The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-25
DOCK HAS BECOME
PAYING BUSINESS
City Property That Was Reluc-
family Purchased Now Capable
of Maintaining Itself.
EXPENSE MORE THAN MET
Good Surplus Will Remain After
Paying Salaries and Upkeep,
and Business on Increase.

Municipal business is never looked
upon as great source OF revenue.
but the City Dock is an exception.
Few business men, if any, would
hesitate to take over concern on bor-
rowed money, put one man In charge,
and, without lifting hand to its sup
port, find that in nine months 1t had
paid all expenses and had earned 2
per cent on the Investment with busi-
ness picking up at a good rate each
month. Yet this is just what has been
done. Figures supplied yesterday by
Dockmaster Hopkins show that more
than $4,000 has been received since De-
cember l, 1912, when the dock was
thrown open, and that the expense
connected with it's upkeep. including
salaries, is about S1,l00, or less. The
property cost the city $4,000 In city
bonds. and $4,000 was spent in repairs
making n total investment of $4,000.
| The Richmond Dock has frontage
| of 3,4O0 feet on the north side, but
! less than half of this can BIO used.
! The south bank is practically useless.
/ but with the expenditure of small
sum the entire thing could be put in
shape for handling the business that
| is bound to come. The dock has
depth of fifteen feet but, until dredged
of the mud which has formed in the
| last few years, can only be used with
safety by vessels drawing less than
| thirteen feet. The locks have an actual
depth of fifteen feet
Out of Commission Eighteen Months.
Although it was closed for eighteen
months, and as n consequence much
OF the business went elsewhere, the
dock is rapidly picking up again. The
last year 1t was In use, 1910, 432 ships
of all kinds passed through the locks.
| The classification of the vessels fol-
lows:
Steamers. 25s; schooners. CO; barEes,
i35; tugs, %; gasolene boats. 4; light
ers, 10; sloops, 2; dredges. A. pontoons.
20, and pile drivers. l. The total rev.
enue for that year was S5,120.52, and
business was just then recovering from
the coal strikes of the previous two
years. Before the troubles at the
mines the dock cleared S6,O73.1O in
1906, and s6.266.7o in 1901
To give an idea of the enormous
amount Of goods that come into the
port of Richmond from this one land
ing only, the following list is shown:
Tons OF coal. 22,l32 cords of wood.
400; cases of fish roe, 21,757; cases of
fish. 26,S25; cases OF tomatoes. 1920:
asphalt blocks 912 tons barrels of
plaster. 2.So1 bushels of wheat. 12,24S;
bushels of gravel, 20.67o; oysters 10
tons; bushels of oyster shells. $4,000.
mentS were received In 1910
The dock, except for the small locks,
is capable OF handling all shipping
that Richmond can expect In a number
of years The locks are too small,
however, to put really large boats or
steamers through. Schooners 1876 feet
from the end of the bowsprt to the
taffrail and barges IA feet in length
can be put through without trouble,
but steamers. like the Old Dominion
boats, which are not considered large,
cannot be handled.
Hard Working City Employe.
When 1t comes down to real, hard
working city employc. John r. Hop
kins. dockmaster and harbormaster, is
that man Dockmaster Hopkins docks
the vessels, collects the docking
charges. makes out the bills and car
ries the money to The City Treasurer
and regulates the water In the dock
liarbormaster Hopkins has charge OF
. the port of Richmond and settles all
) disputes and small questions that arise
IN the course of the day. Anybody
! who thinks these jobs n sinecure need
only pay Il visit to the water front
on even n dull day to see the mistake
Mr. Hopkins was born to the lob.
His father held the position under the
old james River and Kanawha Canal
company and Mr. Hopkins was born
IN sight of the muddy waters of the
James River. He has been In charge
or the dock for fifteen years next Mon
day, and was recently given the ad =
ditional job of harbormaster-but no
additional compensation accompanied
the new position.
Water Regulation Difficult.
me regulation of the water Is prob
ably the most difficult task that the
dockmastcr has. 1t is necessary for
him 10 be on hand whenever the many
6 Richmond mills close or resume oDera
l tons, and this generally means a mid
/ night trip. If the water should get too
low. barges would probably be ground
ed, turn over spring leaks, while
the banks would cave in and n flood
a would be equally as disastrous In
addition. boats must come into the
q locks according to tides. and they fire.
= puently arrive either at dark, or be.
!, fore sunrise
Boat owners say the Richmond
charges are very reasonable There
. is a uniform charge of 81 for every
. boat going through the locks, and ir
y addition a tax is levied on the cargo
= The city is running In opposition &c
Itself by allowing the free use of the
City Wharf to all Corners One barc,
l. recently unloaded n cargo there thai
would have Melted the city about $50
"
! Arrested for Whiskey Selling
Spencer Booker. coiored. who live.
' ut 1903 West Coutts Street. was ar
l. rested yesterday by Patrohnan Holt OF
= the charge of selling liquor without :
II liconSc