Atlanta And Its Builders, Vol. 2 - A Comprehensive History Of The Gate City Of The South. Thomas H. Martin

      CHAPTER V. MODERN ATLANTA

      Atlanta as she stands today may be said to date from 1880. Practically the entire city has been built since that date. True, the central part of the city was substantially built up during the fifteen years from the close of the war to that time, many of the structures being the most modern and costly of their day, but few of these comparatively modern landmarks can be found in the heart of Atlanta today. Ante-bellum Atlanta was obliterated "at one fell swoop" by the grim destroyer mythologically known as Mars, but the Atlanta that rose like the fabled phoenix from her ashes has also been obliterated — more slowly, but none the less surely. Not the red hand of war, but the nervous, irreverent hand of progress is responsible for the post-bellum vandalism. The business houses of the seventies, dignified and solid brick structures, answered well enough the requirements of a provincial city of 30,000 inhabitants, but were entirely inadequate to the demands of a metropolitan city of 100,000. Many of them served their purpose five, ten, fifteen, or even twenty years — but they had to go to make way for Twentieth century methods and Twentieth century necessities. Pass from end to end of any central business street and you will find few, very few, buildings which antedate 1880. To give a detailed account of the construction of the principal buildings of modern Atlanta, as was done by the historian prior to 1880, would be an endless task and amount to almost a house-to-house "write-up" of the city. There is nothing that tells of Atlanta's splendid progress more unerringly than this. Few cities in the country — the new West not excepted — show such a "brand-new" look as Atlanta. The "skyscraper" era of the last decade has wrought wondrous changes in Atlanta's sky-line. The Equitable, Austrell, Prudential, Empire, Century and other large office buildings would by no means appear dwarfed on Broadway, New York.

      Atlanta has trebled her population within the last twenty years, and her various industries and business enterprises have increased in about the same proportion. While the last Federal census did not credit Atlanta with quite 100,000 inhabitants, the fact remains that the city and immediate suburbs, some of which are separate incorporations, have an actual census population of over 125,000.

      Her fortunate location, unequalled transportation facilities, and reputation for commercial activity and enterprise, have made Atlanta the Southern headquarters for many of the great corporate interests of the country, and few indeed are the national business concerns that have not, at least, an agency in Atlanta.

      A recent bulletin issued by the census bureau on manufactures in Georgia shows that Atlanta is not only the leading manufacturing city in the state, but has made the most rapid growth, the value of products having increased from $13,074,037 in 1880, to $16,721,899 in 1900, or 27.9 per cent.

      The average number of wage earners increased from 7,957 to 9,368, or 17.7 per cent., but the number of establishments decreased from 410 to 395, or 3.7 per cent.

      The number of establishments, number of wage-earners, and value of products for this city constituted 5.3, 11.2, and 15.7 per cent., respectively, of the totals for the entire state.

      The nine leading industries of the state in 1900 embraced 3,301 establishments, or 44 per cent, of the total number in the state; used a capital of $61,341,596, or 68.3 per cent, of the total; gave employment to 61,170 wage earners, or 73 per cent, of the total number; and paid $14,059,303, or 69.3 per cent of the total wages.

      The value of their products was $72,315,693, or 68.2 per cent, of the total.

      Although Georgia is an agricultural state, there has been a steady growth in its manufacturing and mercantile industries during the half century. The population during these years increased from 906,185 to 2,216,331, or 144.6 per cent., but the average number of wage earners employed in manufacturing establishments increased from 8,368 to 838,342, or 901.9 per cent., embracing in 1900 3-8 per cent, of the entire population, compared with nine-tenths of 1 per cent, in 1850.

      Probably the best indication of the importance of the wage-earning class is afforded by the greatest number employed at any one time during the year.

      In 1900 this was 111,239, or 5 per cent, of the total population of the state.

      Atlanta is the most metropolitan city of its size in the United States, and, in acknowledgment of her push and bustle, has been called "The Yankee City of the South."

      No city, in all the borders of "Dixie Land," so thoroughly typifies what is meant by "The New South."

      In ten years the population, the commercial interests and the industries of the city have grown and increased at a remarkable rate, and the Atlanta of today is beyond the dreams of the citizens of 1890.

      The population of Atlanta and its immediate suburban districts has increased until it can be shown that the city and its business enterprises and institutions are supported by not less than 125,000 people, whereas in 1890 there was only about 80,000 people in the city and its suburbs.

      There has been a wonderful development in the matter of new buildings in the last ten years, and this feature of the city's growth surpasses that of any city in the United States of Atlanta's size.

      The volume of business, wholesale and retail, has increased at a wonderful rate, and Atlanta is recognized as the chief city of the southeast in a commercial way.

      The enormous business being done in Atlanta is shown in the statements of the Atlanta banks, the Atlanta post-office, the clearings of the banks and the receipts of the post-office being a splendid indication of the business done in Atlanta.

      The figures of the Atlanta clearing house show that since 1893 the clearings have increased more than 61 per cent. The clearings for the ten years from 1890 to 1900 probably increased between 75 and 100 per cent.

      The clearings for 1893 were $60,753,911.13. The clearings for 1900 were $97,946,251.04.

      The taxable wealth of Atlanta has increased $11,843,789 since 1890. The real estate values as shown by the city tax books in 1890 were $30,729,894, and the personal property values for that year were $11,906,605, making a total of $42,636,499.

      The taxable wealth in 1900 was $54,480,288. About $10,000,000 has been invested in Atlanta buildings since 1890. Accurate figures are obtainable only since 1896, and the records show that for the five years, 1896 to 1900 inclusive, $7,375,083 was expended in new buildings, office and business, dwellings, additions and alterations.

      In the past ten years $2,800,000 has been expended in the erection of magnificent office buildings.

      Since 1890, $595,000 has been spent in the erection of new public buildings. The United States Federal prison, which is to cost $1,500,000 when completed, is now in course of construction.

      In the last five years $2,367,303 has been expended in new dwellings in Atlanta.

      About $250,000 has been spent in the erection of new hotels and the remodeling of old ones.

      In 1890 the postal receipts of Atlanta were $159,262.01, and for the present fiscal year ending June 30, 1902, the receipts will amount to more than $350,000, showing an increase of more than 120 per cent, in ten years.

      The best figures obtainable are that Atlanta's wholesale trade for 1900 amounted to about $30,000,000, and that the retail trade amounted to $21,000,000. The retail firms in Atlanta are unusually strong and prosperous, and by dint of great energy, enterprise, fair dealing and alertness have built up a wonderful trade, reaching out for customers all over Georgia and even in other states of the South. The enterprise of Atlanta's wholesale merchants is proverbial. If the story of how they have built up such a wonderful trade, contending all the time with great difficulties from which their competitors were free, could be written in detail, it would read like a novel.

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