The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-05-19

o2 f'9aii -sas7i}ba Ii}mHr3ehqs har t-al
Der of newly discovered chambers, into some c
which Our party were the first visitors to pen
citrate; but believe none of the newly -opene
chambers are as grand or as imposing as til
larger ones known before Excursions hav
been organized already for a number of day
in tine coming season. One of these is from
Washington and Alexandra, Va; anothe
from Chambersburg and several from variou
towns of Maryland and Pennsylvania One il
also spoken of from Baltimore, and it will b.
the Western Maryland and the Shenandoah
Valley Roads. ''H .so5 %a a'a AH.5is
'H" t." HISTORY IN A NUTSHELL. .} '9lJia7
The "resources of Virginia" naturally sug
gest themselves III connection with this won
derful endowment Of nature, but to speak o
the resources of Virginia" at all is to employ
a phrase which has lost some of its signifi
canoe by common usage. But when we re
member what Virginia has given, what it has
lost, what it has suffered, and how vast the
estate remaining, the conclusion is not fal
wrong which estimates its resources to be
well-nigh inexhaustible. In the brilliant past
Virginia periodically dedicated the territory
of an empire to build up those populous States
which have since achieved distinction
worthy of their illustrious plrentage. In the
Commissions OF recent civil war the old State
was despoiled of third of the wide domain
which remained, and was left after the con
fict crushed and nearly ruined, her SONS
slaughtered, her soil drenched with blood
every valley blackened with ruins. the land
valueless without labor and labor helpless with
out land, her people stunned by the weight OF
their calamties, the State overwhelmed with
debt and every energy paralyzed. Reluctant
in the first place to become party to the civil
war, she was made the theatre of strife Op-
posed to secession, the whirlwInd hurried her
into the madness of the hour" Having less
need for slaves than any State in the Confed-
eracy, and disposed to get rid of "the institu-
ton" entirely, she became its bulwark. 1t was
in Virginia alone that there were statesmen
who believed if there must be a conflict it
should be in revolution and not in secession
How far seeing was this distinction Mr.. Yam
cey realized when he sought abroad that rec
ognltion so essential to the Confederacy in its
struggle with the free North In every court
he met with statesmen who considered it de-
sirabe for European interests to cripple the
American republic by keeping its warning
sections permanently asunder; he everywhere
found some willingness to recognize the right
of revolution, but nowhere a disposition to
the doctrine of secession as
States inalienable right. When he came
back to the South to die, he returned with
hopes crushed, spirit daunted and in dismay,
for he realized that the doctrine of extreme
States rights, OF which he had been SO ardent
and brilliant an exponent, was an impeachment
to the Acknowledgement of Southern indie
pendence then, as it left no guaranty for future
stability, and was traught with danger to the
Confederacy in the future ...r1 t...
THE MOTHER OF STATES.
In the days when Virginia could bestow
magnificent domains upon the Union, and
to send hardy pioneers to found new and in
dependent States, and to furnish leaders for
The young republic, ii is not surprising that
higher cultivation should tend more toward
The current of politics than business. The
temptation Was alluring and it led to ruin
The material which went TO settle Ohio and
The further West was the backbone of the
Did Commonwealth sturdy yeomanry
who had given Virginia the real supremacy
which she enjoyed at the beginning of the fed
grafton, more than the leaders she supplied in
,he earlier days of the republic To some ex-
,ent the loss ofthese freeholders was followed
1y reconciliation of their small holdings with
large estates under the slave system which the
wealthy proprietors introduced. In fact, Vir-
5lulcb AOt Ollly gave tc1IlGOIy lOI tuC 1OuuUd-
Jon of the flourishing West, but started the
,ide of emigration thither. which has con-
;inued every since, exhausting the available ma
.erial OF the United Kingdom, and now steadily
1rawing from those centres OF restless popu-
alton in Northern Europe, which formerly
descended in barbarian hordes into France
and Italy. To turn this tide Of immigration
towards the South is the problem with which
Jhe active business men OF our day are con-
Ironted. The North is as much interested in
this as the South, Virginia has parted with
the works of internal improvement which she
was interested to build mainly to induce de-
yelopment. These works have, to a great
extent, gone into the possession Of Northern
owners, whose accumulated wealth is begin
ming to seek investment along the railroads
which they control to create permanent
sources of revenue. When they succeed in
inviting emigration the future is assured
'-t-i.'5 ia 5h '2-rt n f. F.
The american Sentry, in an article on
Southern Progress" says; "One Of the most
features connected with the de-
yelopment of the Southern States is the steady
of manufacturing industries, especial
ly in that OF cotton. In working up their raw
cotton they help to increase the general wealth
Of home districts, by saving waste of transpor-
tation, giving employment to home labor,
creating local home market for agricultural
products, etc. These cotton factories alse
create demand for local machine-shops and
other industries, all working together for the
general good" 1t has been but a few years
since the first cotton factory was established
in the South, and now the whole tendency of
the trade is in that direction. The Southern
people in the cotton districts seem aroused to
the importance OF their position. They are
putting forth strenuous efforts to build up their
section. They are taking matters into their
own hands. They are making the start them
selves, and when they have shown their own
earnestness of purpose they then ask North
ern capitalists to assist them. They have rare
ly asked in vain, for the shreWd business men
of the North know that. where all OF the raw
materials abound the manufactured article can
be cheapest made. They gladly avail them
selves Of an opportunity to put their money
where it must necessarily bring good per
centage if ludiciously handled What is true
of Georgia as u field for the manufacture of
cotton, in true of Virginia as a field for the
manufacture of iron. All the elements are
here found in abundance and in close proXim-
ity to each other and to transportation. 1t
would certainly be more profitable to convert
the ores into marketable iron here, than to
ship to the east both ore and fuel. The bust
ness world is beginning to lind out that the
great seat of iron industries must be in Vir
ginia, Just as the centre Of cotton manufacture
will be in Georgia. Keen sighted men are
looking about tor locations. We may help
them and help ourselves by directing atten-
ton to the unsurpassed situation of Staunton.
But mere words won't accomplish any good.
What will be of benefit is strong united eff
fort to make the start ourselves and then get
others to come in and help. A rolling mill is
what we need in Staunton. and rolling mill
is what we can have if our own people will do
their duty. f'''
ILLUMINATION OF LURAY CAvE.-There
was a grand illumination of the famous Luray
Cave, on the 9th, ten thousand candles, besides
lamps and magnesium tapes, being used. The
event was in honor of the visit ofprominentr rail-
road officials, among whom were G. G. Baldwin,
president of the Louisville q Nashville Rail
road; Geo F. Tyler, president, Clarence H.
Clarke, late purchaser, and Major Fink, gen
eral manager of the Norfork & Western Rail
road; W. T. Davis, yice-president OF the
Buffalo & Northwestern Railroad; F, }. Kim
ball, president, CO.. U. L. Boyce, vice-presi-
dent, j. H. Sands, general superintendent, and