The Washington herald., 1912-06-21
The Home of Many and Varied Manufacture
ing, Industrial, and JObbing Enterprises.
Possessing Perfect Facilities for EcOnom-
icaI Transportation, Roanoke Is City of
Importance The Climate Is Delightful

tory, a candy factory. several cigar fac
tories. as well as numerous smaller in
dustries.
Roanoke is recognized as an important
distributing point for all classes Of mer-
'chandise.
The retail stores Of Roanoke carry as
full and attractive lines Of merchandise
as are to be found in any city Of the size
in the country.
They are lighted in nearly every in
| stance with electricity, and are fitted up
with all modern furnishings and con-
veniences.
There are published in Roanoke three
daily newspapers-the Roanoke Times,
| the Evening World, and the Evening
News, which rank among the foremost
| journals OF the country.
| Within the corporate limits OF Roanoke
are twenty-seven churches for the &C
ccmmodation of the white population and
ten churches for the colored people.
| The school facilities and general edu-
cational advantages afforded by city
are always matters OF prime consideTa-
ton to parents who contemplate removal
| to a new community, as these advantages
are an almost infallible index to the So
| cial and material progress of a city.
! Well provided with schools herself,
Roanoke is within easy reach Of nsti-
] tutiOns of higher learning, which offer
| the finest opportunities to secure q lib-
ersl education
Roanoke is fortunate in possessing sew
eral large tracts Of land owned by the city
and utilized as public parks.
| Elmwood Park, which is centrally To-
Gated, was purchased by the city in the
spring Of 1911, for the sum OF Sl5OOOO. It's
grounds are spacious, and 1t is convenient
| ly situated, being easily accessible from
all parts Of the city, the street car line
passing by its Jefferson Street frontage.
Highland Park comprises over forty
acres and is located in the Southwestern
part Of the city, on the bank OF the
Roanoke River.
Melrose Park, located in the northwest
ern part Of the city. is of smaller dimen-
sions, but is an ideal place for recreation.
Besides these three public parks there
is Mountain Park. owned by the company
operating the street railway line, and
| there is also a pleasure resort on the top
Of Mil Mountain, reached by an incline
railway.
These various resorts, with their acces-
sories for recreation and amusement, fur
nish Roanoke's population ample oppor-
tunity for out-of-doors recreation.
The advantages offered by Roanoke in
the way Of hotel facilities are exceptional
The hotels Of the city are commodious
and well kept and are able to take care
.
State conventions OF various kinds are
frequently held in Roanoke on account of
the excellent hotel facilities Few cities
of the size are so wen supplied with ho-
tells equipped with all modern furnishings
and conveniences, and able TO handle the
volume of business that can be taken
care Of by the hotels Of Roanoke
No better evidence of the steady and
continued growth of Roanoke can be
found than an examination OF the books
Of the Commissioner Of the Revenue,
which shows the increase of the assessed
valuation of real and personal property,
including fduciary, bank, and corpora
ton taxable values from the time the
city changed its name from Big Lick
to Roanoke
In 1901: SIl,64O.O5O.
In 1911. 81. 90. .312
Increase in past ten years. so 564, ,262
Permits issued for buildings for the
past twelve years show that new build
ings have been erected and repairs to old
ones to the number of 6.O29 at a total
estimated cost OF IS, ,443, ,9345O
In ten years the post-ofice receipts in
creased nearly 200 per cent
The total bonded Indebtedness is 81
$4,000, and there is in the sinking fund
to the credit Of the bond account the
sum OF S135,OOO. On January l. 1911, the
value of public buildings, lands, and
parks was SSS3, 3,sl-5l. Of which the public
school buildings represent $40. .943. >. In
Cluding the items OF public buildings and
new parks the value Of lands buildings.
and parks has reached the sum Of 81
2Oc,OOc
The tax rate which obtains is Sl6O on
each 800 Of assessed property valuation,
based on a fair, conservative estimate of
values, and is divided as follows: City
tax. 81; school tax, . cents: State tax.
S5 cents. Total, S1.6O. which is the lowest
tax rate OF any city Of like size in Vir-
ginia. The average rate OF interest on
outstanding bonds is about "a per cent
Roanoke has never defaulted on payment
of interest on her bonded indebtedne IS.
Through the courtesy Of Messrs. George
S. Jack and E. B. Jacobs. publishers Of
the History Of Roanoke County and