The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-04-04
(Ry X. e. JONES. }

t5L%ESDUfEy "a ApTl Or ever
Jurg, Familiarity known as the Cock
ade City" among the oldest Of Viz
sinia cities, H. situated at the head of
navigation on the Appomattox River.
WE'VE miles above it's confluence with
the James. II was founded by Peter
Jones IN fT33 and incorporated In
1884
According 70 the government CEN
xus OF 1910, the population Is given
as 24,ie7. an increase OF 2.sli over
1900 the increase being made In
white population only and amount
ing to abov, twerty-six per cent, the
negro population remaining about the
Same as IN 1909 Since 1910 the popu-
lat'on has Increased rapidly dae TO
the location here OF several new man
nfacturinE Industries and n IS now
believed to be about 10000.
Three trunk lines of great railway
Datems. viz the Norfolk and West
>rn Railway. the means Of tfansporta~
lion East and West the Atlantic
Toast Line and the Sea board Air Lane
running North and south which, to-
:ether with the water transportation
Petersburg enjoys offer shipping
facilities which are rtspons hle to
arge extent for the commercial pre-
gress OF the city. The city has deep
water transportation to the Atlantic,
AtaHAAE@ liNlli& N4fRAtfS HAAf Nh'A tf''+f
az Non folk and ia addition Il has
daily steamboat and hourly electric
n,r communication with Richmond.
Financial Condition strong.
The financial condition Of Peters-
burg IS unusually strong The in
some - he city within the past ten
years has increased moro than 40
400, and IN le05 The cty's tax rate
was reduced from Si.6o Ia $40 per
$500. 0oe - the city's bonds have ma
turea. ail II which were PAID off IN
fuu Tho rsNt ISSUE 81 the city
bonds f.llas due Will bs SSa.e0u In
1898 the sinking fund Of the city
owning &tS.0oo # these bonds The
sinking .und also has on hand more
ihan SiS0.0oe in cash
Within 80 past year the city has
appropriated large sums for improve
fnent4 10 sidewalks street resdwaYs
and it's sewerage system. The city
owns ~ water works and Its water
supply which IL abundant for all
purposes and RANKS high in both pur-
tty and porta hilty, Frequent analyses
are made Of the cltY's water Ivy the
State Health Department and lts
findings have always resulted in raw
cradle reports Recently, the VIZ
g.nta Ratlway and Power COMPANY
entered .nto a contract with the city
10 furnish electric power to ais
tribute :he city water at the rate Of
one cent per kilowatt hour.
rAte-sburr,s public schools rank
nigh with thosr OF any other city or
'fs size IN tho South.
waters of Apremaf"x Hsrnessed-
The waters of the Upper Appomattox
River have been hnrnessed 10 IS 10 he
available fer the production OF cleo
tric power for various uses and the
present horsepower IL 6.eeo and VIII
soon be more thar doubled,
Petersburg welcomes new industries
sites with railway track connections or
with wharf frontage may be leased or
bought Mt low rates and electric power
and steam coal for operating pauufac-
suring plants can be had very cheap
Petersburg enjoys IL most extensive
1hoIesaie trade which has for several
years past .otaisd more than s2o,ese,
800 annually. The leading lines are
groceries dry goods, shoes. hardware,
ronfectfoneriee hay. grain. mill sup
plies and farm implements, drugs,
paints and oils. Some of the best
known and oldest wholesale houses In
Nhe South have conducted business here
successfully for many years without
failure being recorded in possibly
more than n quarter of century.
Among the hest known wholesale firms
throughout the South Is the Augustus
Wright Shoe Company here. which was
founded Ay th. late Augustus Wright
and is now conducted by his sons
Aasustus, &. Cleveland and Howard
r.. Wright. The business was COM
fnenced as small retail shoe store
by Mr. Wright soon after the War
Between the states ana has continued
to grow until number of years ago
Mr. Wright discontinued the retail
business and established one OF the
best wholesale trades of the South
While only a very small portion Of
the South's cotton crop is raised in
the immediate vicinity OF Petersburg
there is shipped here cotton in large
quantities from other points to be man.
ufactured and exported.
Dupont's Great Enterprise.
IN 1918 the Dupont Powder Company
purchased about $500 acres Of land
N Prince George County. nine miles
-eaat- Petersburg and aiace- taa.
time has acquired about $50 additional
acres on which is being constructed
a plant at n cost of more than 81,
100000 for the manufacture of dyna-
mite. During the winter of 1914 the
COMPANY. after suspeDdsag operations
several months preyioaSiP, commenced
to double the capacity % the plant.
giving employment 10 mere than 1000
men, expo nding more thGr S5.00e.0aa In
the erection Of factories for the manu-
facture Of nitric acid, auphuric acid
and gun cotton, The company now
has in their employment ut this plant
about 5000 worknlen and upon the
completion of buildings in the course
Of erection will give regular employ
ment to about 1000 men. A voluntary
wage increase OF 20 per cent was an
nounced by the company effective
March l6, and many laborers from all
over the South and East have been
attracted here. The company's semi
monthly payroll amounts to approx
mately $4,000. which has placed Pc
tersburg almost within class TO itself
In business conditions during the past
ak months. The greatest secrecy is
maintained by tho Dupont Company
with reference 10 their activities and
while II In generally believed that the
company has a large contract with
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