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?fttP-Shni^ lijspatrf) 1NDU5TRIAL 5ECT80N THH T1MKH KOUNDBD l?8fl. TIIE D1SPATCH POUNDED 1850. WHOLE NUMBER 17,810. RICHMOND, VA.,.SUNDAY, JANUARY 26,1008,' PRICE FIVE CENTS, HIGH POINT GREAT FURNITUHE TOWN its Loss on the Tobacco Crop Was a Blessing* in Disguise. CENTRE O'F GREAT LUMBER REGIONS Eighty-Odd Factorics, Apcrated in the Main by Home Capitai and Kncrgy?Fumiture and All Wood Products Aranttfactured at High Point* f Speclal to The Tlm*>n-DI*iptilcli. | IliOIf POINT, N. C, January 2*i.? Many yeara ago tho town of Illgh Polnt, then a more vlilage wlth n few atorea, a tobacco factory and a hotel. made an effort to become a tobacco market of lmportance and fallcd. Dan? vllle, In Virglnia, Wlnaton-Salem. Durliani and Grccnaboro, ln North Caro? llna wero too much for it, and the great tobacco market dld not materlu llzo here, but a greater destlny awaitsd thc town. Tho very fact that it fallcd aa a to? bacco mart arouaed- latent cnerglos, whlch havo made lt not only the prlde of the Stato, but a lown whlch attracts iho attentlon of the industrlal world. It is a. manufacturlng town, a wood worklng town, I may say, that Is a wonder to the slow people In some oth? er communTties. Workinit Out Um Denllny. Illgh Point has achieved a success in mauufaclurlng, wlthln the puHt tweiv* years. whlch ia wonderful. Its success bas demonntrated a prlnclple of Its own creatlon?tho worklng out of Its own *chemes from Us own poteullalltle Whlle other towns iu tlie South were thlnklng of thelr poHalbllltks, provlded they posneaacd capltal, High Point went to work wlth what resources it had, and began to solvo the problem of manufacturlng. It nelther walted fo* nor advertlsed for capltall.sts to "work up" tlio large bodlea of flne oak tlmber nf this s.*ctlon into fumiture, but com mriced, In a Ktnall way, to manufac tur> a cheap llnf* of chamber aults. Thla was in I8S9. All that tirne the ?Jillage of 2.000 people had a tobacco factory, a sasli, door and blttul fac? tory and a mlll. which turned out ?.ijokcs and shuttlc-bloeka. To-day ii poxai-xaes Hghty factorlea, engaged ehiefly tn tlie manufaeture of furni t::re of varlous kinds. from kltchen *afes to cliamber suits. When, tblr Uen yeara ago, three young men put u-hat money they had?a few thou Fand dollars?Into a rough frame bulld? lng. and fllled It wlth saws. plancrs, candpaperlng machlnes, etc, which con mitutrd the lirst factory, tho more con servativc thought it would bo better had they kept their small resources lu thc dry goods and grocery buslness. But they had conflclciice in thelr under ?taking. Tho futtiro was klnd to them. T'rom tho flrst thero was a demand for thelr fumiture, and succe'ss was as Mired. Then followed venturc ufter venture nn the part of other young rnc-it. Thc result wns to glve to Illgh Polnt tho chlef place among the fur nlture manufacturlng towns of tho South. ati.l to insplro a hundred towns to bulld factorics. .V MrlklDK Advmitncr. Tho advantago whlcli High Point has over other towns engaged lu nmn ulacturlng is ln tlie varlety of arti? cles manufactured. This fact is np preclated both by largo and small re inilers. lt is cpnvenlent for the for? mer to havo a market from which he may procure all that he needs at once from the same shipplng point, and for tbe latter to have the. advantago ot mixed cars?that Is, different klnds of fumiture occupylng the same car. It may readily be seen that such a con dition Is of great advantage, both as regards promptness and frelght rates. This fact, together with the estab llKhed reputatlon for yllabiltty of ?ooda, fills the Illgh Point market wlth ?Aealers tho whole year, and has bullt up