Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1870-01-21

We have received the following commune
cation from very practical gentleman in
this place and deem it Of sufficient impor-
lance to give it place in our editorial col
umns. We shall be pleased to hear from
him further On this subject-and one, we
beg leave to say, which is Of the greatest I'M
portance to our people.
SHALL STANTON BE A MANUFAC-
TURING TOWN?
The early completion of the Chesapeake
and Ohio Railroad is now fixed fact. I
think it safe to say that by the LIST of July
1871 the road will be completed to the coal
fields, when the development of the mex
haustlble mines of Iron in this county will
commence. Blast furnaces will spring up
all through our county. from the Blue Ridge
to Goshen, along the line Of the Railroad.
Millions Of tons Of the now hidden treasure
will be taken from the bowels Of the earth
and reduced to marketable products The
manufacture Of pig-iron is only the begin
ming Of what we should have After the
Blast Furnace comes Rolling Mills. Steel
Factories. Foundrys, Machine Shops, and
Establishments for the manufacture of Ag-
ricultural Implements, to say nothing of the
manufacture of small wares, such as files,
saws, cutlery and all kinds of hardware
The Blast Furnaces will be located near
the mines, but the factories mentioned will
90 up in or near the towns, or, if property
and taxes are too high in the towns ia ex-
istence, will build up towns at suitable rla-
ccs along the road. A good suggestion has
been made in one of your contemporaries,
which I hope our citizens who have building
lots for sale will heed-viz: to be satisfied
with fair prices for their property and not
drive capital away by asking enormous pri-
ces. I would also suggest to those who
have property to ront to be content with a
fair per cent on their investments, or they
may build up rivalsin our neighboring towns
along the road.
There is much to lie done to make Staun-
ton what it can be made, large manufac-
turing town. The first thing to be done is
to secure a good town council, who have the
ability to manage its affairs properly. They
should follow the example of St. Louis, Mo,
Bloomington, Ill; and others, by passing Or
dinances exempting from taxation for 10 or
20 years, all property and capital employed
in manufactures, on condition that parties
begin operations in say 2 years, which l
think would insure investment here of capt.
tai in manufacturing enterprises at once, SO
as to commence operations by the time coal
is reached. Can we afford to do this? Let
us see. Suppose company builds Rolling
Mill, with a capacity sufficient to employ
500 hands, which will add to our population
at least $500 persons, who will spend with
our Merchants, Shoemakers, Doctors, Law
yers and others 800 per head, per annum,
Ga low estimate) or in the aggregate $780,
0OO Would not that item alone enable
our Merchants and others to pay the Rolling
Mill Company's taxes. Now that is only
one establishment. The Rolling Mill will
bring others. So it is plain that it would
pay us to adopt such policy.
It is suggested that we might induce the
new management Of the Chesapeake & Ohio
Railroad Co., to establish their workshops
here. 7, as q tax payer, would be willing
for our town authorities to buy the land they
may need and make them present and then
exempt them from taxes forever if that would
secure them. Their shops established here
Will form nucleus around which we could
build I'D q considerable manufacturing inter
est. as they would be large consumers of
Bar Iron, and Steel, and all kinds Of hard
ware and lumber.
Let us follow the example of Bloomington,
HI; which, I think, has taken the proper
steps to build herself up, She has appoint
ed committee to correspond with capitalists,
who have means and manufacturing expert
ence, showing the advantages of their town.
They have also travelling committee who
have visited places where manufacturing is
carried on and, at meeting Of the citizens,
on the Bird of Nov, last, reports from the
Committee were read showing that nlanufac-
lures, especially of Agricultural implements,
greatly increased the commerce and substan-
tial permanent prosperity of the towns where
they exist.
have written more than I intended, but
this subject is Of suci, vast Importance feel
that something slhuld be done to make our
people take that interest in it which they
should Some of the most prosperous man
ufactories are in small towns in the midst of
raw material and the consumer of their goods
there is thus saved large amount in the
transportation fees Of raw material to distant
places for manufacture and another large
amount in paying return freight on manu-
featured articles. Besides employment is
thus given to thousands who wonld other
wise be idle and burden on community.
The establishment of Manufactures
throughout the country in towns and vii
lagos is sure road to healthy material
prosperity, and is a safeguard aga INST the
absorption by powerful monopoliss in any
one manufacturing interest
A CITIZEN.
The special correspondent of The Ba!ti-
Yooro Gun on +Lo 18Th r;uos tho folio win n