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ATLANTA
GROWN LIKE A MUSHROOM!
STANDING LIKE GRANITE!
REVIEW
Of the Trade and
Commerce of
t that the banks of this place have authority to J1870, we find that the total cash received by
! use $2,965,000 in their capital; that of this j the road for local (not through) freights,
sum only $1,083,000 have been subscribed, shipped from and received at this point, was
while only $853,000 havq been actually paid j $168,281.31 ; while the same for 1871 was
up; that of the amount already subscribed,
$230,000 have not been called for, and 1,882,- I
$239,164.80.
The Macon & Western road, though we
1000 of the authorized capital has not yet been i have not exact figures, is known to have had
subscribed.
Besides the foregoing we have a branch of
j the Georgia Railrosd Bank, and the private
banking houses of JohnH. James, and W. M.
J R. J. Lowry.
I The Georgia Railroad Bank is located in
Augusta, with branches in Washington,
; Athens and Atlanta, and is a chartered insti
tution, but since the war has issued no bonds,
and therefore is without any fixed banking
a similar increase.
The freights on the State road are largely
through, and mostly one way—coming from
the northwest. The local freights to and
from this city on this road were never
large, and are not kept separate from
other freights, but it is known
that the Atlanta business on this road has
greatly increased for the past three years.
The total earnings for freights to and from
capital at present, but doing a very large ! Atlanta for the year ending 31st December,
banking business, and is one of the soundest j 1871, was $295,716.95; and for the year end-
institutions in the country. The branch at ing 31st December, 1872, $365,651.16. We
this place, before the war, did a much larger | take pleasure in stating that Gen. McRae, the
| business than the mother bank in Augusta, j very energetic and business-like Superintend-
Mr. James does a banking and brokerage j ent of this road, has introduced the same
business exclusively, which is very heavy in- ! method of keeping a ready record of the local
deed. He has the full confidence of the com
munity.
years, ft has been asserted that Atlanta had ■ timate, will be paid by the taxes now befog » In 1834, Mr. Roath opened a small
obtained its growth. Occasionally there has i gathered * ~ * -----
i i_ii :„ tu.. .. *i.„ 1 0 _ _i.
where Judge Collier’s office now stands, but
been a lull in the activity of the real estate 1 The above information, which is briefly and j continued onlv one year.
market, or in the rapid erection of buildings, ! hastily given at your request, I hope will be
from which n few would become disheartened,
but even while these sigos were to be seen, j
the trade and manufactures of the place has |
continued to increase.
For more than a year, we have beard croak-:
ing because there was a dullness in the ;
trade in city property. These persous have
not truly comprehended the situation.
The tightness of money has iessep-1
ed the demand tor city lotejf^H
it is most remarkable that the very great
scarcity of money which has curtailed the
trade in property, has not decreased the
amount of building and general improvement
going on in the cit^^M
satisfactory.
Respectfully,
J. W. Goldsmith,
City Treasurer.
OUR TRADE.
wilts Growth and its Character
istics.
Messrs. Wood «fc \ eal opened a store and
continued a year.
In 1867, George Sharp, Jr., commenced the
i trade, and continued alone till 1871, when Le
formed a partnership with E. B. Floyd. The
firm at Sharp Floyd was dissolved in 1872,
succeeded by B. W. Briscoe at the same stand.
Mr. Sharp afterwards established the first
• “Parlor Jewelry Store” in the Sooth, on the
i second floor of the Republic Block. He is
now with Mr. Briscoe. Mr. Sharp iga brilliant
buyer, and never seems to weary of indulg-
I ence of the whims and caprices of the public.
He has built one of the finest stores in the
■South, and astonished the natives often
Messrs. Lowry, in addition to their bank
ing, carry on a wholesale trade in produce,
groceries and domestic goods, their sales being
' nearly a half million per annnm, and their
banking business about $250,000 per month.
! We are glad to say that every one of our
banks, whether private or chartered, are per-
! fectly sound and above all suspicion or dis
trust whatever. This statement will be cor-
roborated by every merchant or business man
■ I ! in Atlanta. We make it with pleasure and
TI|P I ATXl pride. It is something to be justly proad of
LI VILYl intheee tight times.
** Bankers and business men all unite in testi-
1 fying that the past summer has been the clos-
eat financial crisis we have ever experienced,
to be followed by no crash or failures; but all
4 DDDD 4 m QAMr A17 ATTTO 1 noil© in the opinion that from thirty to sixty
A. 1 Tifil A.1. OUJU.L Ur lIUll , davs more will creatlv relieve us. As soon
• tonnage of this road, which Col. Grant has
been pursuing on the Atlanta and West Point
— P I , Wb.le the leading characteristics of onr | wou^do credU $
In our issue of the 13th July last we noticed trade for the past year has been of course its a counter in Tiffeny’s best room. He is no\J
this subject, and named a number of costly exceeding growth, there are two other char- withB. W. Briscoe, who, with ample capital
buildings-atores and rosidences-then being actetistic8 tspecia Hy noticeable 1 “ ’ I I
erected, among them the splendid residences r
of Dr. John M. Johnson, Col. J. T. Grant,
Samuel M. Inman, J. F. Morris, C. W. Hun-
1st. The classification of the several art.- Tb o m ,,son s Hotel for a,x months
and careful hand, is carrying a big buisiness.
