The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-11-17
SALISBURY DRY
BUT PROSPEROUS
EDITOR OF PAPER IN HUsTLlNG
MARYLAND CITY GIVES IN
TEREsTINs FACTS.
BUSINESS INCR Z A S E D
FROM &J.O<0,00O As WET CITY
TO ain.0OO.0OO FOR PRESENT
yEAR-OTHER STA
TIsTICS.
Hy GRAHAM LAMBETH.

SALlSBI Rf, MD. Nov. 1e.-Sal-
isbury, the seat of the conference, Is
the leading town OF the Eastern Shore
OF Virginia and Maryland. Its geo
graphical situation ia unexceled. TWO
railroads and the Wicomico river,
emptying into the Chesapeake Bay,
about thirty miles away. furnish
splendid transportation facilities In
every direction. The trunk line OF
the Pennsylvania system gives the
town unusual advantages in quick
and easy access. North and South.
1t has population Of $3.50, hay
Ing gained 56 per cent. In the last ten
years. Five banks. with resources of
over million dollars. and two build
ing and loan associations, with "A cap
ltai Of 100000 furnish excellent and
adequate financial facilities. Its prin-
cotpal Industries are lumber plants
and fertilizer factories, but five whole
sale establishments and large ice and
fuel concerns supply large trade
through the surrounding country.
Salisbury has fifteen miles OF paved
all the great public utilities and con-
veniences. 1t Is a progressive city.
filled with an aggressive population,
and promises In the next decade to
eclipse the remarkable growth and
| development OF the past.
| Dry Salisbury.
| For six or eight years Salisbury
has been dry. and the editor of its
Leading paper, the Wico.nico News,
In authority for the statement that
| the system has been eminently sue
| cessful, Since the town went dry no
| effort has been made TO >ute hack the
/ saloons and local option is so salts
factory to the community that none
| viii be made.
| The editor OF the News most cour-
teously granted an interview to the
! representative Of The Nirginian, In
! which he gave many facts OF great
| value in demonstrating the practical
benefits OF prohibition to the com
/ munty.
! Twelve years ago there were thir.
! teen saloons SERVING II population OF
1900. By high license and rigid re-
| strictions these were reduced TO four
| aggregated in one section, when the
citizens voted them out six or eigh,
yeas ago.
At tho time OF the local option
campaign liquor was sold in all the
neighboring towns and dire predic
tons of disaster were made SHOULD
Salisbury go dry. The town woult
cease TO grow, business would h,
paralyzed, rival towns would forg,
ahead. ano all the usual argument
of the liquor men were loudly de
claimed
But to the facts; In the six year
of local option Salisbury has grown
by leaps and bounds from 5000 tt
nearly 1000. When the town wa
wet the annual business amounted t,
something like 100000. now It Il
! about SIS, geo. 600. Real estate value
have increased 200 per cent. and II
some cases much more Property O,
Main street. the business street OF tn,
city. which sold for 500 a foot 4
now bringing $500. Taxes have beef
, decreased, retail merchants testiY,
that trade and collections have bee,
benefited, and it's twelve churches an,
ten public schools testify to the In
terest of the community In religion
, and education.
OF course the law il violated, VIVA
laws are not But the offenseS ar
confined almost exclusively to the ne
gro population, and conditions In gen
erai have SO greatly improved tina
the editor of the News says that Sal
/, isbury is dry TO stay