The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-09-27

making man. He owns and carries on
the largest mercantile establishment OF
the town and perhaps of the county, is
: also extensively engaged in the milling
, business and buys most of the grain raised
, in northwest Rockingham and northeast
: Augusta.
: Next in the mercantile business are the
, Sanger Bros. They began business on a
! limited scale about 1875, and have grad
} ually enlarged it up to this time. They
run an extensive trade and keep a large
stock of groceries, dry goods and hard
ware. In 1882, they built fine store
house on Central Main street, and now
have one of the handsomest store rooms
! that can be found outside of city.
In1S6S Solomon G. Driver, an enterpris-
ing young man of fine business capacity,
from near Parnassus, Augusta county,
purchased the stock of the Humphreys
furniture store above named, and set up
a huge store in the large store room of the
Farmer Bank Building. His goods are
| chiefly of the town manufacture, are of the
best quality and most fashionable finish,
and are arranged in the store-room in the
neatest and fastest manner. 1t is one of
the most charming furniture stores that
can be found anywhere.
James f. LOwman and Bette l.. Gov
ington own and conduct an extensive dry
goods and notion establishment. Their
goods are of superior grade and are ar
ranged in the store-room in city style. A.
Smith Dinkle, great-grandson of one of
the founders, is the skillful silversmith,
and one OF the fastest young men of the
town. Besides attending to his store he
runs large companion store of watches,
clocks, jewelry, confectioneries and to-
| baccO.
A spacious agricultural warehouse is
conducted by ]. W. Carpenter, the Bridge
water inventor, in which is kept splen-
did assortment of agricultural implements
and other machinery. And there is an
extensive stove, tinware and roofing es-
tablishment carried on by Geo. M. Brady,
one OF the most Industrious men of the
town. aa
Besides the above, there are two drug
stores-one by DR.. T. H. B. Brown and
the other by Drs. Jones and Farmer--and
several little stores that time and space
forbids mentioning. About 1878, Taylor
Sheets started small livery stable, but
soon sold it to James F. Lowman, who in
creased the stock to such an extent that |
hoe Hrc%o Io -
and vehicles. James F Lowman is one of |
the live men of the town. He is moneyed |
and sagacious, and will make splendid |
success of the cannery he intends to es-
tablish in 1884. go
In 1878 the Bridgewater Journal began |
its career. First, it was owned and edited |
by the intelligent DR.. T. I'll. B. Brown, but
some time afterwards it passed into the
hands of Col. G.. T. Barbee, it's present
editor and proprietor, SO well known for
his wisdom and good common sense. The
Journal is not beset with the political ma
MIA characteristic of most Virginia papers,
which is only calculated to inflame the
passions Of the people and blind their minds
to reason. 1t deals with every topic in an
unpreJudiced and non-partizan manner,
and is therefore an unusually valuable fam
lily paper. Besides the Journal office there
is in the town a job printing office and
news room owned by Moore & Irving.-t
Bridgewater was never blessed with more
than ordinary educational advantages I'M
til 1872, graded school of unusual merit
was established, and was an invaluable adj
dition to the town. 1t was success
fully conducted until 1878, when it fell a
victim to the plague that universally
scourged the public schools of Virginia.
From 1878 until 1882 the town could afford |
only an ordinary public school, which |
lack of educational advantages was ex-
ceedingly detrimental to the intelligence |
of the town. But during the year 1882,
chiefly by the energy and sagacity of Peter
s. Miller, the Thinker Normal Academy !
was established, with Prof. Flory, a grad
uate OF the University of Virginia, as prin-
cipal. The number of pupils who attended |
this school during it's first session of 49,
was between go and 100. The next session |
will open on the oath inst, in the splendid |
academy recently erected by the German
Baptists, commonly known as the Tun-
kers, on East Commercial street, in the |
suburbs of the town, on an extremely love-
ly site. The building is 4OxsO, and is three
stories. The future of the school is now |
assuredly bright. During the coming
scholastic year it is hoped that a graded |
school of no ordinary merit will also be es-
tablished.
Another important feature of the town
is the Farmers Bank. 1t was established I
September, 1878, and is based on large
capital. J. w. F. Allemong, mentioned
above, is President, and Rev. J. S. Loose,
Cashier, who is endowed with a rare finan-
ciering capacity for one of the clergy. He
is gentleman of polish. yet plain and easy
of address, and as a consequence is uni
versally popular. S. H. w. Byrd is chief
book-keeper and is unusually gifted at the
the business, He is jovial and congenial
young gentleman and will make success
of life.
The old Dinkle Tannery which unfortu-
nately has been comparatively idle for sew
eral years, offers splendid money-making
opportunity to any one with few Thousand
dollars, who wishes to engage in such an
enterprise. No better locality for tannery
can be found anywhere in the Valley, on
account Of it's proximity to the Chestnut
Oak Ridge, short distance west.
Bridgewater affords an extra number
of preachers, which, perhaps, in part, ac-
counts for the strict morality Of the town,
and for the fact that it is not cursed with
even single bar room.
Though there is generally but little sick
ness in the town, it is, however, the head
quarters of four M. D. 's-Drs. Brown,
Jones, Minor and Fauyer; besides two
Doctors of the dental mills-Bucher and
Lindsey. The town also contains twomil-
lineries, two tailories, two extensive shoe
shops and three blacksmith shops, and has
a population of about nine hundred.
The chief feature of the town is its man.
ufactories, nor is there town in the State
that affords superior manufacturing facil-
tiles, and there is not Virginia town that
e.