F^ ^f^ F 279 .S92 S9 Copy 1 I 'tty of Sumter, Sumter Countij, Soutt| Carolina, U. 5. CI. THE IDEAL LOCATION FOR Home Seeker, Laborer, Farmer, Health Seeker, Manufacturer, Poultry Breeder Merchant, TourUt, Truck Grower, Sportsmen, Live-Stock Raiser, Student, Orchardist, Attorney, Dairy Men, Physician, Mechanic. Manufacturing, commercial, agricultural, horticultural, industrial, educational, Mun- icipal and County Government, railroad, taxation, financial, climatic, population, lumber, and other information, issued by order of Sumter Chamber of Commerce, by EMMITT 1. REARDON, Secretary & Treasurer, Room 2, City HaU. READ THIS CAREFULLY. The City of Sumter and County are situated about the center of the State. The City is situated in a pine belt region, and ia noted for tlie salubrity of its climate. It has main- tained a hiffh reputation as one of the most healthy sections of the South. The city is handsomely laid out with Avide streets and well shaded avenues, handsome public build- ings and private residences, the latter having well kept gardens, giving evidence of comfort and elegance. Located on eight Railroad lines, provided with good sanitary regula- tions and thorough system of water works and electric lighting, Sumter enjoys excep- tional facilities as a summer and winter resi- dence. The distance from Columbia is 42 miles, from Charleston 96 miles, from Wil- mington 149 miles. The city is forging to the front steadily and rapidly, industrially and commercially. This is a prosperous sec- tion and signs of good times are clearly evi- dent Nearly ail of the business buildings are new, and have just been or are being remod- eled and the city is noted for its beautiful homes, and many beautiful cottages with all modern sanitary fixtures and conveniences are being built daily for rent at reasonable prices. The City Government of Sumter is in a fine condition financially, having a tax valuation of nearly .f 2.000. 000 and a bonded debt of only |59,000. These are 20 years 4m and Hs. The city tax is 14 mills for all pur- poses. The business license rates are exceed- ingly low. While 14 mills taxes are levied, yet property is onlj' returned for taxation at one-half its value. For illustration, note be- low that 16.5 buildings erected at a cost of $375,120 still the increase in tax returns in one year was only $175,000, including real estate values, household goods and store fix- tures and other personal property. If all property was returned at three-fourths of its value, it would be necessary to levy only 7 mills taxes. So after all. taxes are very low in Sumter, considering the up-to-date muni- cipal government and the conveniences en- joyed by its citizens. The Sumter Water Co , asked $110,000 for its plant one year ago, which cost about $45,000 ten years ago, but this company only pays taxes to the county on .f 19,000 worth of property. Other cor- porations are similarly undervalued for tax- ation and private property too. The people are justly proud of their schools. St. Joseph's Academy for young ladies, established in 1863, has a great reputation. It is a higii- prade institution. There are two graded, one common and one high school under the supervision of a Superintendent, one Avho conducts them according to modern ideas and met'iodt. The two handsome new brick school buildings cost .f 35,000 and are heated and ventilated by a system as near perfect as is known to science. Sumter is noted for the purity of its water supply, capacity being 1,000.000 gallons per day, distributed from a stand-i)ipe which holds 400.000 gallons. The health of the city is carefully looked after, the death rate is exceedingly low par- ticularly among the white people, and the city is noted for the small number of cases of infectious and contagit>us diseases. The city is also well drained, mostly with under- ground terra cotta pipes. AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES, IxNDUS- TRIAL, HORTICULTURAL AND OTHER FACTS ABOUT CITY A.XD COUNTY OF SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA. Sumter City and County boast of many flowing artesian wells, with inexhastible Bupplies of exceptionally pure water; as proven by chemical and sanitary analysis, suitable for tlrinkingr. all Tloinestic, maniifac- turitiff and also for irngatiuo: piirposeH. There is an abundance of pure water all over the county at all times. This is a magniti- cent asrieultural section, a splendid section for truck farminq:, fruit growing:, and a splen- did section for canning factories, and many as yet undeveloped resources. Out door farming and all other out door work can be carried on the entire year, and different crops cultivated, owing to our mild climatic con- ditions, winter and summer. The County of Sumter produces from 40.000 to 45.000 bales of cotton annually, most of which is sold on Sumter market. Thousands of acres of good pasture land, suitable for grazing and feeding horses, mules, cattle, hogs, sheep, goats. Also a splendid section for raising poultry, with good local and nearby mark- ets. Jt has be-n demonstrated by the suc- cessful operation of many wood working es- tablishments, that Sumter