Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-20
FACTS ABOUT DANV|LLE;
NUMEROUS INDUSTRIES
Town That Once Depended on Only
Ono Big Industry Now Stands
on Several Legs.
LEADS IN COTTON MAKING
Fifteen Million Dollars Invested in
Big Plant-rcrfcction In Welfare
Work - Knitting Mills, Overall
Factories and Other Facilities.

DANvILLE. VA. January 1s.-Tnc
| wide awake city on tho Dan had Its
biggest years business last year, ana
| it plans to Guido that during the year
! 1918. A quarter OF q century ago. and
up to that time. Danvillc commercial
~. stood on one leg. In the days gone
by it knew but one industry ans
seemed TO care for no other. 1t wa,
tobacco. and everything In a business
way depended upon tho bright weed.
If for any reason tho tobacco In
dustry was at low ebb in any on.
year. then this town was in tho COM
mcrcial and financial dumps until an
other crop was marketed and manu-
featured and put things in motion
again. These sctbacks came along
about every fourth or ffth year. a
short crop of bright tobacco in the
fields of tho eight or ten counties or
Virginia and North Carolina that mar
kctcd the weed here brought woe TO
Danviie and in the Old days there
were many things TO cause Il shortness
in the crop. when the cloth covers FOR
plant bods were unknown. spring
frosts often came along TO destroy the
tender plants in the hotheds and make
II impossible for tho farmers to start
n crop on the hill. Nobody ever hears
of frost bitten. plant beds nowadays.
Then the tobacco worm sometimes
came along In late summer and de-
stroyed acres upon acres OF the bright
weed. Now the farmers find II easy
enough TO overcome the worm. There
were other troubles to be encountered
by the grower of the weed. which
troubles were reflected in the business
OF Danville later on.
TWENTIETH CENTURY METHODS
AND NEW INDUSTRIES TO REsCUf,
The most OF these troubles have been
overcome by twentieth century
methods. unknown in the oldcn days.
But even IL tho tobacco crop should
be Il complete failure in any year,
while Danville would feel the encc;o
quite kcenly. II would not go out or
business, for il no longer stands on
one leg. Other Industries have been
nourishing here for twenty or more
years past, and now if prohibition
should extend to the making. buying.
manufacturing and using of the seduc>
tive weed. Danvilie. with its cotton fac
tories. silk mills. knitting mills over
all factories. elevator factories, foun-
dries. woodworking plants. brick
making plants. etc. would go risnt
on doing business and would get aA
justcd 10 the new order OF things Us
quick as any town in the State
However, there is no danger OF any
bacco industry The growers have
learned how TO make big crops In spite
OF early and late frosts and in spite
OF worms. storms. drouGhts or what
not; the demand for the weed is IN
crcasing all over the world: Danvilie
goes all over the world TO supply that
demand, and she is yet. and will con-
tinue to be. the. greatest bright lear
tobacco market in the world. OF tho
1917 crop. Danville has already solo
ers paid tho farmers the manihcent
sum OF $s,257 53S52. or an average or
$3l.16 per 100 pounds.
IMMENSELY OF COTTON
MANUFACTORi IN TOBACCO TOWN
An idea OF the immensely of som,
OF the other industries may be obtained
by reference TO some facts and figures
that Frank Talbot, the present prcS!-
dent of the Danville Chamber OF Com
merce. read before that body at it's
recent annual meeting. From the
books and reports of the Riverside and
Dan River cotton mills he used figures
that speak out as follows:
Value of plant, si5.0oO,ooo.
Number OF operatives. G,oo0.
Number of spind!cs. $4,000.
Number OF looms, 1900.
Bales OF cotton consumed. 10000:
pounds consumed. 35,000000.
Production in pounds. 2s,ooo,ooo;
in yards. l23,oooooo; in miles, 10000;
In miles per day, 235; embracing air
widths from twenty-five inches to
twelve and onc-fourth.
Amount OF sales. si,25o.ooc.
Amount Of pay rolls. S2,500.0oo.
Weekly pay roll, $4,000. y
WELFARE WORK ABOUT THE
DIG COTTON FACTORIES
AS showing what the Riverside ana
Dan River corporation is doing for
~.
employees. Mr.. Talbot made the fol-
lowing impressive resume OF concrete
Developments in connection with that
great plant:
Industrial Y. NJ. G. A.-One general
secretary: three assistant secretaries;
100 members. Gymnas sum- swim
ming pool. three bowling alleys, three
pool tables. auditorium seats 500, COM
pietc moving picture equipment; classes
in textile work, physical culture, Bible
study. etc.
Day nursery-One rnatron. three AZ
Two kindcrSartens--Two graduate
teachers. five assistants; $50 enroll
mcnt.
Girls clubs and social work-Two
trained workers, two assistants; 200
enrolment.
Public day schooi-one principa,.
twenty-five teachers; $50 enrolment,
District nursing departmcnt-Two
trained nurses who cover entire viii
lage.
Clinical Observation-Disclosures OF
dentistry. and eye, ear and throat.
Milk depot-For examination anc
preparation OF all milk for babies.
OTHER INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
THAT HELP MAKE TOWN
As to some other industries. he cited
general statistics. giving an idea OF
the importance of their operations.
showing that the hosiery mills ana
overall factories give employment to
500 persons. and the value OF their
business last year was conservativeIy
estimated at $2.000.000.
Coming new industries were men
toned by him aa follows:
"a silk mill is in process OF equip
ment in a building on which the pro-
jectOrs have q flvc-ycar lease and or,
FOR THROAT AND
LUNG TROUBLES |
| | And coughs anN>> colds that persist In |
l ,,1ltn IT. Va apdf from mon md fhran an