Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-11-07
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA DOTS.

Correspondence of the STANTON VINDICAToR.1
GRAHAM, VA.
TaZeweIl county, Nov. l, 'S4. J
A little more than year ago wrote you
from this progressive, enterprising section
of Virginia. 1t has interested me very
much to see what has been done here and
at various other points along the line of
the Norfolk & Western Railroad in year,
and it can not fail to interest the readers
of the INDICATOR to hear something of
it.
In 1883 there were here two or three
stores. a dwelling house or two, several
shanties and tents and an eating place I'M
der long shed with plank roof and a
great many carpenters hewing and ham,
merng on houses here and there over the
place. Now we find an
INCORPORATED TOWN,
with $50 or 800 inhabitants, regularly laid
off with wide streets, the streets graded
and leveIed, one large we'll kept hotel and
two others not 80 pretentious, nine stores
of general merchandise, drug store, fur
niture store, agricultural warehouse, car
penter and blacksmith shops, lawyers and
doctors Offices and number Of neat, CON-
Portable dwellings, besides handsome
and comfortable depot II wish Staunton
had as good one for passengers) and two
walnut lumber yards piled close with the
! wealth of the Tazewell forests, with a
number of houses still going up, including
a largo livery stable. Graham has her
Mayor and town council and sergeant too
and several rudimentary pavements, which
| hold out to the foOtman promise of ex-
| tension much to be desired as winter
grows apace. Two years cutting and ship
ping Of walnut logs does not seem to have
diminished the supply hereabouts, and the
moving to and fro of heavy logs is one of
the features Of the place, while the cattle
that are brought here from large section
of country around makes this one of the
most important stock shipping points in
the Southwest.
TWO NEW BRANCH RAILROADS.
1 have not been to Pocahontas yet to
see what year has done for that place.
but her big explosion last spring has given
''Pokey," as they call the place up here, a
notoriety and an advertisement that
century of quiet every day life would
never have accomplished for the new
mining town of the Flat Top. However,
the restless enterprise of the Norfolk and
Western Company is not content with
her present reaches after coal and
iron developments. Two more important
branch roads are under construction. One
intersects this branch road a few miles
west of Graham, and runs down Blue
Stone some six miles and branches off to
several rich coal openings in the noun
tains around. The other, called the
Cripple Greek extension, leaves the main
stem near Pulaski City, formerly Martins.
and is to pass through the rich iron re-
gions on Cripple Creek, where are already
several furnaces, and extends some fifty
miles to Speedwell furnace in Wythe
county. The work has progressed far to-
wards completion, there having been as
many as 1900 hands employed upon it
during the year. 1t will probably be COM
pleted next spring or summer, and when
il Is, the furnaces along the line, already
established, expect to increase their ca
pac.ty aud new one at Pulaski is con-
templated.
PULASKI CITY.
In the last year this place has changed
so much that it has well earned the right
to change its name. A number of build
Tags, both business and dwelling houses,
have been erected, and there are said to
be 800 inhabitants within circle Of a
mile. The maple Shade" Inn here, is
however, the improvement of this section.
1t was built this year by the railroad COM
pany and is about ready for furnishing.
1t Is unique in appearance, and quite a
handsome and imposing structure. built
in the Queen Anne style Of architecture
story is of the native lime stone, and the
second story Of wood. A broad and
handsome verandah extends the whole
'front.' of the long building. which contains
35 or 40 chambers, and all other rooms
necessary to complete establishment,
while a beautiful sugar maple grove in
TIE grounds, which give name to the
place, add greatly to its attraction.
AT CENTRAL
on New River, a number of new buildings
nave been erected, among which isa hand
some passenger depot. A considerable
work there also, is an elevated track now
being constructed from which coal will
be dumped to the road engines. Another
handsome and well arranged depot has
also been built at New River Station the
junction of the New River branch road
with the main stem.
The route down New River along this
branch road is peculiarly attractive on &C
count of its fine scenery and some novel
river and mountain views.
NAMES WHICH MEAN SOMETHING.
The names of some of the stations are
very suggestive of these natural features
of the country and have local signif-
canoe. For instance, there is Ripplemead,
situated on the bank Of the river where
there is a long and broad stretch of shall
low water. ripping gently over many
worn ledge and messy stone; then Stay
Tide, where the river, rushing down
steep grade strikes against short bend
and big rock and is stopped and turned
back In deep circling eddy; Long Fall
where for long distance there is heavy
grade of 81 feet to the mile; Glenlyn, at
the head of pretty glen shaded with
large lynn trees; Oak Vale, which speaks
for itself, and Ingleside, named after the
resident engineer, Capt. VIM. Inales, who