The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1911-02-17
Star Of Empire.

The heading Of this article had lust
been written when Western Union
messenger handed US d message from
M. Dana Durand, Commissioner 81 the
Census Bureau, that the town popuIa-
ton Of Union City ID 1910 was 1889.
II was right in line with the work we
had just started.
This is a gain Of 9s2 persons in ten
years, Or about twenty-nino per cent.
In the opinion Of the writer this gain
has been made practically in seven
years. From 1890 to 1900 the census
figures show that Union City had lost q
little in population. The last OF the
furniture manufactures, which was the
principal and practically the only in
dustry here for many years, began to
decline late in the nineties and it was
probably about the years 1902 Or 1908
that we reached the lowest mark Of that
period. We are basing this statement
upon actual conditions. The same BUSH
ness houses which sold for 81, 400 up to
$4,000, with but little demand, are a.
ready sale to-day for $3, 500 up to SIS, 600,
and we have new building which can
not be bought for 500, 900. Property
all over the city has increased in price.
The low prices above did not prevail
during the furniture factory period,
therefore Il was upon the decline Of that
industry, and the bottom of the decline
reached US about the year 1908 The
owners Of this paper started in business
here IN 1901 just ten years ago. There
was still some furniture made when we
came here. There was also d chair fac
tory. In 1908 VIC saw the last Of it, and
for time il seemed that we would |
never have any more Of the manufac-
turing spirit, but few years ago the
Commercial Club began to wake Up
and started the cannery, the cotton gin
and the grain people began to enlarge
their milling plants. Mills and ele-
vators were built until to-day We have
the largest grain center ID West Ten
nessc@ In the meantime. the schools
OF Union City were growing in stand
ing, in numerical strength and popu-
larity They have grown to be second
to no preparatory schools in the State.
A little incident Just recently is an ex-
ample Of Union City school standards,
when former pupil won in spelling
contest between the schools of two Hi
nois counties, one Of which has for its
metropolis the city Of Cairo.
In many respects Union City has
grown and spread In the past three
or four years many new and handsome
homes have been built in Union City.
Our streets have been improved and TO-
day Sullivan q Long, Of Birmingham,
Ala, are plowing through the city with Ii
a big steam trencher and putting il the /
pipes and proper apparatus for a gen /
eral sewerage system. Among the new 3
residents are some Of the most substau-
tial people Of the country ranging num-
bers Of miles from Union City. Many {
Of the wealthy farmers have moved q
here as well as other citizens. The I
many new homes are occupied and not =
. house 70 rent except when family is
ready to move. We are needing more
new houses, and pow is the time for
monied men 70 buy and build. BY
actual count made By the insurance
companies last year Union City had 10 i
houses more than Dyersburg, the town !,
next in size
Union City's shipments amount to an
approximate Of $4,000 full cars yearly. S
The actual count three years ago was r
1000 cars
With the impetus already gained the
prospects Of the future are even far r
brighter aud better The manufacture h
ng spirit, which was considered dead
etter for some time, is revived. This
evival came about in small and tedi- :
JUS manner, but with the few small in
Iustries II operation, q recent enterprise to