West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-04-06
rifle factory, at Harper's Ferry, o

rifle factory, at Harper's Ferry, on
the Shenandoah.
Draughtsmen are ut work on
plans for building pulp mill oil the
same size and capacity rs the one
in operation, and also an immense
six-machine paper mill, it being the
intention of the gentlemen interest
ed to use the product of both the
pulp mills in the manufacture OF
paper.
II is estimated that the cost OF
the entire plant when finished VIII
be between 100000 ard 81 600, O0O.
SHIPPING FACILITIES, RAILWAYS, DC.
No county in West Virginia has
better shipping facilities. The main
line of the Baltimore Il Ohio rail-
road runs through the county. From
Harper's Ferry the Potomac d Win
chester branch of the Baltimore q
Ohio runs through the county to be-
vond Summit Point. And from Shep-
herdstown on the north the Shenan-
doah Valley railroad extends thro
the entire length of the county to
beyond Ripon, crossing the Balti-
more 81 Ohio at the junction, and
the Winchester branch at Charles
town. To these may he added the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
The agricultural interests of JET.
ferson are preeminent. With soil
rich in all the native components,
large yields are made.
MINERALS.
Iron ore from sixty to ninety per
cent. OF pure iron, and in paying
quantities, has been mined and ship
oed to some extent. Washed specl-
mems of lead have been picked up.
Nowhere has the hardwoods been
more in request than the hickory,
walnut and white oak of Jefferson
county, but its exhaustion is nearly
reached as a marketable quantity.
There are number of churches
in the county representing the vari-
Gus denominations. There are fifty
two schools in the county with as
many teachers, and an attendance
of 1900 pupils. One Of the State
Normal schools is located at Shep-
herdstown. At Camp Hill, near Har-
per's Ferry, is the celebrated Storer
College, for the education Of colored
students. Charlestown has an Acad-
envy which was established in 1895.
The John Stephenson Female Semi
nary is located at CharlesJown.
MISCELLANEOUS.
There are five newspapers in the
county. In Charlestown, SPIRIT Of
Jefferson, Free Press and WEST VA.
DEMOCRAT; in Shepherdstown, the
Registe; in Harper's Ferry;the Sen
tinel Two banks in Charlestown,
the First National, with capital
stock of $4,000, and the Bank Of
Charlestown, with $4,000. Also
the Savings Bank of Shepherdstown.
The total assessed valuation of zeal
ty and personally is 6.617,S76 dol
lars. The rate of taxation on all
values is about one per cent.
There are number of grist mills
| in the county. An extensive straw
board paper mill is located at Hall
town, and the Shenandoah Wooden
Factory near Myerstown. Tanneries
are located in Charlestown and at
Sbepherdstown. There is at Mill
Vile a machine brick making yard.
Cigar factories are run at Charles
town and 1T Harper's Ferry.
PRICE OF LANDS.
The market value Of lands has
fluctuated considerably within the
last twelve years, rating from twenty
dollars per acre to fifteen dollars per
acre on agricultural farms, and noun
tain lands from fifteen dollars TO one
dollar and fifty cents per acre, which
are the only unimproved lands we
have in Jefferson. Farming lands
have declined within the last few
years, owing to the low price Of
grain, but are now at stand with
prospects TO- upwardness. There
has been no time more opportune for
investment in Jefferson than the pre-
sent. V. NJ. FIRoR.