enormous mall order departmonts. lioiuc Kolkn at Work. A unicjuo foaluro of manufacturlng In maklng High Point is, thut of its righty-odd factorles, none of them has an enormous capltallzatlon. The com? panles run from $5,000 to $175,000. This Is a natural outcome of tho pecu liar condltlons already alluded to, and ' has been of great advantago to High Polnt as a manufacturlng town. Home capltal and home talent have been put Into tho different enterprlses. The ?plrlt of manufacturlng 1ms beon in ?tiiled Into Its citlzens. Merchant, phy? slclan, Ittwyor, preucher, all havo stock, rnany of them Important executlvo po ? itions, in tho new and growlng fac? torles. Young men ln shop, counting room, or on tlio farm, look forward to Ihe tlme when they will have sufll clent money saved to take stock in ono ?f the factorics or build ono for them ?elvos. This has produced a splrlt of frugallty and purposes on tho purt of the young men of the communlty at once safe, practical and cllvorling and ?ives them an Interest In the bui'ldlng. UP of tho town they wouid not other Wlse have. Ot tho factorics in Illgh Polnt, uhou' illiie aro engagod in tho nianufuctura ?f fumiture, one of sash, doors, bllnds '?nd other frame bulldlng materiul, ono ?nglne-bullding works, two foundries, ?ne baskot factory. ono oxeelslor works' ?ne kvoneoring works, two trouser fac? torles; orie shlt-t factory, one coflln .factory, ono flour'nilll, one shuttle block and hobbin factory, one show ? cftse. factory, ono paipt- works, on* moldlng and novolty works, ono who*>l factory, ono sllk niill, ana an organ faatory,- otc, otc. , Seven Years' Orowlh. All tho interosts montloned uro doing % remuneratlvo buslness. but, as may ?o seen, the nianufuoture of furnittiro prepondorates. Tlio articles mndo com prlae chamber suits, odd piocus, chairs, ?ffice'desks^ tablos, mantols, pulplt set$, jouches, beel lounges, bod s|>rlngs, aldc %oards, chtffouiors, kltchen sufes, en ?fjiiies, cofflviH, ilesks, showoascH, cotton ffarnu'iitu, und niimoraus othor liues, The amoMiit ot' lumber usod nnnuully Wl ' ' i .-y ?.-?? .(Continued on tfJEtl) 1'agi*;-) BIRDSEYE VIEW OF PART OF THE THRIFTY TOWN OF HIGH POINT, N. C, WAYNESBQRQ IS A L1VE VALLEY TOWN Not Ncccssarily on a Boom, but L'p and D'oing Big Business. A NEW INDUSTRY COMING: Ilydraulic Engine \Vdrks Being Rapidly Built?New Hotel Js Nearly Completed. | Special Krom a Staff Correspondent.] WAYNESBORO. VA.. January 25?Tf I should say that Wayncsboro, one o* Virglnla's lovellest mountaln towns. l? bn a boom, somebody would dlscredlt Iho statJtnent wlth the iirgmnont that towns do not boom in tlmes such as the country has just passed through. Some towns do not, it is true, und maybe this ono is not actually boorr. Ing. but It Is dolng good business and improvemenls aro tho order of the dny. A beautlful new hotel, the Neece House. whlch is to bo an all-the-ycar rcun'd hotel, is ncarlng completion. and will be opened with a Board of Trade bnnquet ou about thc 15th of Feb? ruary. This house ls Waypesboro's "sky scraper," it being four stories hlgh. r.nd commands from every sido mag nlllcent views of the mountalns. It ls a splendid brick structure. und is Mrain heated, supplied wlth bathrooms on overy floor, nnd has all modcrn Intcilor arrangements. ll.rdrnulle EnRlnp Work*. The RIfo Hydraullc Engine Works, '?t.i'.ed ln the suburbs on the South i?..er, with all of its costly machinery, were destroyed by fire last fall, Tho company coinmenced at once to rebuild on a much larger scale, and the bulld ings are hearlng completion as rapldly as a large force of workmen and the untlrlng cnergy of General Manager W. A. Rife can brlng things to pass. Whlle the flre swept away