In 1849, Hiram T. Jones kept a store in
NEAR NEIGHBORS AND
A SYNOPTICAL CROP
STATEMENT.
Our Railroad System, Banks
and Insurance Cos.--Our
Manufactories—Mis
cellaneous In
dustries.
days more will greatly relieve us.
as the cotton crop begins to move to the mar
1 ket, it will bring a steady flow of money from
the great financial centers, which will reach
i the pockets of our people and greatly relieve
the pressure.
We have conversed quite freely with our
principal moneyed men, as to the real cause
of the financial pressure through which we
have passed, and the prospect of the future.
The most of them, while they are fully con-
l fident of early relief from the present pres-
' sure, look with apprehension into the future,
and expect a crash or extensive bankruptcy,
either with moneyed institutions, merchants,
, or planters, or to a considerable extent with
; all, unless our present system of business is
radically changed. To illustrate:
The crops this year are good. The cotton
nicutt,
cles of trade into separate establishment*.
There are now a number of houses in the
for a number of years.
This will convey to the reader an accurate
idea of the onward and upward progress of
Atlanta’s trade, and will satisfy the most skep
tical, that this is a great comme rcial centre.
There are now five great leading lines of rail
way, radiating from this point, and a sixth
one (the Georgia Western) in process of con
struction, which does and will, give ns long
through lines from this point to the North
west, Northeast, ttoutheast, South, South
west and West None of these are short local
roads; but every one is a far-extended and
important line of through travel and freight.
Such a centre as this, with our local as well
as more distant surroundings, will be sure to | opinion that there have tteen^not less than
E. A. Werner, Judge Lochrane, Mr. i 2nd. The safety of the trade, and the pru- city engaged in the jewelry business.
Burckhardt, and Mr. Griswold, and the large | d with which it hftR heon ron dnrt-i
and costly stores of Henry Jackson, Col. G. i “ , ‘ beea o nctea '
W. Adair, James R. Wylie, General Austell, I re 6 ar d to the first item, we find that
Mr. W. A. Haynes is doing a snug business,
with a choice selection of goods, on the cor
ner of Marietta and Peachtree. He is a ouiet.
and others—showing that our march was on- | there have been established oil and varnish reliable merchant, and is making money!
ward and upward. j houses, music stores, coffee houses, white Mr. Robert Dohme has a handsome store
We have been trying to learn what building j , d notion houses a regular wholesale °PP°* ite National Hotel, and is doing a
has actually been done during the past twelve j ® >8 safe and growing business. He has a rich us-
months, and from the best information we 8 un aQ d ornamentation stores, and several sortnient of watches especially, and is “up
can gather, there have been fully sixty large j others of this kind. iu all the novelties. He is popular, and‘is
brick stores erected, and fully twice that The public is not now forced to go to gen- selling a large amount to the “young bloods,
number of frame buildings for stores on our 1 , ... * .
principal streets outside the fire limits. . eml stores to ? et tbese "l*™ 1 . articles, but
We have fouud it impossible to arrive at | can find them in stores dealing in them alto-
tmy thing like a reliahle estimate of the num-jgether. Tins naturally enables Atlanta to , From the best information We can gather
r * sfr n »s",., bU (!iv„ offer greater and finer inducements to the collected from the most reliable sources.
Our M«-rcItamlizr and to
11*aion Bull*
no ujuic uiBiam BurruuuuiugB, wm ut; sura io .opinion mm mere nave neen loi ipsh 1 . . ... , „ . finrl that «• _, , ..
keep Atlanta in the lu*ure. os it has been in | seventy elegant brick residences put up in getter-1 jobbing trade of this and adjoining | **"“*“!» “ ,dlons ot
the past—the most important distributing ! this city in the past twelve months; and frame States, and puts Atlanta one step further on , d • - *..f , P ro , ce mor *
point in the Southern tttates. This has made i residences in such numbers that we will not ! the road to absolute metopolitauism. I *o*»n J , mD ? tue year
point in the Southern tttates. This has made j residences in such numbers that we will not
our city what it is—the wonder of all; and i venture an estimate, ruuuiog way up into the
will cause our continued growth and increased | hundreds at least,
; 1872, besides one miliion four hundred thou-
In regard to the safety of the trade, we have ; sand dollars sold on commission.
trade, for many years to come.
THE COTTON TRADE.
There is nof another city of equal size iu the
cotton States which can say, as can be said
by Atlanta, that while the cotton trade is of
importance with it, the trade is small in com
parison with other interests. And yet Atlan
ta ought to be »»n important cotton market.