county is a good place to invest in such enterprises. This is no experiment, and there is opportunity for much more capital. Manufacturing enter- prises shipping products out <;f the city are exempt from city taxes, and iicensetaxes for a period of five years, and given all encour- agement possible. Industrious immigrants are in demand as laborers or skilled workmen either on farms or in factoiies and other occupations and as home seekers in any occupation or profession. Wages run from $15.00 per month and board f<»r laborers and on up for mechanics and skilled laborers, experienced truck raisers, live-stock raisers, dair.v men. etc. Sumter is a good place for racingstables to winter stock. Tourists and health seekers find Sumter a good place to spend the winter or summer. All classes of people who are in- dustrious. law-abi year, and bring good prices at local and nearby markets. Cultivated farm lands remote from rail- ways, can be purchased at from .f 5 to -liSlo l)er acre. Lands convenient to railwa.vs or cities, or towns, $15 to $20 per acre. All lands rent from $2 to .f3 per acre. With plenty of pasturage grasses, lonsili food, and long seasons for .grazing li\e- stock. Field crops. Amounts produced and cost of production per acre, of the following, de- pend entirely on the amount of fertilizers used, and the amount of cultivating: Set; following page: O o •a c >^ w Q. O O (U ® o eg^^,Gi2^i:;a Otbl. ^,QtH c>.c::,Q.c.as.ap,o.aci:i S s S s g s a o c o c u u u u i E ii a O O ft ^ o O "" so S £ o S 2 'I' c i< X ee a; r- -tJ o - o ;n ■" »0 ii g Cm 5 £ h ££ X Sumter is one of the largest cotton profluc- ing: counties in the State. This is about the best local cotton market in the State. Sumter having: a compress, better prices prevail here than in some markets. Sumter also excels in the matterof fine tim- ber in great quantities cypress, oak, walnut, poplar, dogwood, hickory, maple, yellow and Cuban pine and black gum grow here. There is room for spoke and handle furni- ture, box, barrel, bucket, wagon, buggy, cart and other wood working factories, and cotton yarn, duck drilling, saddlery, harness, towel, napkin, brick and tile, hosiery, wood fiber, plaster and other factories. The county has an able Supervisor and Board of Ccninty Commissioners, men of practical ideas, patriotic and energetic. All laws are rigidly enforced. The people are religious and church going. The whites are in the majority. The county of Sumter is peopled by sturdy, honorable, hardworking farmers of modern ideas, noted for hospitality and patriotism. There ai'e ten churches in the city for white people, Methodist 2, P^piscopal 1, Baptist 2, Presby- terian 1, Lutheran I, Roman Catholic 2, Hebrew Synagogue 1. Christ Church 1, and five churches for colored people. Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian. Sumter is rapidly becoming a manufacturing center. Two large furniture and coffin factories era- ploy hundreds of men, one of which started on a capital of .fG5.00 five years ago; the plant cannot now be bought for .f 50. 000. The Sumter Telephone Company which manufactures telei)h()nes, switchboards and other telephone and electric appliances, is the only telephone factory in the South whose products find markets throughout the world. Hundreds of men and women are employed and the factory is one of the largest in the United States. The Sumter Fire Department consists of two two horse teauis, manned by the finest set of young' volunteer fire fighters t<^ be found in Ihe country, and the, hook and lad- der ^company, manned, by faithful colored firemen. Electric fire alarm system- Insur- ance rates are therefore not high. Sumter city and county have an indus- trious, well behaved and orderly colored population, many of whom own their own homes. Race trouble-* are unknown. SO me; BUSINESS FACTS. Population of city of Sumter, 18.'.>0, U. S. Census 3 800 Population of city of Sumter, 1900, U. S. Ct-nsus 5 675 Increase in ten years 1875 Population 1903. Official City Census. 7 281 Suburban, practically part of city 767 Total city and suburban population.. 8 048 Actual increase in pop. since 1900 ... 1 606 The inci-ease in a little over 4 years since 1900 was nearly us much as ten years previous. Population in 1905 estimated at 10 000 Total area of city, square miles 3^/^. Num- ber of inhabited houses in the city 1,869. Length of water pipes, 11 miles. Capacity of water supply 1,000.000 gallons daily. Amount invested in manufacturing and in- dustrial enterprises .'S;775.000. Banking capital four banks $275,000. Population employed^ in factories 1,200. Number of miles of streets 42, 6 miles of macadam, bal- ance clay and sand roads. RAILROADS, Sumter is the largest Railroad centerin the State. Three different s.vsteras of railroads, viz: Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co., The Northwestern Railroad Co., and the Southi ern Railway, with eight separate lines run- ning into Sumter from all points of the com- jiass, controlled by Railway Companies as follows: Manchester and Augusta Railroad Co., Tho Central Rnilrojul ("o,. of South Caro- lina, the Sumter & Wateree Co., theWilniing:- toi) Columbia & Aug^usta Pvailroad Co.. the Sumter & (^amden Eailroad Co.. the Wil-on & Summerton Ilailroad Co., the old C. S. & N., now M. & A. Extension. There are 53 trains daily, 31 caiT.ving: pasHengerH. 