The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1869-11-18
Uhe galleg gir9iaiatl.
STANTON, VIRGINIA.
Thursday, November 10, 1869.
Manufactures and Schools.

alton. they are not SO entirely dissmilar as
would generally be supposed. In one sense,
a school bears strong analogy to manufac-
turing establishment, the teacher being the
artizans-the undisciplined pupils, the raw
material the educated young man or
woman the fabric! And when we look at
the skill required in the arti6ccr-the nature
and value Of the material to be worked up,
AID the inestimable Importance of the re-
suits to be attained, in converting immature,
thoughtless, and often hayward boys and
girls into cultivated, refined, and rejecting
gentlemen and ladies all must concede THAT
it is branch of industry which should stand
at the head of all human cmployments.
But it is not our purpose to run this paral-
lei between education and manufactures
We classed them together, merely because
they are both intimately connected with the
From present prospects, we are led to be-
lieve, that, at no distant day, the Chesapeake
and Ohio r. r. will be extended to the coal
fields, so miles west Of the White Sulphur;
and very soon thereafter, to the Ohio River
AS partef the projected improvement, new
and short line of railway is to be constructed,
from some point on the present road, near
Shadwell Mills, through Fluvanna and Gooch-
land, to Richmond, thus cutting off about
Sc miles, and reducing the distance from
Staunton to Richmond, to about 100 miles.
The importance of these improvements to
Staunton, can hardly be over estimated. We
will then be on the line of the great through
trade and travel from East to West, and
West to East In ten years from the COM
pletion of these great Improvements we shall.
probably, have Fifty or an hundred trains of
cars per day instead of four But the adj
vanges, resulting from this through trade and
travel, Important as they doubtless will beg
will bear no comparison with those which
will result from bringing the coal, iron, and
timber Of our country into close relations
These three articles are the most important
elements in many branches Of manufacture
coal is needed to smclt the iron, and to gen.
crate the steam power, necessary to operate
machinery, and iron and timber are the raw.
materials for the manufacture Of all kinds Of
agricultural implements, wagons, carts, hoes
spades, locks and many other articles which
we need not enumerate.
OF timber we have an abundant supply
and Of the very best quality. Hickory
white oak, ash, walnut, and white and vel
low pine abound, in almost every part Of the
country. Iron ore, in inexhaustible quaint
ties, has been found in our mountains, botf
east and west of u.s. OF late, an active spir-
it, not only of enquiry, but of development
has manifested itself in regard to cur miner
al resources The first fruit of this spirit
has been the erection, by wealthy Maryland
Company, under the auspices Of our enter
prising and esteemed fellow citizen, L. Sibert
of large furnace, in Buffalo Gap, on the
line of the R. r. and within ten miles O.
Staunton This is to be followed by twin
furnace, of the same size, at the same place
and ultimately, by Rolling-mil
Another company from n Y. has bought
the Mcbride survey of $4,000 acres, a few
miles beyond Buffalo Gap, near the summit
on which they propose to erect similar works
These furnaces-to say nothing Of Forrer's
Works, and the Estelline and Bath Furnaces,
a little further on, and the three furnaces in
Rockbridge and Allcghaney, recently bought,
and to be operated by Hustler Clymcr and
his partners, will furnish all the iron that
may be needed by dozen large maDufactur-
ing establishments.
The only thing then wanting will be coal.
This will, within two years at most, be sup
piled from the mines in Greenbrier, Gauley
and the Kanawha, of aqnantity much better
than any they have in Baltimore; and, as we
have every reason to believe, at a cost much less
than the Baltimore manufacturers have to
pay. eeis ser &s
When this is done, the three great elements
of manufactures will be brought into contact,
and it will be the fault Of our own people, if
they arc not blended together, in the manu-
fac!ure of all kinds Of implements &C., which
are produced from these materials. ~
IF any one doubts whether there would be
market for such productions of industry
and skill, let him go to our depots on the
railroad, in the summer and early autumn,
and see the thousands upon thousands Of dol
lars worth, that are imported and sold. How
much better would it be, for all classes of our
people, if all this money were kept, an ex-
pended among ourselves!
So much for the material manufactures.
Let us now say a word in regard to the edu-
cational and moral manufacture of enlighten-
ed and elevated christian gentlemen and la
dies from the crude material that is annual
ly brought to our schools
Situated as Staunton is, in healthful and
beautiful region, exempt from malaria and
epidemic diseases; in u country Astounding in
supplies midway between the University, on
the one hand, and Washington College, and
the Military Institute, on the other. and in