The territory tributary to her raises not less
Some further idea may be had, when we ^ut re ^ er to the tact elaborated elsewhere,
During the first three months of the present
year there were nearly four and a half millions
: mention that Messrs J C. Peck * Co., Ilea- that out of 1,240 firms and individual business ^‘doUerl wor.h of goods s^dbyW
1 l ey ‘ $*** * G®*; Cook, Gunby &|Co., and , men in Atlanta, there have been in one year ! merchants, besides commission sales, which
1 gatef no'‘“ess th^n °450 “hand's employed! j oul y ni “ e fa,lur£!S ’ aggregating in losses, less 1 we have been unable to estimate for this re
but there are several heavy contractors whom than 870,000. As there has not been a sin- n T '• . ,
we have failed, for want of time, to see, who gle failure in which there has been an attempt : the trade for the sam/pjriri If last ^ar^an
ba ' e a large number of hands employed in ' t 0 swindle, can any city of like size say as increase of 20 per cent, we may say
ass stwsfis Jtaar*...««. jj-s-iftiW,
than two hundred thousand bales of oottoo, tiiao one hundred men in this city who arc
three-fourths of which should find a market, j constantly employed in the work of building. 1
think it safe to say that there are not less ! city of mushroom business.
The Liquor f
That this has not been, and is not, the case
must l>e attributed to two causes. First, our
distance from the sea-coast; and next, our
NOTES ON OUR TRADE AND
NOTICES OF OUR BEST
BUSINESS HOUSES.
of Georgia alone will probably yield thirty-five ! want of capital to handle eighteen millions of
or forty million: but this crop was commenced ' cotton with. Had onr railroads been liberal
with a debt of perhaps50 percent, against it, I towards Atlanta the distance of the city from
before a single seed was in the ground, and j the shipping points would not have operated
has been increasing ever since. The iner- j against us, because it would have enabled us
! chants have been carrying this debt, and j to compete favorably with other towns. But
the banks have been carrjiDg the merchants, i the general tendency of the railroad policy
! and this has helped to make the severe pres- * has been to make Atlanta less a terminus for
I cotton than a depot through which it can
Our farmers must quit buying anything ! pa»s-
which the farm can produce. When they do ' But in spite of the disadvantages under
this, they will have a little surplus mbney j which the city has labored, the progress of
and be out of debt. Then times will be easy, j the cotton trade in Atlanta has been decidedly
One of our prominent bankers gives the favorable. When the war broke out the busi-
following as among the principal causes of | oess was small and was confined to a few* men,
ways free from the pestilence which cities
the coast and navigable rivers suffer from.
m . prepara
tion for a heavy trade during the coming
fall and winter. Fully 25 per cent more
goods of every kind are now in, the stores of
our merchants, laid in for the coming busy
season, than ever was before in this city this
early in the fall; and from careful observation
The business rear which closes to-day has I
been one of general disasters and gloom, to J it* an( i why?
through Charleston and Savannah, paying
the duty to a Collector for this port.
With the natural advantages of Atlanta,
and the energy and enterprise of her citizens,
there will be no limit to her progress for
many years to come.
To condense and recapitulate, we will say
. that there has been over one million of dol-
who advanced money to planters, took the j ears spent in building new houses for At-
Atlanta is still going ahead with the strength j Bv enterprise, fair dealing and industry, the
of a young giant. We will, no doubt, be al-' W'holesale Liquor Dealers of Atlanta have *** - xmif aix% _
i built up a trade surpassing that of any other
city in this State. Her central taction makes aU , ,be S°od S .aid
We shall, before a great while, have a Cus- j Atlanta a first-class market for all grades °f ' Jeninud 1 IU ' e 0 su PPb l ^e
tom House here, »nd be as much a “port of, liquors, and enable, her merchant, to offer We have been blessed with a bountifnl cron
entry as.many of the prominent seaport | inducements surpassed by no others North Georgia is doing what never before wis
ctties A cry soon onr enterprising wholesale Ibat thisis aj.prec.atcd by the trade is evi- doue _ rail > g a fine " rop of cotton; and all
merchants will import their goods Irom Eu- dent train the fact that the liquor business of cr except wheat have been and are fine fa-
ropean markets and manufactories, direct, | this city extends to the Atlantic coast as well deed r
as to the States of Alabama and Tennessee, | j
and with the opening of the Atlanta and Rich
mond Air-Line both North and South Caro- ,
^ # _ r
Money is scarce and everybody pressed for cotton and sent it North to a commission mer- lanta this year,
t, and why? chant, who sold it for them, charging a per
.. , , . ... . u i One reason is, that Southern men have; centage for the work. After the close of the
the country in general, and yet Atlanta has logt ft great deal ot - the surp i us m0 ney in the j war, the two or three genilemen who engaged
prospered magically. The cholera, the small- j country speculating in cotton “futures,” and fo lb© cotton trade continued for awhile the
pox, the epizootic, and all sorts of diseases of i he characterized as reprehensible our people --i-— -- ^ *
man and beast, have made it the sickliest j bere - wbere tbe co , ,ton , is made - contracting
. . , . _ . . to deliver more largely of it in New York
season we have ever had, and often effected a than the enllre crop ° a J nd then paying tha
complete paralyzation of trade. The crops, ' forfeit for being unable to comply.
| Another reason is that the bonds issued by
! the State had been taken mostly by our own
banks and people.
