Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-10-24
A Ride in the County.

OuCkWleaC, WIN + SmlLus DcSC Dalc ClmOCny nay "A
NJ Bowman; largest display Of farm products. A N
Bowman; best barrel OF flour, Roller.
A Ride in the County.
A TARGET LAND HOLDER-sTAvE CUTTING
-HOME ENTERPRIsE-THE CRAIGs-
WILLIE MARBLE QUARRY-BEARs-RUs
TIC CHAIRS, &C.
The road from Craigsville to Summer
dean passes through one of the finest sec.
tions Of the county, or in fact Of the VAL
ley. At Summerdean a valuable tract of
land has just changed hands. Messrs.
Crawford and Lally have sold 1000 acres
of land to Mr.. D, +. Clemmer.. The price
paid was $13, 900. MI. Clemmer is one Of
the thriftiest citizens in the county and
has within the last six years bought about
$50, 900 worth Of Augusta land.
DR.. Chas. S. Manly and wife were visit
ing in the neighborhoed Thursday and
passed your reporter Oh the road in a nice
Staunton turnout. From the point where
the road to Craigsville crosses the noun
tain glimpse of the rich country you are
leaving is tantalising view, half seen
through the trees. Some local good Sauna
ritan ought to cut down a few trees for
the sake of the helpless traveller who
would if he could.
Crossing the mountain and beginning
the descent, Elizabeth Furnace with its
new buildings comes in sight on your
right far below and looking SO little like
Elizabeth as it appears from the railroad
that the traveller has to look more than
once before he can swear to the place. A
long trot Of several miles down an easy
grade brings you into the world again
when you cross the railroad at Pond Gap
depot and smell the smoke of a passing
engine which has just Owed INFO the
mountain.
A good road leads up the valley then
some five miles to Craigsville. On the
way you pass Shiflett T. Ranges stave fac
tory where thousands and tens of thous-
ands of slaves are piled up for shipment
and the piles growing as fast as steam can
push them with everything about the place
looking SO lively and moving so briskly
Ahat one would know there was steam be-
hind it, if he could not hear the puff and
;see the smoke.
A large tannery. Joseph Kunkle, pro-
-prietor, is also on the route. Fifty hides
go in and come out of the watts every week,
and boot and shoe shop attached works
up the leather and supplies the home de-
,aand, while the overplus goes to foreign
ma vket.
Ne.T Craigsville, upon pretty farm,
Mr. T. D. Yewuell has just built large
and pretty residence. His farm is csre-
fully cult, 'ated and large flock OF sheep
Craze upon The hills.
The chief en-. terprise Of Craigsville is the
marble quarry. of which so much has been
said. Messrs. Sa fer & Brahm, who have
leased it, are work. ing about thirty hands.
Formerly the marble has been gotten out
BY blasting. It is no W done by process
called channelling, which requires skilled
workmen. some of whom have been i'm
ported from the Vermont quarries. There
are others from Stanton and Rockbrldge
who have become skilled in the work. The
stoae, which lies in solid mass signify
inclined from the horizontal, is laid OF in
large blocks weighing many tons. 1t If
then slowly chiselled out by blows with
long iron bar, pointed with steel, the tur
rows in the flinty rock running down from
A nf h0I0a IA EheI
drilled into the perpendicular face OF TIT
.stone to the depth required as the breadth
~f the block; long iron wedges are then 10
serted and tapped successfully by sledgt
until the heavy piece is slowly cracked
a I'd separated from the mass below. Thl'
ia JAILED lifting" the ponderous stone
often weighing from 10000 to 13,0Ol
pounds. is then hoisted out with derrici
ond hon,'ed to the railroad. These chan
nellers pe.. rs cents per foot, and goot
hand can cut from three to four feet
day-Rood " ages, but hsrd' tedious work
A railroad Tree quarters OF mile lon'
has been graded from the main track u
the ouarries. the ties have been haulet
and the c. & o. Company will shortly la!
the track. The work can til IN be carrle'
on much more expe ditiously ;.>oa pton'a
Ibly, as there are large orders 1,n neas:
stones for monuments which ~ill weie'
:as much as "a 900 pounds, being too h cav
to haul. The company are receiving VI
.ders as fast as they can fill them and ca
meet within the next six months to have a
"a large mandatory built upon the ground
wheru the work will be finished for theil
customers. 100000 brick have alread!
been burDt, ready for the building and EN-
ployment will be furnished for a numbe
of hands.
A few days before the writer visited tn
place, Mr.. John O'Keefe, of Staunton, ant
George Safer, son of one of the proprie
tors, while hunting in the mountain near
encountered three bears. They succeeded
in killing one and wounding anothe
though it and the third escaped.
The rustic chairs now 80 much in vogu
in the county and adjoining nearly ever
front portico in Stanton, are manufa'
tured by three different parties here: LII
art of making them was learned from
..aounQ man. who, travelling through til
.aeuntry, stopped at Craigsvllle q fe'
months and lett for parts unknown.
Craiosville can now boast Of an exec
lent hotel. 1t is a nice looking buildin'
roomy and comfortable and the way-far'
will get as good meal here as he will biz
in MANY long days ride The propri
tor is Mr.. e. S. Craig. who also mas charl
of the school, and if We may Judge Dy