25 car rying: TI. S. mails and passenffers exclusively. Total receipts at freiarht depots at Sumter for incoming and outgoing: freight last twelve months average $500,000 and includins: freiji lit charges on carload lots shipped to Sumter, freight prepaid and carloads of cot- ton, lumber and r)ther material shipped from Sumter and freight paid at points of des- tination amounting to .1?150,000 to .$200.- 000 annually, the total freight business averages nearly $700,000 annually. Two years ago the total receipts from all sources averaged ."PSOO.OOO— an increase of .1!;150,000 to .f200,000 annually. Total passenger business last twelve months .'?200.000. an in- crease of about ;f50,000 annually over two years ago. Cotton purchased on Sumter market aver- ages 50.000 to55. 000 bales annually — owing to increased wholesale business and the fact that the total volume of business of all kinds in Sumter increased about 33% percent, last year ovrr the year before, indications are that the freight receipts will be much larger the next twelve months. Local pay rolls of Sumter of the raflroads annually, $71 .300. Number of miles of side tracks in city of Sumter, 17. Number of railroad employees in city of Sumter, 147. Sumter county has more systems of Rail- roads and more miles of railroad tracks than any county in the State, not excepting Rich- land county, in which the Capitol of the State is situated. The city of Sumter has the greatest number of Railroad lines, with the best morning and afternoon schedules for drawing trade of any city in the State, and among the best in the South. Her busi- ness is rapidly increasing in all lines of trade. The growth of the city is steady and safe, owing principally to splendid railroad ad- vantages, fine agricultural back ground, in- creased manufacturing Industries and oppor- tunities for safe and profitable investments and pleasant homes. Two commodious freight depots, Avitb numerous warehouses platforms and sheds for cotton, fertilizer.^, naval stores, agricul- tural implements and other freight. Two handsome passenger depots costing. $25 000: two local switch engines with four crews, are required night and dny to handle the freight traffic. Five car inspectors are con- stantly employed. Three road masters are located here with five section masters. SOMK OTHER INTERESTING FACTS. Total value of real estate and personal property returned for taxei? in the city of Siimterin 1904,^1,850,000. Actual value of all personal property and real estate of all kinds, taxable and non-taxable, in the city of Sumter estimated .f3, 000, 000. Total city taxes collected in 1904, $24,794.89. This does not incluj:nificent three-story stone hos- pital. This up-to-date hospitnl will be fitted out with all modern hospital equipments, with a corps of trained lady nurses, and a staff of physicians and surgeons of aViility. Mr. D. G. Ziegier is the supervising architect of the new hospital. The Mood-Osteen Hos- pital is thoroughly equipped. We have also 1 telephone factory, 2 large cotton ginneries, 2 coffin and furniture fac- tories, 1 large cotton oil and fertilizer fac- tory. 2 large bottling works, one golf stick factory, fine water works system, three ice plants, one electric light and power plant, five lumber, door, sash and blind factories, and general wood working establishments, 2 daily and 4 weekly papers, one monthly paper, 4 banks. 8 railroad companies. 2 B. & L. Associations, colleges and graded schools. 2 new modern hotels and many ex- cellent boarding houses, one military com- pany, brass band and orchestra, $40,000 opera house and city hall, long distance and local telephone exchanges, 3 gunsmiths, 2 brass and iron foundries, 3 machine shops, 5 blacksmith and wheelwright shops. 5 bi- cycle repair shops, 5 plumbing and steam- fitting establishments. 3 furniture a.nd cabi- net repair shops, 2 marble and stone yards. There are skilled Physicians, 9 dentists. 1 Circuit Judge, 1 Magistrate, 21 attorneys, 3 railroad surgeons, 4 members of the legis- lature. 35 County officials and their Clerks and assistants who have offices in Sumter 13 lodges (»f secret societies. City Council has granted franchises f< will be about 14 000 00 NEW E.NTERPraSES. New enterprises chartered and some in oi)erntlon within the jjast GO days. One bank, one city and suburban electric railway and power i)lant, one electric power plant Hour mill, steam laundry, one bonded cotton warehouse, \irpinia Carolina T'hemical Com- pany factory; one railroad, Surnter & North- ern, S. A. L. connections, charterer! and or- ganized; two machinery and foundry works, one grist and corn meal mill, one railway and mill supply company, one building and supply company, one office building, one artificial stone Avorks now in operation. E. I. REARDON, Sec & Treas., Sumter Chamber Com. LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 014 496 519 P § LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 496 519 A f