Another reason for bard times in Atlanta is
W T e have but little doubt that cotton wi'.l
average 15 cents and over all the time.
lina wiU doubtless pay tribute to the Gate ; and ‘twelty'cmU dori^th. 1 "^fnter ifwlu
" P . e . r i 0r ^ make Atlanta's trade tbi/year thirty piir c
vantages offered here is the fact that the At
lanta merchants do a heavy business in the
towns and villages that, liom their geograph
ical position, should be tributary to Savannah,
Macon and Montgomery. This business has
:v per cent.
larger than it ever was before, and give us the
most plentiful year we have had. We notice
engagements in New York to deliver cotton in
March next at 17c.
Since the close of the war until recentlv
tli of flic Tax Receipts
while not very filtering in themselves, were
wasted by the crushing speculative losses in
cotton, by which it was estimated that $13,000,-
000 in hard cash was swept out of Georgia and that the city authorities had borrowed
put into the hands of New York speculators, in nearly all the surplus money in the place
oil tuo,. a iinntn xl . M.wwhi i the month past, and waa still doing
spite of all these things, Atlanta- the marvel , The €jty Oo *^3 i whjoh ought not to ba
of the State—has grown with prodigions rap- anybody's way, but rather to pursue a pol- . _
idity, as it shown by the carefully edited sta- \ icy that would be to the advantage of our j table to sell to Mr. S. M. Inman and dealers
tistics published in to-day’s Herald. Every I people, was actually a successful competitor : like that gentleman, who are direct shippers.
. . - . . . , against our business men for the use of the * Alter the close of the war the average
branch of business has improved; over a mil-1 ^ nuey which thev needed and c0l ,i d proflt . amount of cotton brought to this market did
not exceed 12,000 bales. Increased capital,
same policy, and the consequence was that
they lost what little capital they possessed.
It was, we believe. Col. 0. H. Strong who first
put iu practice the policy of making this a
market for direct shippers to spinners iu this
and foreign countries. The first effect of this
was to do away entirely with the services of
those who previously stood between the At
lanta dealer and the direct shipper, and a
saving has thus been made of at least $1 50
per bale. For instance, Col Strong, or Messrs.
Parott A Bro., purchase direct from the
farmers. Instead of sending their cotton to
Savannah or to New York, they find it profi-
lion dollars has been spent by private (piti^eas j ably use in their business,
in buildings and improvements; three new j We notice that the prici
banks—flourishing and wealthy—have been flown in Hew York. Though this, on general
r . . i principles, is a favorable sign, still it always
efitabbAed; and scores of new manufacturing I indicates, for the time being, a stringency in
We notice that the price of gold has gone „ — H P
- - ... . trebled these figures and last year the total
number exceeded 32,000. It is true that the
prices obtained here would not admit of a
commission difference to shippers who sought
a market in other markets, as was the style in
former days; but by direct sales as previously
.v 8U ,ai U uivu. aw PM ref erred to, all tbe dealers were enabled to
been opened and is pouring the cream of a j peetmg the Secretary of the Treasury to throw j make a respectable profit. The prospect now
rich country into Atlanta, and two more have : gold on the market to relieve the pressure. _ _ jmad
establishments have been pnt to work; the ; the money market. Aud we notice another
bulk of our merchants have made money and : fad which we regret, upon general principles,
character; a splendid line of railroad has | whi . ch > 8 ’ tbat * be moneyed men of the North
r are looking to the government for relief—ex-
nual sales amount to about two milliondol-, sold ju this cit OQ - oommi6aion " mor “ we
lor^ The dealers is this city are all reliable thmk likely , thin will be hereafter. Our mer-
The bounding growth and prosperity ot and trustworthy gentlemen, and we mention, I i j .*--
lanta is a matter of wonder to most persons as among the principal and leading firms, *u‘ v t u‘ j ‘ good.stn&u
io are not fully informed upon the causes j Messrs. Clayton & Webb, Cox A Hill, John ’ h ' a beeome able to
hichhave produced this gratifying result, j M. Hill, Guthman & Haas, M. E. Maher. L. to mkT ihei.^nn "* - e “ less
* • - - - k onri T^xxo ! apposition to take them on commission-
any other point in the South, especially with- ’ tobacco business, and are building
in a distance sufficiently near to affect our ] trade,
prosperity. Among these causes are unsur-
a good
commission
feature.
