The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-12-06
A Boom that will Stay.

Of them. The ground floor operators then
will have their pockets stuffed and the
tender feet be left In the lurch. For many
Of these booms have nothing substantial
and enduring to justify them. In South
ern California one of tie most extraordl-
narv booms that ever was known in the
was based upon what might have
been called a sand bank. d few cactusses,
balmy breeze. a soft, mellow moonteam'
foamy surf and gorgeous sunset. Inc
craze in town lots seized upon everybody;
prices mounted to fabulous sums, and al
most as quick as thought The airy fabric
collapsed. leaving the investors with their
possessions of no intrinsic value.
In other portions of the country booms
have been inaugurated upon more sub
stantial basis. but not such as TO Justify
the inflated prices in real estate which
have obtained. We do not care to nen'
ton them just now. for were we to Go SO.
it would not arrest the craze and keep
spec alators down to common sense Jules
of business. Nothing but experience Will
teach some people. and it is well enough
for them to learn in that way. They yearn
after the cont agion it gets hold OF them
and generally let's them go to drop "iur
and harl.'
What any sensible man wants TO leave
Stanton and Augusta county to hunt up
a boom. we cannot. III reason, understand
1t must be either because OF ignorance OF
the immense natural wealth which sur
round, them OF the delusion that they
must go away from home 10 prosper. Ii
the same enterprise and the same capital
were invested here in this town and coun-
ty boom, based upon tangible, visible,
material resources would be inaugurated
that would not only endure, but would de-
yelop an amount Of wealth that. would
make this the most prosperous and ANU
ent portion of the South. We have more
real wealth. we venture TO say. in Augusta
county, than they have in the whole state
of Alabama. We believe along the west :
ern base of the Blue Ridge RAINING through
the county north and south. there IS man :
ganese enough to supply the demand Oh
the world and then not half develop tive
have inexhaustible quantities of the best
of hematite iron ore, peculiarly suited 10
the manufacture Of basic steel. We have
immense beds of kaoliR and fire BRICK clay.
which would Justify capitalists in taking
hold of and utilizing them. In the North
mountain ra nge, in the western part OF
the county, we have anthracite coal depos-
it's and iron ore in close proximity. with
the limestone in quantities, sufficient 10
supply The whole country with iron. we
have unlimited forests Of the best of tim
Der for all the purposes that lumber Is
used. We have as fine water power as
there is in any portion Of the country.
And yet all these sources OF wealth are
permitted to lie idle. while our own PEG
pie run off to other localities in search OF
booms built upon air and promises
which in the very nature of things cannot
last, and must bring disaster upon some
body.
Where is there locality so well adapted
to manufacturing purposes as Stanton :?
lines of trunk railroads. running to the
four cardinal points and linking together
the oceans, and the lakes and the gulf. We
have the whole country before US for a
market. We have the iron manufactured
in large quantities almost at our doors.
We have the supplies Tor ali demands OF
labor, and all the requirements OF capital.
We are right on the highway between the
North and the South and East aud West,
and can reach right across the sea, with
out changing bulk except to dump our
products into vessel.
Could any sensible man ask for greater
Inducements for a boom than we possess !?
A boom that would mean something-that
would bring ont the wealth that lies dead
in the mountains-the coal, the iron, the
manganese. the clays, the timber, and
every element of substantial, enduring az
1iuence and prosperity. why the coal and
iron ore of the North Mountain range.
within twenty miles and less Of Stanton
are sufficient TO supply the demandso the
country for centuries. The manganese OF
the Blue Ridge spurs is enough for the Use
of all the steel furnaces in America for
generations to come, Low Moor and
Longdale are turning ont from 800 to 400
tons OF pig metal per day. which IS sent off
to be worked up and utilized. Victoria and
Buffalo Gap, now lying idle, ought 10 be
in operation, and will be We trust. ere
long. Ferroll ought to be in full blast.
and factories ought to dot every few miles
of that rich mineral district, running not
only through the county. but through the
entire Valley.
And with these natural advantages
ayailed of-these wonderful benefactions
of nature utili2ed-the energy and push
of our people and the capital that could
be commanded, by earnest effort and well
directed purpose, where else could such an
assurance be found for boom
OF course it will never come if our own
people lock away from home TO other
fields. and grasp at air castles to realize
that they have sown to the wind and
reaped to the whirlwind. instead of COM
ing down to real business, taking hold of
the undeyeloped wealth that is all around
them, and utilizing the splendid advan
tages that are theirs, without the asking
or the seeking.
Well. it will not always be thus. While
some Of our people are carried away 10y
the rosy lictioEs of other localities, and
Others are clipping coupons and slicing off
the corners CT the paper Of the unfortu-
nate. and others are sucking their thumbs
while waiting for something TO turn up,
men Of sagacity, Of wise business fore
sight. will come in and seiz3 upon the
wonderful natural wealth that invites cap
ital and enterprise and Will not only cause
boom but reap the benefits Of 1t. North
ern eyes are upon Virginia. Northern
capital is looking this way. Northern
enterprise will come with swift pace
and lake hold of the fabulous wealth that
lies here, and will appropriate to itself |
that which our own people have, in effect,
thrown away.
We make the prediction now, that it
will not be twelve months before a new |
birth will be given TO the material life of |
this portion Of the Valley, and that the |