tho entlre establishment and entalled a heavy loss, it will in the end prove a blessing. The company is erectlng much larger buildings, and the capacity of tho plant will bedoubled. The burned ma? chinery was old and some of lt a little out of date. The new plant will bc supplied wlth later Improved machinery and a great deal more of it. Formerly the cbmpnny ^only manufactured hy? drnulic rams. Tho new establishment wlli, ln addltion, turn out yalves aml all manner of plpe tlttings. But what Interests Way nesboro most Is tho fact that the force of high prlced skilled workmen wlli be very largely increased. The now and splendid concreto dam built at thls point to utilizo tlie water -oower of the South Rtver. was. of course, not injured hy the flre. Thls wster-power Is sufuclont to run an eleetrlc plant of conslderablo dlmen slotis. AViv Industry Comlng. The deeds and other papers havo just been slgned, sealed and dellvered bv whlch the Amerlcan Concentrator Companv. of Joplin, Mo? will take pos sosslon *of the old car works, located on the ,belt line conuectlng tho Norfolk nnd Western and Chesapeake and Ohlo Rallways. The Concentrator Companv n-.anufnetures mining machinery of ..II kinds, and lt ls ono of the largest estahllshments of Its klnd east of tho Rockv Mountalrts. The company will ostublish a branch of tho Immense Joplin nlant here, and lt ls understood that thls branch will supply tho newly acquired Cuban trade. and also tho.de inands from the A'lrglnla and West Vir? ginia coal and iron mlnos. Thls point was selected as the slto for the necessary branch establish? ment because of Its noamesB to the vuw materhil nnd to coal, nnd because of tho convenlenoe, by two llnos of railway. to the Atlantlc. As tho Concentrator Company can utilizo nearly all of the machinery of tho old cnr works, opopntlons win .'bo commonood at. onco. A largo force of skilled mechnnlcs wlU bo employed. -To nullil Xew Bnuk. T|io Flrst National Bank has accoptod plnns nnd mude tlio contract for tho .erecllon- of n handsome brick bank buildlng, Tt will.bo on tho slte of thn present bank, corttor nf Maln Stroet aud Wnyno Avenue,'nuiV tho work wlil he oOiiunenoed tn early spring, Theso cbjsorltig fftCts may not con stitute a Wayncshoro boom. but they are well caiculated to make people stop talklng about hard times. FRANK S. WOODSOX. HERALD PROSPERITY RETURN llnlllmnrr HiiMlncMH Men lo Hold I'roM perlty Couventlou In Mnrrli. rspeclul to The Tlnics-Di?patrli.l BALTIMORE, MD? January 2r..? Reallzlng that there still exists throughout the country some mistru.xt as to the business future as a result of Ihe receht financlal flurry, and bc HevlnR: there no longer oxists cause for such apprehenslon, tho buslneKs in-n of Baltlmore have inauguraleij u nmverwnt tbft deslga of which is t? completely restoco the equtlibrlum of upset confidence. A call Is now being sent broadcast for a business men's "prospcrity con ventlon" to be held March 2d to 7th, incluslve, at whlch gatherlng it is proposed to present a clear, practirui and convinclng view of the exact con? dltions exlsting to-dav and the fu? ture outlook. lt ls believed tho delib eratlons of thls body wlil prove a welghty factor In restorlng business confidence and ln mendlng trade all over tlie land. At thc business sesslons of the ron ventlon' there will be open discussion of all matters pertalning to trade and transportation, and in addition there will be addresses on practical business topics by a number of promlnent men experlenced in wholcsale and retaii business, in transportation and those branches of tho Federal government's work that are more closely associated with business, notably tlio Interstate Commerce Commlssion. The