There is a provision in our ttlate laws which
greatly incliues persons who have goods ot
any kind which they want put upon the mar-
I I And from assurances we have from the lead!
passed health, water, salubrity, temperature, | ing men in this business we are satisfied that I W^ L U J! UI \ lUe
”/i b tbe H tba « reat j ^ trada will iucrMM one-half million next; tlia ’ n , 0 bell them to merchLs The law
cause of our growth mid importance is that
this city is now a great railroad centre for
leading through lines from every section of
the United States, making Atlanta the great
est distributing point in the Southern States.
But without any details in this direction,
we will give a few facts concerning the city':
The Carpet Trade.
makes it a felony, (larceny after trust dele-
I gated), punished by imprisonment iu the pen
itentiary, lor a merchant to tail to account for
This important branch of trade has become 1 goods consigned to be sold on commission,
a marked faature in the business of Atlanta, j and those having goods for sale do not hesi-
In 1865, Mr. S. S. Kendrick opened a carpet [ tate to consign them to men to whom they
■ , „ , , ~ | store, and was the pioneer in this-business m i wi
1:"“ POrt,OU 01 this city,. He ha 8 P carried on the business is
greater railroad facilities, etc., has nearly | what its government has doue.
The income of the city from taxes, licenses,
Ac., (not including the issue or sale of bonds,)
for 1870, was $193,350 01; for T871, $257,
been flatteringly commenced; a splendid con- j
tract has been made for water works; new
people have poured in lrom all quarters of the :
country; and our citizens, with more trade, '
more money, more territory to command, 1
more plnck, and more energy, than ever be- i
fore, bid a cordial farewell to the prosperous
old year, and give sunDy welcome to the fu
ture.
Our Railroad System.
SHOWINO ATLANTA S INCREASE OF
OVER THE SEVERAL ROADS.
________________________ _ _ i is that our facilities for this kind of transac-
We long for the time when the government j tion will be largely better than it was before,
cannot thus influence our currency and The opening of the Air-Line railrord, and the
trade. Port Koyal road gave ns additional outlets
. 1 which will tend to reduce freights and conse-
, queutly augment the value of cotton in our
markets. We have no doubt that the value
business of these two roads will add a permanent in-
i crease ot one or two dollars per bale on all the
cotton raised in the country tributary to At
lanta for the next ten years. This will be
equal to a gain of over $300,000 per annum.
Although Atlanta’s colton market is limited
to 32,000 bales, we are really entitled to not
less than 150,000. West Point, Newnan, Pal
metto, Jonesboro, Griffin, Bear Creek, Mari
etta, Acworth, Cartersvilie, Lithonia, Con
yers, Rome and fifty other places we could
name are really tributaries of Atlanta, and
should make their cotton markets here instead
We have not been able to obtain as full and
satisfactory reports of the, business of the va-
roads centering at this point, owing to
L nder the respective heads quoted below th6 dlffereDt mKnD J ia v,. hlc £ [be He veral offi-
will be found a complete resume of Atlanta’s , oers thereof keep their records. Our aim is
business for the past year; a recital of every I to show, as far os possible, the Atlanta, busi-
advantage that Atlanta of ’73 had over At- ness of tbe roads ’ and not tbe trough bust-
, . - ,_ 0 . ~ ,, « , . ness; and onr object was not so much to
o /2; a story of the development °t , gfcow what was earned in money by the roads
every resource; with such comments as tbe ?n this business, as to give a general idea of
editors or reporters of the Herald have the amount ot Atlanta’s trade—the quantitv of j of elsewhere. The disadvantages tinder
a ........ poods shinned and received at this noint. i which we have labored in years past being
defied pertinent under the circumstances. ^Ve cooce.ved to be the trae way of amv-! removed the current of thif trad£ will flow
We invite the attention of our readers to —' * 1 * --- 1 - ^
these details.
would refuse to sell anything on time. This
t is a good law. Our commission merchants
successfully aud now has a very handsome j like it. Nothing that is just is too stringent
aud well supplied establishment. 1 lor an honest man.
They deal in nothing but carpets and oil As long as it remains on our statute books
542 16 and for 187*> $293 327 cloths and curtains, and do an immense bus- goods will seek a market on commission in
The'assessed value of‘the reaVostat* mh ine9S > carrying all the while a stock that will Georgia, which would not otherwise be sent
me assessed value ot tne real estate sub- j moot all the dainty requirement of the retail here.
trade, and fill the demands of the jobbing
trade. They are excellent gentlemen, and
stand high on the roll of our merchants.
ject to taxation was, in 1870, $9,417,965; in
1871, $12,135,201; aud 1873, $13,009,640.
The tax realized from the sales of merchan
dise was, for 1870, $34,007 20; 1871, $33,378
75, and for 1872, $33,543 08.
The amount expended in work on tbe streets
was, in 1870, $42,745 83; 1871, $99,643 39,
and 1872, $85,540 50.
In 1870, the actual value of property, (real
estate and good stocks), belonging to the city,
was $782,750.
Oil, Pain). Ginn and V.rniili Trade.
