Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-02-14
For the Spectator.
ROME, GA, February 1st, 1871.


Editor Of the Spectator;
am not going te
draw historic profile of the eternal city. fal
away on the banks of the old TibeI, or carry
you among the debris of the old Forum, or to
the decaying Coliseum, or amid the ruins oi
the Palatine and call 10 life the heroes of its
past resplendent gory-no,. let them sleep
amidst the scenes Of their greatness, that has
encirced the name of Rome with a halo OF
glory. which the haze of twenty centuries has
not obscured, nor tie heroic grandeur OF mod
ern ages eclipsed. 1t is Rome of our own sun
ny land, and not Rome of the sunny plains Of
Italy | propose briefly TO notice. Though a
miniature city of recent date, not third OF a
century old, yet tie events Of the past few
years will give it place in the history of the
country. The surrounding hills have reverber-
ated with the cannon's thunder-the plains
near by were stained with the blood of fra
tricidal war; and where hundreds now sleep in
the proud slough oft forgotten grave of the
soldier. Who knows but the genius of some
future bard, may write in classic verse the he
roic deeds Of these brave men, who died in a
cause sacred to freedom and the rights of man.
Our little city, with population of little over
five thousand, stands at the head of the Coosa
river We have three railroads in operation,
making all of the cities on the Atlantic sea-
board accessible to the trade from this point,
as we'll as direct COM munication with New Dr.
leans The fourth road is in progress of con-
struction, and the fifth road will soon be put
under contract. AS soon as the two last roads
are completed Rome will be the converging
point of FIVE important roads. thus furnishing
facilities of trade not only to the business men
of Rome, bat to the farmers or planters to
market their produce at any point they may
prefer. These results in the building of roads,
have not been attained by waiting for fortui-
tous circumstances or events to bring them
about, but are the work of the united efforts of
the town and country. Our people were poor
at the close of the war, nothing left but their
lands and all more or less embarrassed with
debt, yet with manly energy they went to
work and the wisdom Of their course has been
demonstrated by the enhanced value oil the
lands as we'll as the apid increase in the farm
ing and planting operations Of the county,
I ask your indulgence for the DEPRESSION, and in
connection will suggest that community must
at least make an effort before they ask the as
sistance of the gods In connection with our
railroads we have the facilities of steamboat
communication on the river.
Our city is made up Of working men, az In
dicated by what has been done in the last five
years. Within the time named the ravages of
Tue WaT nave UCCH IOHoliCuj IulCC O.Cui
ing mills built and two more in progress of
erection; one very extensive machine shop,
employing 100 hands in the manufacture OF
railroad coaches, car wheels and engines, one
large rolling mill and nail factory with over 100
employees, two planning mills and sash facto-
ries, and one establishment for COMPRISING
cotton preparatory to its shipment to any part
of the world. We have too banking houses
and with energetic men representing all of the
various branches Of business peculiar to ira
ding town. Many of the business houses erec-
ted since the war, will compare well with the
first class business houses in the seahoard cities.
Permit me to suggest again that this has been
the result of deter mined energy, and not
from sffiuent circumstances
There were no dissensions among our people
as to the exact locations of the respective
roadsa as to who was to be Individually bene-
fitted by the same, but the general results. the
paramount object influencing the action Of all.
In the active pursuits of business and the de-
veloping the resources Of the surrounding
country, the improvement of the mind has also
received it's due amount of attention. We
have irst-class male and female schools, a read
ing room where may be found the standard news
papers and literary periodicals of the day, and
a historical society where the votary of learn
ing may listen to the profound lore of such
men as Toombs, Howard, and others of equal
fame. w. w.