Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-08-11


merce distributes and converts them into mon
ey We are fortunate in having skillful, ener-
getic, and industrious artizans, and sagacious,
enterprizing and far-sighted merchants. These
classes have already increased the business of
the town four-fold, over what it was before the
war. And there is still room for more.
So much for the sources of our prosperity.
A word in regard to our wants.
We require more houses, for residences and
business purposes. We ought to be prepared
to welcome and to accommodate all who come.
The more the merrier. Business begets bust
ness, and competition is the life of trade.
d We want also improvements in our streets
within the town and in our roads leading to
the town. We want more convenient means of
access to the Railroad Depot, to which all the
heavy trade naturally tends. Now there is but
a single approach to it, by Augusta Street
which is insufficient to meet the demands of
commerce. Let new avenues be opened to re-
lieve this single thoroughfare which is often
blocked by wagons and other vehicles. The
opening of these new avenues, East and West
of Augusta Street will render accessible new
sites for business houses near the r. r. These
will soon be improved, and the taxes on the
new buildings will soon remunerate the corpor-
alton for the outlay. Let our city fathers look
| to this. 1919 o%t4
The County Court should also make good
roads to the remote parts of the county. Moth
| ing facilitates commerce and intercourse so
| l., a. ifc locf
term took an important step in this direction
| in ordering valuable change in the road lead
ing to New Hope Better grades and little
work on the roads leading to Staunton will
| draw the trade of the whole county to this
central point. Instead of grades of and 10
degrees let us have them brought down to 81
A little engineering skill will accomplish this,
| at a small cost We cannot do all at once, but
we should commence the system and go on by
degrees. Then farmers can haul twice as much
on the improved road as they could on the old
one, and in marketing their crops one trip will
accomplish as much as two do now. What
will the County Court say-or rather, what
will they do? ha.
/ There is another important want to which
we invite the attention of the Common Council:
Before the war the Council, to save the upper
part of the town from freshets and overflow
widened and deepened the channel of the creek
i from Main Street up to Mr.. CARRIER foundry.
The recent food demonstrated the wisdom of
that improvement. IF it had not been made
the fiat part of the town would have been sub
merged and the damage would have exceeded
the whole cost of the work.. ~
But the council have not gone far enough
They should continue this improvement from
the Foundry of Parkins, Nelson & Co. to some
point below the Gas Works. The recent food
has demonstrated the necessity of this contin-
uation of the valuable improvement above re-
ferred to. Justice to the property holders in
the lower part of the town demands this much.
They were taxed to protect the property of
those above them on the creek, and it is but
fair that those who have been protected, should
now contribute to save the property of those
lower down. We earnestly invite the attention
of the town authorities to this important and
pressing necessity.
Finally, we want the Chesapeake and Ohio
r. r. This is our greatest want and we put it
last to cap the climax.
We want the people of Augusta to give their
sanction and assistance to this great work which
swells into national Importance We want to
see the work commenced and pressed with en-
ergy. We want the short line to Richmond,
which will bring us within 100 miles of that
city. We want access to the coal, iron, timber
and salt of West Va. When that is accom-
plished, we will have scores of iron works
springing up from the Blue Ridge to the Allie
ghany. We will have cheap fuel and countless
factories for the manufacture of machinery,
farming implements, furniture, and WOOL and
cotton, arising like magic. We will have 100
trains per day sweeping along our Rail Road
diffusing wealth and prosperity in their pro-
gress. Thousands will pass through our coun-
try who would, otherwise, never visit it, and
when they once see it who can doubt that they
will be attracted to it? Then our population
will be increased, our lands enhanced in value,
and new avenues to wealth and prosperity
opened. Staunton would soon have a popula-
ton of 10000 and Augusta $4,000
Let our people then, one and ALL vote for the
subscription to the R. R. They may rest as
sured that the completion of that road would
be worth more to the country than the richest
gold mine of California The cost to them
would be but trife and would soon be refunded
over and over again, in diminished freights, in
creased facilities to market, enhanced value of
lands, and the general stimulus to industry.