shoe industry of the coun-
try, fully realize and appreciate Vir-
| ginias important position in this
| great industry. Through the channels
| Of the wholesale houses of the SOW
eral Virginia cities there were dis
tributed in 1908, 34o,354 gases Of New
England made shoes, In addition to
large quantities made within the con-
| fines Of the State. which, according to
"Thc Shoe and Leather Recorder" the
recognized statistical paper OF the
! trade, puts Virginia third among the
i States Of the Union in Importance In
the shoe business, excepting only New
tYork and Illinois In the order named
and putting Virginia ahead In shoe
| distribution through the East OF the
great commercial cities of Missouri
Pennsylvania Ohio, etc,
To Sum Up.
When one comes to consider In con.
nection with this remarkable state
ment, the fact that Lynchburg is to
day manufacturing moro shoes tina,
all the rest OF the South combined
some idea OF the magnificent develop
ment In this progressive Virginia cit,
can be gained.
All OF the shoe factories in Lynch
burg, as will be shown, arc models o
construction, equipment and con
yenicnce, but IT Is likely that the nes
factory OF the Craddock-Terry Com
| pany, known as the West End Fac
tory" can carry otf the palm as no
only the best equipped general sho
l factory, but in many respects tina hes
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