The two leading houses of Atlanta in this
In 1S08, Messrs. Chamberlin, Boynton A line are Messrs. C.rlev, Duck A Co.. 51 Pryor
Co. opened another store, strictly devoted to street, and Messrs. Holmes, Calder A Co .
the carpet business, into which they put a Marietta street. The former firm has been
heavy capital, ana now have one of tbe most established now two vears, and is a branch of
extensive and finest carpet stores in the South-; the Great Southern" Oil Works. Louisville.
ly $2,000,000. This debt has been incurred
in the heavy improvements which we have
ern States. Their trade amounted to $75,000
last year. They do a large jobbing trade
this line, besides their city trade.
ployed.
In Atlanta every grade ot carpets, from 25
cents to $18 per yard, can be brought, and
They began trade with kerosene as their sta
ple, but have gradually “spread” themselves
which ; as demand grew, until now their stock em
braces a complete line of paints, leads, oils,
varnish, window glass and artists’ materials,
unsurpassed in the South. Depending upon
the qualities of their goods and close living,
this firm bids fair to be the leading house in
their specialties. In the single article o:
kerosene, the trade of Atlanta averages four
ternrises which will assist ns in navino Ibis --a hundred and fitty barrels per month, of which
debt ’ m U 1 l t P ' R tb thing m the carpettaie, are here at wholesale this house sends out about one-third. In
« , »nd«'a:etail. ' window glass they are assuming the leading
position, as the drug houses are gradually
leaving that line of trade. Their stock o f
, j . , . , , . ... -- . LtUln IU CID Del Void, lull UO UIUUL: LIL UUU
made and now have m hand, the State Cap,- the fln9ft laiWequins, made op in ?he most
seen m New York or Boston—can be had here,
r ™ ^®aud upon ns good terms. Oil cloths from
wdl be receiving a large income from these en- threc , p sighte “ B feat wide, and every possible
ern Railroads, water works, Ac. Soon we
The City Finances.
TllOM COI.. GOLDSMITH, THE CITY TBEASL'ItEIL
ing at any correct idea of tbe importance of into its regular channel; hence we may look
Atlanta as a Commekctal city. with crrtainly for a great increase in the eot-
Our Bu*iuess Colleges. _
Atlanta has two Business Colleges that for ' ^”*“ d ^? bl ^ st ”“» tb wmd( '* « lass ^
cellence of management and standard ot: "r,^ ’Vo P t , ; aud f aerally amouuts
t0 from fifteea huodred to two thousand
THE FAILURES OF THE YEAR, AND whose
THE RATING OF THE MERCHANTS. SO
city
found oalv one of our roads
records of business done are
kept as to show this
business at once, without going through
the Editors of the Herald:
ton trade of Atlanta.
Tike Leuonx of the Cengu*.
. j i . - . - ”, .. i While the list census as taken at the South
A Hebald reporter called yesterday upon a tedious search, such as we nor the kindly ! was notorions , y wrong , and has bceu proven
Mr. Fonda, the courteous manager of Brad- disposed officials, (who readily offered to as-j
in a hundred instances, there are some
street’s Commercial Agency—the recognized s * 8t ever y ^’. a y in J lI ?£ j comparative lessons that it teaches which
authority on such noints in this section He This one road is the A lanta.4 West tend to 8how AtUnla . s magical growth in the city debt is
anxnonryon^sucn poinw m uu# aectton. He Point, under the management of that 'ery p 0pu i at i 0n as we u as in wealth. ] lmled to, yet te
waa informed that the past year had been of
remarkable stringency throughout the whole
State, but a remarkably successful one with
Atlanta merchants, and that Atlanta’s corn-
able railroad Superintendent, L. P. Grant.
The tonnage of this road for the fiscal year j
ending July 1st, 1871, was—outward from
this city, 8,537 tons, and inward to this city,
4,877. The same largely increased for the
The indebtedness of the city of Atlanta is
considered by her citizens to be large, aud is
as great, perhaps, as it should be, unless in
vestments are made in solid|enterprises which
beyond doubt would tend to the con
tinued growth and enhancement of the
eallli of the city. Notwithstanding
often disparagingly al-
few cities with the enter
scholarship cannot be surpassed North
South. Their respective cards will be found
elsewhere.
The amount of good done by these colleges
cases.
In 1871, the trade of Atlanta in this line of
goods was comparatively in its infancy,
amounting to abont $100,000 CO in round
is hardly to be estimated. There is one item
susceptible of mention. Even- student that n , u “ b n e ”;,v ia l ® i ^ i ra J ’ Rm ; ln S u
comes to Atlanta pavs $70 tuition and books ! ^ U> building, the sales
$60 to $80 for h!s three or four mootha of ‘t - f . TblS All
■ .... c-,. . . - expects to .sell aliout twenty-five tons of
u an average of SoO at least for Kl ! ntuckv Leftd A 0l , ^ . stnc ., Iv r ,
1 .ence, every student who comes white Leiu , thU to n.tking" ot
brings from ms borne at the least . *. ’. ■ * , ,
ipulation as well as in wealth. | ' “ ,r " ® f.i ' interior grade::, ot which at least an equal
The census of 1860 is as follows of principal | P ns *» wealth and prospects of Atlnntm can 1-^ , amount is consumed. U is safe to estimut.