Travelers' and Merchants' Asso? clation has undertaken the prepara tions for the conventlon. and Is look Ing to the details of the work pre liminary to thls aftalr. Its .transpor? tation committee is now ln commu? nlcatlon with the railroad and steam boat companles" representatives with Ihe view of securing special rates for the business men who will attend the conventlon from all parts of tho coun? try, WANT T. P. A. CONVENTION Movement on Koot to Get West Meet? lng at Mnrtinsvlltc. [Special to 'i ue Tlraes-Dlspatch.1 MARTINSVILLE. VA., January 25.? A movement ls on foot hero to have the Travelers' Protectlve Associatlor hold thelr next State conventlon in Martinsvllle. The conventlon, whicli usually meets about the middle ol May, will be composed qf from 100 tc 150 delegates, and Martinsvillc'f chances for securing lt seem verj good at present. The movement has the lndorsemenl of ouvv leading cltlzens, both In anc' out of tho assoclation, and lf th'< knights of the grip declde to eomi to Martinsvllle they will reccive i royal wolconie. SOUTH OSTON'S PROGRESS A. gnln of 1S Vcv Ceni. In I'ontnl Ue veipls Durlng 1007. [Special to The Tlmes-Dlspatch.1 SOUTH BOSTON. VA., January 25. The post-offlce is a very accurato ln dex to the business progress of a town South Boston's progress ls noted hy i galn of 15 per cent. durlng tho past year, over the prevlous year. Deeem her' leaped far abead of all othoi months by $700. After July lst, the of l'ico will put on a.nlglti clerk. anc tho publlc can be ns convnnlently served at all hours of tho nlght at well as tho day. BIG TOBACCO SALES, WITH PRICES GOOD Past Yrieek thc Best of t'lc Scason in Qtiantity, Quality and Prices. BUYERS BID WITH ZEST Medium Grades, Better Than Usual, Sccm to Be in Grcat? est Deiriand. Througiiout tho entiro week, dc spite Iho fact that weather condltlons wore by no means favorajile, the locnl tobacco market was more actlvo thun for any other week durlng tho sea? son, Kach salea day tho fioors of tho several warehouses wero covered wlth a good amount of well-handled to bacco, whlch,was readily dlsposed. of at the most satlsfactory prices. Whlle there is a flne demand for all classos, the hlgher grades do not seem,. pro portlonately, to brlng as good prices aa tho lower qualities. This demon strates the fact that the general char acter of tho offerings is niuch better than usual. Buyers for the largo manufacturcrs are on the fioors every day and bld in tho most splrited manner. Sun-cured and dark stemmlng tobaccos especlally, aro ln heavy demand. The former is wanted for manufacturors, whoso lead? lng sellers are sun-cured brauds, and who have found out that Virglnia sun cured tobacco ralsed on the northslde is, perhaps, superlor to that of any other locallty, both on account of .qual? ity and the fact that it ls practically impervlous to changeable weather. The outlook for record-broaklng mar kots after a good handllng eeason is the brlghtest for a long tirne, and from the way all offerings have been goiug herotofore there seems llttle posslbil lty of overcrowdlng the fioors. LTXCIlDUnG'S KECEIPTS HEAVIEH. Actlvlty. ln tlie Trnde and Prices Ou All Oruden Coutinue Good. [Speclal to The Tlmes-Dlspatch.] LYNCHBURG, VA., January 25.? The tobacco recelpts this week were much heavier than last Tho offer? ings were in condltion and ciualltv about as that sold slnce the holldays. exeept.there was a rather larger prop osltlon of tlie off-colored than usual. There was conslderable actlvlty ln the trude, and prices on all grados were fullv as high as for tho ? past few woeks. Prices ranged as fojlows: I.ugs,'common, $5 to $6: lugs, good, $<? to $7.50; leuf, common, $6.50 to. $8; lea.1'. medium. $8, to $9.50; leaf. good, $fl.50 to $12; leaf. flne, $12 to $15; wrappers, $15 to $22.50. Sales of loose tobacco on tho Lynch? burg market for the two weeks end Ing January 24, lflOS, as reportod by John lu. Oglesby, of Lyiich's ware house: fciold week endlng January 17th, 524.700-pounds; sold week endlng Jan? uary 24tli. 872.S00 pounds; Increase week endlng .lanuary 24th, 347.G00 pounds; sold from beptembor 1, 1907, to January 24, 1905. 