Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1872-05-07

ing demagogues, in advance of every election,
to array the people of the country against the
town, we are glad to find that the country peo-
pie have not been deluded, but fully understand
that their interests are identified with those OF
the town. The town furnishes market for the
| products of the county, and the people OF
the county are the best customers of the bus
mess men of the town. The benefits of this bus
mess intercourse are, therefore, reciprocal, and
] we should be glad to see it extended, and become
/ more intimate There is good reason why il
should be so. We think we hazard little in say
ing that Staunton is now the best market for the
flour and other productions of our farmers, that
can be found on this continent. We do not
mean to be understood as asserting that flour
and other articles will command higher nomi-
nal price here than in other markets, but what
we desire to say is, that -four sold here Will yield
to the farmer better and quicker return OF net
proceeds than if sent to Richmond, Baltimore or
| New York Though the gross price in those cit
| les may be larger than can be had in Staunton,
yet, after deducting freight, drayage, storage,
cooperage, commissions, &C., the net balance IN
favor of the farmer is larger, per barrel on Hour
sold here than if it were sold in any other mar
| ket Some of our farmers have made the expe-
riment and in every instance that we have heard
! spoken Of the result has conformed to our state
| ment.
This may seem strange to our readers at first
view, but if they will look closely into the sub
ject, they will find there is good reason for it.
| The county of Augusta is admirably adapted
to the growth of wheat. The wheat crop is gen.
orally carefully handled and stored in dry barns,
where it is threshed and cleaned under cover
The wheat, therefore is we'll cured and free from
| dampness, which is essential to the production
| of high grades of -four Our mills, too, are
cellent and managed by competent millers. The
-four therefore, which is manufactured in the
county, is of admirable quality. Our inspector,
too, is a man of skill, capacity and integrity,
whose Judgment may be implicitly relied on
When he pronounces flour to be extra, or fami-
ly, purchasers know that it is of the quality in
Dictated by his brand, and can buy it safely.
Our merchants have had the sagacty to estab-
lish high standard for Staunton flour, and it is
therefore sought for in the market. We under
stand that our merchants here are constantly re-
ceivng orders from hotel-keepers, and private
families in Eastern Virginia, for Staunton -four,
for their own use. This enables our dealers to
pay the highest prices to the producers, and thus
to make Staunton first class flour market.
In Eastern Virginia, the soil and climate are
not SO we'll adapted to wheat as the Valley. A
great deal Of the wheat is put up in stacks or
ricks. There are very few barns in that section
of the State, and most of the wheat is more or
less exposed to the weather while stacked out,
and it is often if not generally, threshed In the
! open air where it is exposed to dust and rain
large part of East Virgil MIA is also infested by
garlic which mparts its peculiar favor to the
a 1r,,1o fbo lie East
Virginia are not as good as those in the Valley.
As necessary consequence the flour made in
the tide-water and Piedmont districts, Except
the city mils) is inferior to the Valley -four.
Farmers then who send their -four from Au-
gusta to Richmond throw it into competition
with the mass of inferior -four, which is nomi-
nally of the same grade, and it therefore brings
no more than the average price of Eastern flour
But when disposed of to Staunton merchants,
| they at once have the Staunton brand put upon
| it, and it becomes accredited and is sold at an.
advanced price as ''Staunton -four" to be Gis-
tributed for family use, through the towns and
villages and country neighborhoods of Eastern
Virginia. We learn that nothing is more COM
mon than for farm ers of Eastern Virginia to
ship their entire crop of wheat to the city mark
cts, and then sbuy -four from the Valley for fam
| lily consumption.
| Another fact which contributes largely to make
| Staunton desirable market is the character OF
our merchants. We have among us class Of
dealers in produce who Are unsurpassed for en-
ergy, sagacity and fair dealing. They are anx-
| ious to attract trade, and they know that the
best way of effectng this object is to offer strong
! inducements to our farmers to deal with them.
We present these views to our readers in the
hope that they will profit by our suggestions
Other things being equal, all will admit the pro-
priety of encouraging home enterprise and in
dustry. We verify believe that the people Of
| Augusta and the surrounding counties do not
only as soeU by coming to Steunton, but positive
| ly better, than by going elsewhere.
The farmer who sends his produce to foreign
market, is necessarily very much at the mercy
of commission merchants. He not only has a
large number of charges to bear, bat he has no
assurance that he gets the price of his own speT
cial cargo of -four. When a commission mer-
chant is in daily receipt OF 800 or 1000 barrels OF
-four, it is almost impossible to keep each parcel
separate It is stored together, pell-mel in one
! mass. and when A orders his -four to be sold, a
quantity corresponding to AS, is drawn out and
| Sold but the chances are that it is the Hour OF
B or which is sold, and credited to A.
Moreover, when farmer sends his flour
abroad for SALE he often has to wait for weeks or
months for a remittance of the proceeds, and it
sometimes happens, that notice in bankruptcy,
instead of check on bank, is sent In discharge
| OF the debt.
| But if our farmers come to Staunton to sell
their -four, they can see it inspected, and know
that they get the proceeds of their own crop
They get the cash on delivery and can buy such
groceries, salt, plaster, other supplies as they
may need and carry them back in the wagons
that brought the -four.
We feel warranted then, in inviting the people
not only of Augusta, but of Rockingham, Pen
dleton. Highland, Bath. Allegheny and Rock
bridge to give our Staunton market fair trial.
We venture to say, if they will come once, they
will be tempted to come again.
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
! NIYrd CONGRESS. End SESSION.