Lies of Georgia iu the order of population: i «how so small a debt us hers. Nine years , , . • . , . •• - x of 1S73 in these classes of goods
mercial rating would average 30 per cent ! next year, while for the year ending July 1st, I Columbus
Georgia iu the order of population
Savannah 22,292
Augusta 12,493
9,621
higher this year than last year. Business is
settling down to proper principles, less bor-
1873, the tonnage was—outward, 12,274, and
inward 5,149 tons.
Bear in mind tbat all this consists only of
rowed capital is used. The Register quotes j business forwarded from and received at At-
1,240 firms and individuals now doing business lanta.
in Atlanta, and the past year has witnessed
only 9 failures. Of these, one firm was burned
out, another only owed $2,000, another made
an assignment, and will pay every dollar of
debt; another owed $4,800, and surrendered
$2,800 of available assetts; another failed for
$27,000 with $18,000 of assets; another paid
A few items of details will be very inter
esting:
For the year ending first of July, 1871, there
were shipped on this road, from Atlanta,
23,060 sacks corn, 1,237 sacks wheat, 7,700
sacks oats, 1,400 packages bacon, 793 pack
ages lard, 24,457 sacks and 2,224 barrels flour,
2,534 sacks peas, 1,936 packages guano, and
61,741 packages of miscellaneous merchan-
40 per cent; another 30 per cent, and the re-1 w ^ile there were received at this point
mainingone has not yet made a settlement. I 6 *™
flour, aud 18,801 miscellaneous packages.
For the year ending 1st July, 1873, there
were shipped from Atlanta, on this roadl
In no case has there been an attempt to swin
dle, and no “antie" dealing has been detected.
Mr. Fonda assures us that the banks are fully I **5,915 sacks corn, 1,164 sacks wheat 5,507
able to carry the city through any reasonable j “^b^
panic, that trade bos increased thirty per cent, land 89,866 packages miscellaneous merchan-
in the past twelve months, and that ho looks j dise, while there was received at this point
for a future for Atlanta of unexampled pros-I 23 »‘ 225 bales cotton * 93 Packages bacon, 405
peri tv i k arre fa flour, and 26,665 miscellaneous pack-
^ ages.
These figures show a small falling off in
some branches of business, but the large in
crease of tbe aggregate tonnage, both out
ward and inward, show the steady and rapid
increase in Atlanta’s trade.
Add we would be glad if all our roads
could conveniently keep a similar record of
their businoss, showing its amount at all
times.
The Atlanta business of the Georgia Rail
road has likewise largely increased—though
their records do not show the actual business
transacted, save in the money arising from
the same; thus, for the year ending 1st April,
Owr Banks and Honeyed Condition.
We have six chartered banks in tbe city of
Atlanta, viz:
AtlantaNat.cnsl Bank, capital paid ia.. $800,000
Citizcru’ Bank Capital paid in ITo.ueo
(authorized capital $1,000,(W)
(Subscribed capital $400,C00)
fttats National Bank, Capital paid in 115,000
(authorized capital $600,000)
Bank of the State of Georgia, Capital paid in.. 103 000
(authorized capital $1,000,000)
Georgia Banking aud Trust Co., Capital paid in 135,000
I>oll*r Havings Bank, Capital paid in 40,000
Total capital paid up $853,000
By examining the foregoing it will be seen
Atlanta 9,554
I Macon 8,247
j In this Atlanta is at the bottom ot the list
| saving Macon.
i » The census of 1870 show tbe following fig
ures:
Savannah 28,235
Atlanta 21,789
Augusta 15,389
Macon 10,810
Columbus 7,401
Presuming, which is just, that the compar
ative census is correct we see that Atlanta has
increased in population 12,235; Savannah,
5,943; Macon, 2,563; Augusta, 2,891.
This tells the tale. It is absolutely certain,
however, that Atlanta's population is now at
least 35,000.
> Building*, General linpiovcnu-uti, Sfcc.
When Atlanta was first founded there were
only a lew who were sagacious or sunguiue
enough to foresee that a great city would
grow up on this spot;—so far from any navi
gable stream, or from any of what was then
regarded as the great highways or entrepots of
commerce. And among those who could per
ceive how a city might, and most probably
would grow up in this section, w ere some
who scouted the idea of this being the favored
spot; and one of our t best citizens, in those
days, built au elegant brick structure in De
catur, believing the city would bo there in
stead of here. That building is still in De
catur, and the gentleman has, for many years,
been one of Atlanta’s prominent and most
highly esteemed citizens.