6,731.000 pounds: sold from September 1, lflOC, to .lanu arv 21, 1907. '.1.864,900 pounds; decreaso, for 1!I08, 3,133,900 pounds. ACT1VE AT ROt'KV JIOlM'. Fnnncrs Bunr Wllh Other TlitngH, Hut Thnt Hnmslil Sells Well. [Special to Tho Times-Ulspateh.) ROCKY MOUNT, N. C, January 25.? The weather this week has been very favorablc for handllng and marketlng tobacco. but the rarmers have taken advantago of the open weather to do much needed farin work, such an plowins, burning plant bed*. etc, and iTonsequently tho reeelpts have been sinaller than antioipatod. A mial of '.'Il'i.itnO pounds or moro have hoon sidd, however, at moat satlafactory pricc* to the sellers. Tlie market has been very actlve. with llvely bldding by both independ ents and larpo companies. The. com? mon and medlum grades have advancod sharplv over prices pald early ln .laii uary, as well as the prlcos prevail ing before tho holldays, tho gradew ot tobacco from 9 to 15 cents being higher than for several years past. The quallty of tho offerlngs have heeu better tlinn any week this year. though not as good as thoso before thc holt Ma'nv farmers havo sold out entirely. and tobacco In tho country ls gettlng scarco, not more than a mllllon pounds remalnlng in hands of thc furmors at thls tlme. IJUIOER BECIlll'TS AT IJAXV 11.1,12. OimlHv Conllnue* tiooil nnd Prices Flrm Wlth Upwaril Tcnileney. [Special to The Tlmes-Dlnpatch.] DANVILLB. VA.. January 25.? Messrs. Dtbrell Brothers glve the fol? lowing review of tho Danvlllo markot for tho week: The sales thls week havo been quite heavy, and larger than the precedlng one. The lmprovement ln- tlio quality of the offerlngs noted In our last re? port has been mainiatned. Prices continue tirm on all grades, and show an upward tendency, wlth a full corps of buyers iu daily attoud ance on the sales. Tho weather has turned- suddenty verv harsh and cold, whlch will no dou'bt check reeelpts for next week very materlally. The dealers report falrly. large trans actions in the aggregalo of redrled tobaccos. nnd the hrokers fairly good orders ln hand. THE rETERSBUKG MARKET. rnfnvornble Wentlicr' for llitudllnf; Mukcs Offering LIglif, [Special to The Tlmes-Dlspatch.1 PKTERSBURG, VA., January Uif.?On account of unfavorablo seasons for handllng. offeriugs were light the past week, but market contlnues strong and actlve on all grades. Quotutions as follows: Common lugs, 5 3-t to 7; guod.luga. 7 to 9; short leaf, 7 1-2 to 9 1-2; shipplng leaf, 10 to 11: short. wrappers, 12 to 15; fine wrappors, 16 to 37; '? _ IIEDFORD CITY DOES AVI3I.1,. I.nrge Sales tlie Ijist Tivn WccliH nnd At Fine l'rlcca. [Sner.lal ta Tho Tlmes-Dlspatch.] BKDFORD CITY, , January 2.".? There has been much actlvity here thls week nnd last in, tlio sale of leat tobacco, the sales at tho two wai'e houses averaglng about 219,911 pounds, some of the fine clark leaf coniniand ing $25 a hundred. At tho Allianco warehottse, about 1CO.O0O pounds have bt-nn sold in the two weeks just ended at a general average of J10 a hundred, (Contlnued. on Fifth I'age.) GREATER RICHMOND'S REAL ESTATE CLEARINGS The followlng alatement of real estate clearings of Oreater Rlchmond and viciuity beon compiled by XV. Ei. Purcell, Jr.; Old Clty Limlts. Anncxed Sectlon. January .. February March .... Aprll. May. June....... July ....... August .., Septeniber .Oetober ... November Doeember . Improved. $254,830 00 300,995 98 ?310,684 68 498,470 50 611),22ft 50 1125,635 1C 37-1,025 00 286,065 2!?' 