The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-26
ABOUT DANvILLE
AND ITS GROWTH
What a Deca de Has.
Done for the City
on the Dan.
% ON P A RISO N OF
FACTS AND FIGURES
No More Standing on One Leg.
Variety of Manufacturing In
terest Makes Up the Big
Business Whirl-Ircreases
in All Business
Lines.
BY FRANK $. wooDsoN.
Industrial Editor.

Industrial Editor.
William a. Norman. the secretary
Of the Commercial Association Of Dan
vile, has prepared and is sending ont
most interesting little folder. which,
gives in condensed form a vast deaf 43
or information about the growth or
that city In the last ten years. ana
shows the diversity of Industrial de.
vclopment there. I35
Danville has not always rcjoiced In
diversified manufacturing interests. be-
cause Tor many years it was town
mat commercially and industriallvf
STOOD upon one leg. and one only andi&
that was the tobacco interest ~#
II mas always been good tobacco
to"n' ana is to-day the largest bright
topacco market In the world, a dsttnc-
ton 1t has enjoyed ever since the war
may seem to the wideawakc mon who
are now enga ged in other nanufnc-
turing lines in Danville the time yas.
and not more than quarter or q CEN
.ur5 ago, When the business men there
opposed In a way attempts to establish,
III DanNille any new enterprjses that
might be IN any way disconnected with
tobacco. The claim was set up tina + &
cotton manufacturing interest or am
iron industry or a big woodworking
enterprise or any other extensive IN
uustrlal effort would be but to weaken
the tobacco industry. hurt the market Fl
ana cause leaking at the spigot
larger than any possible inflow 1T the
bung. -,
How the Change Came.
Because Of this sentiment a nag
nihcent and valuable water power wa
allowed to go to waste for many long.
ears being utilized only to turn tho
"hcels that ran a plowpolnt foundry
ana little oEe-horse corn grinding
| mil, Two small affairs that sat meek
1 fhn h,,, L. 40 y.
are" enough water from Dan River
1 20 Keep two wheeling overshot wheels
going at least during rainy seasons,
ny and by. and after much wranS-M
mig and suing and cross suing In itha
courts. the water power and ripa-
Ia, .ah rlshts were brought on the mar
k fet. Live men with capital became
me purchasers and the power was de-
Veioped. The cotton mills were built
| ana successfully operated woodwork
ms establishments came along, -four
ing 'nllls were erected md put IN oper-
SION, shlrt and overall factories were
established hosiery mills and furniture
| factories came also electric 5,,ebtII#
ihs pant was esta blished by the city
ana another electric plant for trolley
l car purposes was put in by the street
| car company, the foundry and iro,
Mofhihs plant was enlarged. and from
/ II grew an elevator ma king establish 4
ment. nts'i +
| more Power and More Rusincn..
90 last did these good things come
| along more power was required and
The cotton mill people went higher up
me Dan River and developed another
| anu greater power, and a mile above
the city built another immense cot
ton mill around which has grown an
attractive town that is to all intents
ana purposes part Of the city. And
az through this twentieth century de-
velopment and growth. the tobacco In
terest has never suffered, but has
prospered and the trade has enlarged
and Hpread out until bright leaf tobac-
co. that is marketed in Danville from
all parts OF the bright tobacco belt, is
shipped to every tobacco consuming
country in the wide. wide world No
body can be found in Danvilie now
who Will argue that the inaugura-
ton OF new kind OF Industry can
hava the one effect OF Gripping or
/ distinguishing an old established one
Of another kind and 1t is strange tha.
| anybody anywhere ever did advance
such silly proposition But let's come
to those reliable figures, and they are
reliable, for Secretary Norman com
piled them from United States gov
/ arnment records from municipal data
from the books of the court clerks
and from the associations records
AS to the Census.
| The population OF Danville in 1900
was 1880 and the census taken last
year showed it to be lo,02o This was
an Increase In ton years OF only $500
or Is per cent hut the figures are q
trifle misleading for several reasons
The town of Scheduled. which grew
lup around the new cotton mill, caught
Rll or the mill operatives who came to
Danvillc to work. They are really
i Danvilc citizens and they number at
1 least $500, possibly $500. Then. too.
panville has not in ten years taken
! in any o. its suburbs, and the same
having been greatly improved and sup
piled hy the city with lights. gas and
i water. many people lave moved from
within the narrow city limits to these
suburbs. but continue to be to all in
tents and purposes citizens of the city,
as they do business there attend
church there, and go TO school theEc.
Fl and buy all OF their goods there.
4 Practically then panvilie Is city OF
4 nearly or quite $4,000 inhabitants.
Comparative Business Figures.
Banking capital and surplus funds
Increased in the decade from se636fo
to $500 az, increase OF Sc per cent
and the deposits went up from s!,47S.-1
!. 1853 to $2.S0S,113, an increase OF 30 per
]. cent Bank loans crept UP from 33.-
O50.977 to S3,44S.035. or 81 per cent.
The assessed valuations OF the city.
grew In ten years from sl0,0i+.273 to-
I sll.o27,o2s. an increase OF 40 per cent
and OF course this does not Include the
. mig mills erected just outside OF the
Z city rs above shown. is
The capital invested In manufacture
ing plants Increased IS per cent or
from s6.on0,0oo in 1900. TO sll,SS0,s50a