Frequently, within the last twenty-five
have not yet elapsed since Atlanta was almost have brought fn at least 1090 stndents; so that, nt $3^ Qp
entirely destroyed by the incendiary torch of they collected from all parts of the country | Holmes Calder & Co \n old
orar. At tbat lime sU* was out of debt, and ' “^coiweatfatetl and disbursed i« Atlanta ChiriM | bu bouse, is . splendid firm, of full
had she escaped that terrible ordeal, as ber $2w,000.00 oi money that if tbej had not capit »l and enlarged experience, and are
sister cities did, her debt to-duy would be ! ^ e0Q bere would h.ve gone North. Ibej are K„,i.i;n« —i.
They
.mite small. It was necessary, "to rear her 1 tbus R l>own to be one of Atlanta’s most im-
Pha nix-like from the ashes." that money ' P ortant interests, and should be encouraged.
Tl»e Jewelry Trade
This trade is considered precarious by many
and Atlanta has bad her experiences
to most other cities.
spot where Richards’ book store is, <
Imma street. He left here in 1850.
should be spent. All the public buildings,
cept the City Hall, were destroyed,and required
a large outlay of money to rebuild them. The
expense incurred in putting her streets, cis
terns, wells and public buildings in order was
as great as if her people had gone into the
w’oods and began anew. Of the bonded debt
$1,418,000, there has been subscribed and ex
pended in the construction of the railroads
terminating here, $600,000, or nearly half of
the whole amount, viz., Atlanta and Rich
mond Air-Line Rialroad, which is second in
importance to no road in the State, $300,000
and the Georgia Western Railroad, $300,000,
which, when completed, will be one of equal
importance to us.
The proceeds of other bonds lias been ex
pended iu procuring for the city the Capitoi
of the Btate, her elegant public school und[
other buildiugs, her lair grounds, gas stock, | of goods, amounting to $1200.
much valuable real estate,
meuts,
building up a superb trade.
Junk IS u» I nr ** and It* Feature*.
It is almost impossible to arrive at a cor
rect estimate of the extent of the business
milar | usually designated under the unpalatable and
' obnoxious title ot “junk;" but the bnsineas
The first jewelry store established in this in this city, a6 it is done, cover many article!
city was by J. W. Demby, iu 1848, about the ! not known or classified in the junk business
of other cities. Here it is especially an im-l
portant and leading feature ot our commerce
Iu March, 1850, Er Lawshe and Riley S. j and business importance. In the immediate
Baker opened a small jewelry store on the east vicinity of Atlanta there are five paper mills;
side of Whitehall street, about the spot where and this single fact gave Atlanta her first im-
Mayes & Co.’s saddlery store now stands. Mr. portance, both as a paper market and the
Lawshe put in $7.25 and Mr. Baker $31.50— ( material to produce the same. Therefore,
total capital stock of the firm, $38.75. Tho rags became one of the leading articles in the
partnership Listed nearly a year, when Mr. “junk business." Next of importance iuthe
Lawshe bought out his partner, aud being as- i business comes the hide trade. This is a
sisted by Judge J. A. Hayden in money and * business of itself, and in the larger cities is
redit, went to Charleston aud bought a stock alone one of the greatest importance. Next
In 1855 he cornea the ecrap iron and old metals, such as
general improve- j moved to his present stand on Whitehall. In brass, copper, r.ine, lead, etc. Then the
! 1855 his brother, W. 0. Lawshe, was his wool and furs of this and adjacent States.
The resources ot the city, consisting in partner for a time, and iu 1869, he took Mr. a »d following iu the same hue of articles
stocks, real estates and buildings, are estima- j W. A. Haynes into a three year limited part- handled iu this business, and #o considera-
ted to be equal iu value to one-half of her j nership. His little wooden store waa burned j hie extent is, beeswax, tallow, dried fruit,
debt. The real estate and personal property | by Bhermau, aud his present handsome es- and last, but not least, is loose cotton. There
of her citizens is near twenty millions, wnich tablishment was the first brick three story ; a re many other articles handled by the dealers
is bound for her debts. Oiu city checks have, i building put up on Whitehall after the war. in junk which would be useless to mention,
during the present year, been promptly paid, The first year of his business, 1869, his sales i Estimated extent of the whole business byj
and as a consequence, contractors for city j wero about $1800.
work huvo put in their bids at the lowest
cash prices.
Her bonds lor the Georgia Western Rail
road company, owing to the stringency of j tjy
money, have sold as low as 82cts, some
high as 86cts.
The floating debt, consisting of notes is only a few months and left in disgust, saying 1865.
held by banks and individuals, which, we es- | he could not sell enough to pay his rent.
tn« jbak men and tty those not known a*s
Iu 1871, his sales were $28,000, and last such, but still doing a very considerable pro-
I year $40,000. He is now doing a heavy job- portion of tho business, amounts to over $2,-
I bing trade, and is known all over the couu-
i the “Old Reliable. *
in 1851, a clever German named Schmidt known in our midst, and it has been begun
came here with a $1500 stock -remained | aud increased to its present importance since
*865.
The business is not generally understood
000,000 per diem.
Previous to the war this business was tin-