225,240 00 321,929 75 214.110 70 248,301 05 I,OtS, $ 41,637 00 136.645 fil. 75,469 60 V 59,678 15 ,101,533 16 35.153 ?7 23,756 25 30.722 86 37,643 43 25,706 24 13,680 00 4 6,731 29 Tolals.$3,983,523 61 $G28,3I7 10 --o Old linprcivecl. $ 9,0 66 ?0 16,015 HO 35,110 OU 36,067 00 32,756 00 13,930 O0 32,355 00 36,616 60 11?.:tK4 00 55,487 48 ?<(l,055 00 25,096 00 $33t,9"? 98 $338,899 15 Kuburlmn . Lots and lmproveuieuls. $ 1S.440 00 21.115 00 35,193 00 35.621 00 43,307 77 ?1711.177 05 3X.1S6 45 - 39,089 00 ? 50,629 17 58,519 27 41,221 77 30.445 00 by soctlous, for 1907, luis Hottrieo Acreuge und Improvemeiits. $ 46,406 67 71,63(1 75, 61,661 lli 65,631 95 42,838 25 60.818 30 4 1.692 17 49,837 15 4 2.966 00 65,084 2 1 47,796 00 36,112 91 Much Huildliig lu Norfolk. IS'pnoUd lo Tho Tlmes-'Ol3patuh,l NOKI-'OLIC, VA., January 25.?Build Ing operutious-tn Norfolk contlnuo ac? tlve, dusplto tho unam-lul depresstou und unl'tivurahlo weather., condltlons. Yoslerduy und to-ihty'bulldlng uqituUk w.0,,'.,?lKHl,0,{-[?-v PeftuencuH uggi-egatlng $.15,100, aml tho itiontli of January has bccu excullcuL la date. ty limlts, liupruvccl Old clty limlts, lots. Annoxed aectlon, Improved. Annoxod sectlon, lots. Suburbiui lots <"u' Ituprta. l-lenrlco ncreago and inip tu Mancliestcr . $596,941 78 O $"1,983,523 6L 628.347 16 331,020 08 338,899 15 596,94-1 78 635,705 51 309,178 00 $635,705 54 Mahchostei'i $ 35,4 55 OU 15,900 00 24,974 00 39.201 0U 31,927 00 22,553 tlll 41,265 00 14,371 00 18,109 00 27.542 00 15.010 00 v22.862 00 $309,178 00 Kiivor t'l-iincy InIiiimI Sul?*. NOHKOLK, VA., .lutiuiiiy . 25.? Tlio Porlsmouth Buslness Mou's Assochitlon hus ludorsed tlie IH 11 Introduced ln Can gress for thu stilo of Cranoy.' Island, thus imllc-utlng thut tlio buslness men of thut clly wlll bo uiTuyed uguinst Noi'fulk1 btiHluosa inuii aiul health tifll eluls in un endoiivor to cuiitluuu tliu ?-? oiais mi nn. enueuvor io coiuiuuu Totul for yeur.????fMSi.fSf.EJJ'.usi) of thc islund us a pcst stujUon, THE UGANDA WONDER OF THE AGE Onccr Features of Travcl on Engiand's Trutik Line to Central Africa. LIONS EAT PASSENGERS _ -, J-Iow Road Was Built and How Anicncan Bndges Surpriscd John Bull. Naibobo, Brltish East Attlca. Travellng by railway through the wllds ot Central Africa! Stoamlng for hundreds of mlles among zebras, anus, ostriches nnd glrnffes! Rolllng along through junglos wlilcli tho rhlnoceros hatintH. and whero tho lion and leo pard wait for thelr prey! These aro somo of my exncrlcnces during a trlp I havo just taken ovor the Uganda Railway from Motubasa to Nalrobi! Ten years ago it took a month to cover-tho dlstaneo between tho two polnts, and the whole way was on foot. I made lt In less than twonty-four hours, and that in a comfortable car. Tho railroad fare waa $32, and I had falrly good meals on the way. The dlstance ia-over 800 mllos, and It ,*s just about half the longth of V.io rall? road. Leavlng here I shall con'tlnue my journey over lt on to Lako Vlctorla, and shall land 'on that lako not Cut from the source of the Nlle. The I'Knnda Rnllwuj-. Thls glves you some Idea of tht; Ugnnda Railway, whlch the Britisli completed only about flve years ago Tho road begins at tho Indlan Ocean and lt cllmbs over some of the rough est parts of tha African contlnent be? foro It ends at Vlctorla, the greatest fresh water lako of tho world. Leav? lng tho seacoast, tho rlse of tho rond is almost continuous untll It reaches tho hlgh plalns of Brltish Kast Africa, Ilero at Nairobi I am more