The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-03
FARMv|L[E TOWN
IN PRINCE EDWARD
Wide Awake Industrial
and EducationalC
and County Seat.
HOME OF SCHOOLS:
M NC H INDUSTRY
Strong Banks, Twentieth Cen.
tury Merchants and Managers
of Industrial Plants-People
Not Satisfied With Work of
Census Takers-Best
Paved Town.
BY FRANK s. woopsos


Vile. the county seat or Prince Ed
ward. ono of the richest OF the South
SIDE counties, is progressive Vir-
GINA town, as well as one OF the old
est OF the upcountry settlements
farmViiie thinks it has grievance
against the takers OF the census OF
1911 and after hearng the state
ments OF some OF Its people. / think so
100 Without going into details or
submitting the evidence the people
nave to offer in the case. l will merely
state the fact that the good folks
here are cocksure that the town has
several hundred more population than
the census Of 1910 credits II with,
The cnumerators claim TO have found
only 1915 people in Farmville, which
gives a gain OF exactly 500 since 1900.
Anybody at all familiar with the town
can readily figure greater Increase
than that IN the matter OF newcomers
attracted here by business induce
ments. to say irth!ng of births in
excess OF deaths 1. ten years. Some
place the present population at $500
and others something less The town
authorities are so sure from the EVIL
dence they have that the census was
not properly taken and that the town
has suffered an injustice they. are
own taken
Uusinesn Town with Big Territory.
Fermville is an old town, and has
always been a tobacco market and a
considerable business centre. IL having
for trade territory all or parts OF
the counties OF Prince Edward. Cum
berland, Buckingham. Appomattox.
Charlotte. Lunenburg, Meckienburg.
Amelia. Powhatan and Nottoway. I
III -
counties, ct least two OF which-Prince
Edward and Cumberland-may be said
TO do pretty much all OF their mar
keting and selling and buying mere.
Like all the old -tine Virginia towns.
Farmv!lle was for long. long time
extremely conservative. was well sat
ished with itself and perfectly willing
to let well enough alone. 1t logged
. along with its large tobacco business.
its Touring mills. Its foundr!es and
shops and its big retail and farm
supply business. not caring very much
to grow in size or to become any
greater In any way. About twenty
years ago Farmville had a great fire,
and IT was a most judiciously distrib-
uted conf,a grafton. 1t wiped out about
all OF the ancient framed tobacco
factories prizeries and warehouses and
n number of other oldtimey business
shacks.
These buildings were replaced with
splendid brick structures. and the
commercial and industrial Phoenix
which arose so beautifully from the
ashes animated and inspired every
body and everything. Since then the
town has been growing and improV-
ing in every way. Granolithic ana
brick sidewalks have taken the place
of mud and narrow two-plank walks.
Bitulithis, granite block and oitumin-
Gus macadam pavements have taken
the place Of mud and mud holes
Electric lights have supplanted kero-
sene lamps. hrst-class water works
have run the ancient wells dry and
stopped the noise of the creaking
town pumps. and they did creak and
rattle considerably in spite of t-.e
vigilance of Councilman Eramberr.
with his hand oil can. a superior
sewerage system came with the water
works.
wen-To-Do Municipality.
The town now owns all of these
utilities. having recently bought the
water works and the sewerage sys
tenn from a company. The sum OF
$4,000 was paid for them. and i'm
provements to the water works and
Extensions OF the sewerage system are
cling made that will cost $1,000
ore when completed. The electric
ant, which an expert has but re-
lily pronounced one of the best OF
size in the South, cost $4,000
sewerage system cost $4,000. the
department buildings cost $4,000
the horses and apparatus arc
at $4,000. In addition to these
,s. the town owns an armory,
with the land II stands upon is
at $500, and an opera house
hces, which brings in good rem
ienue and furnishes a Council
.iidtnDer, etc. for town USE is worth
every bit OF 10000 The town also
owns valuable plot of ground around
the Norfolk and Western passenger
station. which the railway company
is improving and identifying.
1 don't intend for the Industrial
Section TO get into any controversy
either with the local option and State
wide prohibitionists or the anti-pro-
hfbitlonists of whatever views. but as
an industrial news gatherer, ii is my
duty to state the simple and acknowl-
edged fact that Farmvile's liquor dis
pensary has greatly helped the town
to make such mighty improvements
The dispensary does big business
and almost II not altogether nine
tenths of the sales are to out-of- town
folks. and thus 1t happens that thirsty
people in the surrounding country and
IN neighboring dry towns are helping
Farmville to pave the streets and do
other things. OF the net profits from
the dispensary the county gets one
eighth. the district two eighths and
the town hve-eighths. The towns
share OF these net profits the past
fiscal year was si2.500 That sum will
pay the interest on and provide a
sinking fund for goodly pile of
public Improvement bonds.
The county OF Prince Edward owns