The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-05-10
ss,cc,a, Correspondence 81 The Tcnmond Dis
patctAi

With Social 0ua toitttCnt Ss~ts~
s-.,., CORRESPONDENCE ~ the rcnmond Dis
>Si patci@i
BUCHANAN. Va, May s, 1888.
This historic town OF the mountains rs
,ocated q, the bants az the James rivT
and ON fAe lines OF the Richmond aud NJ
Icobany and Shenaadoah-Nslley ra'lroads,
Iac miks west OF Richmond III Is peauU-
fullv Situated in tsc grcsd valley OF VT
c,ni. between tbr Blue Riuge ana ihga-
tory y ountains. At This POM the Nfhey
IL ayfte narrow, tut as seu proceed . 'nlie
~. q towards tse Courthouse the Toiin-
- vonade ana a moro beautiful aNd fer
I'll rcoion Is not to be found anywhere
outside Of the Valley-that great garden
sysSt of Virgirka.
BUoHsxAN,
sstc all other towns. has had her days OF
nJversjty ana of great prosperity. The
sirc was when the place was mNre pros
,erors than nj present. In 1864 The town
Syas almost DESTROYED by fire, the result OF
Nc raid ~ that arch-vandal Eunter up
The valley. In 1877 the place vas visited
NV the Devastating food which did so much
,J.mace In the James-River Valley. at which
time there was great loss OF property here.
Tbe inhabitants now gaze upon the heavily
laden trains ON sthe lines Of TIE two rail-
roads above mentioned, and seldom tnlnk
Of the DAYS OF canal-boats and HOODS: Inc
inspiration OF the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS mas
infused
and energy into the people, and trustthe
place las entered upon a career OF pros
perity such a. ii has never Known III
the past. / know OF no inland Town III
Virginia better situated for such a career
Surrounded by one OF the riehest agricu''
sur,, regions 10 be found aanywhere-hav-
jn~ in the mountains and foothills sur
rounding the town an abundant supply ana
great variety OF red and brown bematite
irop-ores. blue and gray Limestone, ana
Other minerals, with large forests oil me
timber, with the whole OF James river TO
furnish fhe water-power, and WIN TWO
lines Of railroad affording ample facilities
for TRANSPORTATION in all directlons-Why
should not Buchanan be ut no distant u,l
n LARGE manufacturing own! AS an ihur
cation OF
THE NINRIAI. RESOURCES
OF fhis region / would mention a CABINET on
ores which I saw in the Office OF Walter L.
Johnston. ESD. representing The nine VEINS
a specr,lar. shale, and brown hematite ores
developed on the Arcadia property, ada
cent 10 the town OF Buchanan. rms pro
perry j. said to be the largest and best IRON
property in the .James-Riyer valley. FRO
lessor j. L.. Campbell, OF Washington ana
Lee University, says OF II: GAS TO quahti-
ty, ten generations cannot exhaust tne suIS
Dly- AS TO accessibility, the beds are very
fayorably situated for mining, either by
omen cuts or tunnels. The numerous III
vines that cut across the strata give natural
openings at which to begin
MINING OPERATIONS,
and rs these rayines all descend towards
the river, all the ore can be transported by |
a down Grade tothe point Of final shipment
and use. As TO quality, the chemical
analyses and furnace-tests speak most Ia
yorablv.o Large shipments OF this ore are
now being made to Quinnimont furnace,
West Virginia. and more than half the sup |
NV OF that furnace is obtained from the
Arcadia mines. | am told that the super
intendent Of QuinnimOnt speaks Of the ores
i'm the highest terms.
"Tbese ORES have been analysed by Pro-
fessors j. B. Britton, Taylor, Bemalman,
Eceleston. McCreath, Campbell, and others,
who show that they contain OF metallic iron
from 44.50 TO $3.50 per cent"
Just opposite 10 buchanan are TIE
p~IRGAroRY MOUNTAIN MINES,
owned by Messrs. Gordon, Darlington,
Robertson, and Shultz. These mines are
now turning a 1ne quality OF brown hema-
fite ore. which is said to exist there IN large
quantities. Near the town the Mountloy,
Burkholder, Beaie, Layman. Boyd, WOod,
Zimmerman, Snyder, and other lands, are
known TO contain iron-ores, while the
Wills. Wilson, Dillon, Burkholder, and
Arcadia lands have an abundant supply OF
the finest limestone.
THE VAST coAL-FIELDs
Of the Kanawha and New-River valleys,
with two railroads penetrating them and
leading directly to Buchanan, afford abund-
ant supplies OF cheap coke for smelling
these valuable ores. 1t is nat by
competent and experienced iron-men that
the best grades OF iron can be manufae-
tured ut Buchanan at a cost OF from 81 to
Sl2 per ton. Again l ask, with all the III
cilities and advantages, why c0uld Bu-
chman not soon become
GREAT MANUFACTURING PLACE?
sincerely hope this may be the result,
and in this connection | desire to ask why
II Is that Virginia capitalists always wait
for northern men and foreign capital TO
come in and develop NirgiDia's vast re-
sources, and thus lay the foundations for
large fortunes. | know OF no better field
than The James River Valley for legitimate
and profitable investment. j am amazed
that Virginians OF means do not take hold
OF these things. Buchanan is very
STRONGLY TEACHER TO RICHMOND,
and the interests Of our beautiful capital
CITY. The Richmond and Allegheny rail
road Is regarded by these people as pecu-
liariy the Virginia road. and they prefer to
~patronize II because il leads to Virginia
cities and is building up Virginia Interests.
Politically. Buchanan contrasts most ia
vorably witheother Virginia towns. 1t is a
large yoting-frecinct, and is
sTBeHGLY DEMOCRATIC.
TO show how little sympathy these people
have with Mahoneism. / state, TO their
credit, that there is only one white man
living in the town who ever Votes the CO.
aiition ticket, ard that man was never
known TO vote ii until the Boss appointed
hun postmaster, against the earnest protest
J Of the people. AaAsaYTA.
P~erflouS Ka ft-Iouruex