The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-07
Raw Materials, Power and
Transportation Furnished
Board Basis for
Activities
MYRIAD FORMS OF
FINISHED PRODUCTS
With Ceneralship Equal toLee
and Jackson Richmond Bust
ness Are Marshaling In
dustrial Hosts OF
the South

Practically the whole Of the last
week issue OF the Manufacturers
Record In devoted to the setting forth
OF the wonderful commercial and in
dustrial development, Of Richmond.
After reviewing the history OF tho
building OF Richmond from the ruins
Of the Civil War by her progressive
business men. the writer Of the ar
ticle says:
so quietly has this work been done,
and so accustomed are people gen.
orally to regard Richmond M merely
= social and political center. that few
outside her own citizens have taken
the measure OF her accomplishment.
and not many even OF those who know
fully appreciate it's signitica nee. Yet
30 effective has II been that In poirt
Of diversity Of manufacturing inter-
ests, no less than In the aggregats
value OF product Richmond IL sur
passed by few cities OF the same sire
in the country. while in the matter II
compact city building and model n
municipal improvements II has few
equals among cities Of any size.
The spirit Of aggressive enterprise
exhibited BY these men Of Richmond
attracted the attention Of those from
other victory won. their ambition
rising higher with each obstacle over
come, Richmond looks buoyantiy GU,
upon future that broadens as tho
perspective lenstheHs. and is bounce cd
by no perceptible lines OF Limitation
Furnishing a broad basis for the
activities OF her people, though of
itself imperative without them. II
Hichmond,s position of natural
strength with respect 10 the three
Fundamental elements necessary to
successful Observation-Disclosures mste-
rails. power and transportation. The
Richmond men OF the early days APP
preciated the importance of this posi-
tion---doubt)ess. indeed. IL was q con-
trolling factor in the founding OF the
turning wheels and driving spindles,
long before Its utilization upon ocean
roads and steel highways. advantage
was taken Of the power developed
from the falls Of the James river and
of the deep current below the falls
that bore the commerce OF the city
to and from the open sea. thus fur
nishing power for production and the
facilities for assembling the raw ma
terials and for carrying 70 market the
finished product Cotton mills -four.
ished here In the early days, great
Touring mills. with burrs and bolts
driven by the strength of the har-
messed waters, sent thousands of bar
rels Of their product yearly into the
markets OF the world, iron mills and
woodworking plants each with it's
own individual rare and its own great
water wheel. made further use of the
motive potentially which generous
nature had so hberaily provided.
Raw Materials.
With respect to raw materials OF
va rsnnw ktNdu Rtrh pnsuc GS as
many advantages in the economical
assembling. The fields Of tobacco tho.
grow near and all around; the forests
Of waving pine and sturdy oak and
towering poplar--and all the various
xmas ef woods that grow between the
Ohio river and the Atlantic oeean---
the mines OF coal that enrich the aiis
Of Virginia and West Virginia, the
iron beds that lie thinly covered by
the soil OF either State; the cotton
fields of the northern portion Of North
Carolina and the southern end of the
Old Dominion---ali these pour their
wealth 81 material naturally. easily
and cheaply into the lap Of Rich
mond, here by the application Of
brain and power and handicraft to lie
wrought into myriad finished forms
for the use and enjoyment of man
kind.
The plants, large and small. oceu-
pied with turning these and other raw
materials into finished products in
1910 numbered i.7s2: employing la
horers TO the number Of $3.50, and
with an aggregate capital OF s3s.oT3.-
Sic. The combined output OF these
plants tctaled In 1910 tthe latest fig
urcs availablep. $so.2st.40s.
Wholesale Interests.
NArf IN her M n 4 inAnS.
tries. Richmond's wholesale interests
probably occupy the most important
place with respect to the general pub
Tic. These employ total capital of
413.t.5.:37. and the sales In 1910 ag-
gregated $7I.4SO.71s. The greater
portion Of this business In done In the
following lines:
This great trade In secured chiefly
fsaus 5.hs, 2eusiS gasad ~ due tS tfss
liberal policy which Richmond mer-
chants deal with their natrons. and
Of travellers who carry tho nag Of
Richmond commences. no less than to
the excellent means enjoyed for
reaching the business centers Of that
territory. II is the result Of a fine
combination OF personal enterprise
md transportation facilities.
Leaders or Enterprise.
The bold. active men Of, Richmond
hav6 not Been satisfied to build mp
their own city merely. but have been
leaders In many enterprises through
nut other gecttcns OF the south. help
ln9 to construct railroads. establish
industries and build
cities. They have felt that their city
sholad be the bnsinesa cAnltal Of the