than a mile abovo tho soa, and, about flfteen nillos further on at tho-station of Klkuyu, the road reaches an altitude 700 feet above that of Mount 'f/ashington. Froir there tho cllmb is steady to a point a milo nnd a half above tho sea, am' tlion thero Is a great drop into a widi dltch-llko valley 2,000 feet deep. Cross Ing thls valley the road again riso: untll it is far hlgher than any moun tain ln the United States east of tlu Rockles. It attalns an olevutlon o: 8,300 fnot, and then fnllsdown to Lake Vlctorla, whicli Is Just about as hlgi tts the hlghest of tho AIleRlienteH, The road was bullt by the Brltish government ln' less tluui tlvo years, un< hns' cost nltogether ovor $25,000,000. I hns a gauge of forty Inches, raili which welgh tlfty pounds to tho yard ana Its tracks are well lald and wol ballasted. Last year somethlng likt 10,000 tons of goods and 180,000 pas h'engers wero carrled over it, nnd lt eariilngs woro about $500,000 more thal Its operaling expenses. lt does noi yet' pay' any Interest on tlio capita: invrsted, but.lt ls of enormous vitliu in tho way of oponlng up, dcvoloplne and protecting the country. Twcuty-sevcta Amerlcuu. llrldgcK, Among tha most luleresliiig fea? tures of tho roud aro its Anioricai bridgns. They cross all tho greal ruvlnes botwoen. hcro nnd Lako Vlc? torla, and evory. stuel bar ajid every bolt aud rlvot in thotu woro innde by Amorlcau' workmen ln Aine.ricait fac; tdrlos and taken out here und put up under the supurlntendimco oi* Amerl? can workmou. Tho way It hupnoited waa owlng tovJohn BitU's doslro to hnvt tim work done quickly nnd ehoaply, anc at tho samo titne substntitlully. Wlttlc he had been laylng tho tracks froir horo to tho sea, our brldge companles biui Hitrprlsod the English by puttlng up tho steel viaduct across'the Atbart Hiver in tho ICgyptlaii Sudun, wtthli a inuoli sh.ortor ' tlmo and far mor* chetipiy than tlie best Brltish bullden could possihly do. Tharotore, \\-hei (ho Orltish governinont iisked for bld: (Cuntiiuieu un eivxuud lJagc); REAL ESTATE AND Hxact Figttresof Transac tions for the Year Just Gone By. EURCELL MAKES SPLENDIDhXHIBIT Transactions for the Bast Wcck Show Much Inqiiiry for Buikl iii},' Lots?lnvestors Intend to Liuild Houses for Kcnt?Sa!e? o4 Ike Wcck. Thore was publlshed ln thla column, the llrst Sunday ln tlie month an oa* tlimiti: ot the real estate transactloni ln tlils clty for the year 1907. It waa stated at the Ume that lt was merely an tstimate, as lt was impossiblu in so short a Ume to get anythlng approach ing tlio oxact ilgures. Thla eatithate wus conflned to Rlchmond property, not Including the suburbs or nearby farm lands In Henrlco county. Tho total fig? ures glven for real estnte transaction* In tlio clty proper were not far from tho actual figures as glven In the ln torestlng table complled from tho boolts by Mr. W. K. Purcell, Jr,, real t-state compller. Mr. Purcell has taken great pulns to get thc accurate figures, and t'ue Interestlng document glven herewlth Ik well worthy of preserva tion for futuro reforence and compari son. llti-.iiu-.-S of a Wcck. Weather condltlons durlng a part of the week just closed were not favor able to the real estate men, nnd atorms cut off some outdoor deals that mlght otherwlxc have been consummated, but they are stlll on the strlng, and in due tlme wlll be closed up. As It was. a falrly good buslness wai done for whut tlie dealcrs call "a waitlng senson." The total actual smlea made aniounted to about $55,000. "Wlth but few o-vceptlons tlio sales were of tlu chcuper houttcs, bought for m:cu iiHiicy. iinil tiu* tower priced lots, upon whlch i.non of small means are to bulld or ii|)ou which lnvestors wlll bulld houses ..f the l-iwor and medlum priccil order- for tlu: purposo of rentlng to iinil of -Dinll iiieans. There bus b(*eii for the past noveral iiiiuitli!