Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-10-06
A Chance for Investment.

experienced and successful Manager VI lhe
Rockbridge Alum, is disposed to take Stock In
the Variety Springs, and that he has expressed
himself very favoraby of proposition (made
to him by some of the largest Stockholders
that he should undertake the entire manage
ment of the enterprise.
IF this be true, we congratulate our county
on the assured prospect of a watering place
within her limits, that shall soon rival the
White Sulphur, and one day take rank with
the Brunnen Spas, and Wells ofthe old World.
We also congratulate those who have been
so fortunate as to secure Stock in these Springs.
The people of our Town and County have
deep interest in the establishment OF this wa
tering place. As home market for our pro-
duce and pleasure ground for the wealthy, 1t
will attract and disburse thousands of dollars
among our people So that every citizen,
whether he be stakeholder or not, should bid
this movement ''God-speed
A word more in regard to this enterprise as
an Investment We are unwilling that this
Stock should be thrown into Northern markets.
We prefer that our own people should realize
whatever advantage the God of nature has
placed at their doors. Not that we are opposed
to inviting Northern capitalists among us,
when the emergency demands more capital
than we can command; but here there is no
such necessity The shares are one thousand
dollars EACH One hundred shares will pur~
chase the property and put it in such state OF
Improvement as to attract the patronage of the
wealthy; and, it is hoped, to secure the servi-
ces of the very best man in this State, as Man
ager and Financier. Who that is, no one,
who knows its financial history and the unsur
passed administration Of the Senior Manager
| at the Rockbridge Alum, need be told.) One
Hundred Thousand Dollars can readily be
raised in this State, especially as there are
three years given for the different payments
| Nearly one-half of the requisite amount has
already been subscribed. Shall we not raise
the remaining Fifty or Sixty Thousand in this
and the adjoining counties. We mistake the
public spirit aud business sagacity of our peo-
pie if this amount is not speedily subscribed.
There are but two questions to be considered
in the investment of capital, viz: Security for
the Principal and the probability of Profit.
First, is the capital Stock, in this enterprise,
| adequately secured? We affirm that it is, and
appeal to the experience Of Mr.. Frazier, as
| practical confirmation of the security of all
| such investments, in his hands. The cost of
the Rockbridge Alum in 1851 was 800, 00O.-
In 1852 it brought $4,000. In l6 years the
property has so far advanced In value as to
command in the market $4,000. Can this
be said of any Bank Stock or Railroad Stock,
or any other stock now in the market? As to
security, therefore, this Stock is unequalled.
| If now we enquire as to the prospects of
profit, its surprising advantage over any and all
other investments must be apparent. Refer
ring to Mr. Fraziers experience again, as a
standard we remark that whatever success the
Rockbridge Alum has realized is due, not to
its superiority to all other Springs, but mainly
to his management. The Variety, for instance,
has been pronounced both by analysis and ex-
perience, fully its equal; while there are some
/ decided advantages, in the variety Of its wa
tiers and great accessibility of its location, which
would certainly promise under his superinten-
dence still larger measure Of success. In
this light, we submit proximate statement of
the profits during his connection with the Rock
| bridge Alum. 1t is thought that in 1854 the
Company cleared from $50 to $4,000. In
| 1855 they cleared from $50 to $40 600, and in
the successive years, (up to the war; the
same amount annually.
| This was an annual dividend Of more than
twenty per cent on the capital invested
| IF to this we add the difference between
the cost of the property and the price obtained
at the last sale, deducting the amount expen-
ded in improvements we have as a total gain
| $200,00 making in the final estimate of
profits largely over 100 per cent. Where is the
| like opportunity offered to those seeking a
| say there is no such inducement, in any South
ern securities For security it has real estate,
| that must advance in value as the company
| continue to improve it, and for probable profits
on the stock, it has the actual results Of an cx-
pertinent made with far less advantages on the
part of the manager, with reputation already
established, an acquaintance all over the South
ern States, and an experience more matured
by a life-time's devotion to the work in which
| he Is now to engage.
| With these facts before our readers We again
offer to forward any communications on this
subject addressed to Variety" care of Spec
tator Staunton), and hope that we shall soon
| be able to report that all the remaining shares
| have been sold
Nor TAxED.-We heard citizen of Rich
mond laughingly remark, says the Wing, that
while he is SO poor that he can only raise stamps
to buy peck of meal at a time there is some
consolation in knowing that he has nothing to
tax, and hence pays no taxes. He seemed to
| forget that the corn from which his peck of
meal is ground was grown on taxed land plow-
ed by taxed rlow, drawn by taxed horses,
hitched with tax gears. 1t was hoed with
| taxed hoe, cultivated with taxed implements,
gathered with taxed wagon, drawn with taxed
horses, thrown into a taxed crib, sheled on a
taxed machine, measured in a taxed measure,
taken in taxed sack and ground on taxed
| mill, sieved with taxed sieve, mixed in a tax
ed pan, stirred with taxed spoon, sailed with
taxed salt, put into taxed bake-pan, baked in
taxed stove, laid out on taxed plate cut
with taxed knife, and lastly eaten by pretty
heavily taxed man.