The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-11-08
sOUTHBOsTON MOVES ON;
GREAT BUILDING BOOM
Tobacco Interest Leads, but There
Are Some Other Things
Down There.
BUILDERS THAT KNEW NO WARS
Town Moves Uptown-Bank CONSOLE
dation and Other Things That Pre-
sage Better and Firmer Business.
The General Outlook.


sage Better and Firmer Business.
The General Outlook.
SOUTH BOSTON, VA. November o.
"If the war In Europe and It's effects
upon business In this country could
have been foreseen, i doubt IL thero
would have been as much building and
| rebuilding in South Boston as thero
has been this yenr. but there has been
no building or rebuilding or other i'm
provements that are not NIL to the
good OF South Boston" The language
above Is Just what Il prominent citizen
of this town used In talking with me
to-day. An explanation of the above
remarks make something on an Indus
trinl story.
South Boston is a good town Of
something like 1000 Inhabitants, pos
sibly 500 more. 1t is a bright tobacco
market, claiming to be the second
largest of it's kind in the world. Dam
vile. OF course. being first. But South
Boston does not depend entirely upon
the bright, tobacco for Its prosperity,
for II has Its buggy and wagon fac
tories, It's cotton mills. its woodwork
Ing establishments. Its sawinills, it's
shirt factory. and It's Wholesale grocery
houses. But. after all. South Boston
Its prosperity. Last year there WAS an
immense tobacco crop. and IL sold high.
The tobacco men made money and they
turned IT right Into local development.
Pinns were made for the building OF
various business and residential Law
outs. Banking houses, big storos. Of
nee buildings and various other houses
were contracted for. and the builders
went to work about year ago. All of
these buildings have been completed, or
Init II
or IL all is that South Boston to day
looks much more cItyhed than ever be-
fore In it's history.
THE COST OF MANY
UP-TO-DATE BUILDINGS
am told that the buildings erected
mere within the past year. most of
which have been comDleted ure vaIue,I
at something like 5000. 900. The most
or the business houses thus erected nre
on the main street leading uptown from
the railway depot. In fact, South Bos-
ton has been moving uptown" Mt Il
the new stores. the now office build
inss and the other new things are all
uptown Ten years ago n new bank
was established here and took an Office
uptown. The downtown people used to
jokingly ask the officers Of that banI1
about the news out in the country.
The reply would be, we have the
country news now, but ere long Won
VIII be coming TO us for city news"
Tho location OF that bank In now right
In tho heart Of the improved town or
little city, and thus the prophecy of the
country bankers has come true.
Truly. South Boston is moving IN
town.
GOOD BUILDINGS HERE TO
STAY AND MAKE 4 SHOW
Bht returning to the original propo-
sition: 1t may be true that IL the dull
| short tobacco crop caused by an un-
iooHea-for drought this year could havc
Deen foreseen there would have been
less building in South Boston this year
than there has been. and the builders
would have been less worried with
paper in the banks. but all the same
the many handsome buildings have
been erected, they arc here. and cannot
DC removed. Notwithstanding the
tightness OF the money market and
The troubles growing out OF short
crops and all the like OF that, South
Boston continues to do business. and
great deal of 1t. There is not a va
cant store or business house In the
town. and real estate agents tell mo
that there is not vacant residence In
the town. and several families are
boarding because rney cannot rent
homes. SO the building boom has not
been ovcrdone. and there Is room hero
yet for some building operations
BY CONSOLIDATION BANKS
BECOME STRONGER
Two OF the leading banks have Just
consolidated. The old Bank OF South
Boston. the oldest of the financial in
stitutions In the town. and tho Boston
National Bank became one under the
name of tho Boston National Bank.
This makes one big concern. with n
capital OF 100000. The officers Of the
consolidated bank are: President. w.
r. Barksdale: vice. president. John c.
Lawson; cashier. T. 4. Watkins. Jr.:
assistant cashiers. ]. T. Lacy. Jr ana
]. N. East. Dlrectors-W. II. Barks-
! dale. w. B. Lawson. r. w. Lawson.
j. s. Stobbins. j. NJ. Darlington. w. p.
Lacy. ]. w. Canada W. c. Waller.
John c. Lawson. C. c. CLANCY, N C.
Henderson. T. c. Watkins, Jr.. L. T.,
Gaines and c.. c. BarksdnIe.
This latest consolidation gives
South Boston three strong banks, all
national. with combined capital OF
s350000 and deposits and loans that
are enormous
The six tobacco warehouses of the
town are doing a good business this
fall. as we'll as could be expected on 4
short crop, following drought year,
and business generally Is looking up
after the dull summer and carly fall