- siu-h denuind hy ronters for_, ImiiKAt*- ol tlu- klnd nft"mt?d above thiC Ir.vesloru aro beginnlng to look 1nte tlu- neccsslty and the prollt of Supply - ing tlio demand. Several have already cominunced to erect houses of this class, nnd the real estate agents re? port considorabia Inqulry on tho part of such lnvestors for vacant property, on whlch they wlsh to erect neat. small liomes for rent. A number of such deals were cloeed durlng tho week past. ,% Sfo IVeakening by Owner*. Tho late monoy pressure hus uu covorecl no weak spots in real estate, tiie holdern of good property belng- in no senso weak. They know, or thlnk they know, tho value of Richmond realty, and as but very few, lf any, of thom are forced to sell, and aa they havo lost nono of thelr falth, they aro holdlng on to what they havo for tho prlcoa they thlnk the goods are worth. If "a walting season" has been brought about by would-be lnvestors holdlng off in- tha hope of tho late finan? cial pressure developlng a weakness ln Rlchmond dlrt they mlght as well decldo to walt no longer, but to get ? busj- at once. Some Sales Made. Among the sales made durlng the week was the property, No. 524 East Broad Street, whlch was sold at auc? tlon by J. B. Klam & Company for Mra. John S. Llebert.- Mr. A. L. Straus waa tho buyor, and tho prlce paid was $13; 300. Mr. Straus bought as an luvest ment. W. C. Blanton reports some good sales. Hls agency sold the residence, No. 213"8 Park Avenue to Mr. W. S. Drowry for lnveatment. The price was $5,000. Other sales made by the Blan? ton agency were Nos. 100 and 102 South Second Street, for $5,525, a house on West Clay Street for $2,325, a vacant lot on Weat Clay near Bowland, for $1,000, and two beautiful lots ln Hlgh land Park. A. J. Chewnlng Company sold a handsome brlck realdence on West Grace Street for $7,500, also No. 307 West Clay Street for $2,200. This waa bought by Mr. John S. Llebert aa an", invostmont. . Othor properties sold by this agency amounted to several thou* sand dollars. All of tho agenctea -re? port small sales, but particulars as a generul rule aro lucklng. Bullrtlug Operation*. Bulldlng operations continue actlve, and none of the contractors are com plainlng of a lack of work. Home bullders aro making plans to erect hpmes In all parta ot tho city, and tlw inc'lcations now are that in a very short Whllo all of the workmen- -who wero luld off when tho winter short: season opened will put buck tu work.. An ovldence of this is found in th* fact that agents who lend money on real estato report an unusually actlv* demand for monoy for buihliug pur POSOB. Whllo the recont lneleme,nt weathet has aclversely affocted tho suhurban rcul estate markot somewhat, yet lu.-inj deals are under way, and archltects ol Rlchmond ure busy preparlng for new houses whlch are to be bullt thli spring. Iu Burton Hoights bulldlng opera* tlons aro very ? actlve, and It Is tlmt thoy wore, for thoi*o la not a vacanl hcuse foi* ront In this attractlvo auburfc but tlioro la an actlve demand foi thom, ' , Several sales of bulldlng lots hav? been mudo. ln Illgiiland Park und North* sido during tha past week or twa, and tho peoplo aro looking for very actlve bulldlng as soon as tho winter showa slgns of breuklng up. . (iinter Park. ? From ' flf teen to twenty rocent pur** chasera. ln Glnter Park property are preparlng to bulld during the present year, A regular dovolopment boom le well under way ln thla suhiirb. The reduced- cost of bulldlng Has brought' about a-healthy condltlon of affalra, lund honic-buildera are ranldly lukln-g