Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-04-03
Progress at Buena Vista.


lots of the town, according to the terms OF
the organisation, the disposal of the latter
will commence, which will be early in May.
That disposed of, the Board of Directors
can then take up and arrange for the es-
tablishment there CT various proposed
enterprises which cannot be finally agreed
upon till that period of progress is passed.
In the meantime the Board is carrying
forward with all practicable rapidity 60
much of the present progress as is required
of it. For the hotel, which is to be COM
pleted by the first of July, the undertaken,
Mr.. J. P. PettyjohD, of Lynchburg, is now
shipping brick and other material from
Lynchburg in order that there shall be no
delay in the completion Of the job at the
date stated, for he does not wait to make
brick on the ground. The hotel is greatly
needed to accommodate the many strangers
who call there. The iron ores, as they are
brought out from greater depths, are de-
velopipg more than the richness heretofore
ascribed to them. This fact, coupled with
the statement made by Professor Campbell
and other biologists that in extent they
are practically iuexhaustable, is sufficient
to settle for all the future the rich returns
the Company are to receive from this
source alone Of the magnificent wealth in
possession. A letter, received from
member of the Board of Directors by the
writer, says that they now have orders for
several hundred tons of daily deliveries OF
the ores at fine profit on the costs of pro-
duction.
Men of science have published the result
Of their researches and the practical tests
which have followed more than verify all
they have said. We appreciate all this,
but if such superior authority was not
available, there is history OF the property,
especially that of its extent and richness in
iron ores, transmitted by its former owner,
the late Mr.. Samuel F. Jordan not second
in sustaining a finn faith of its values. He
had a superior practical knowledge of the
iron irdustry-of what was under the
ground as we'll as how to get at it, and then
to proftably work it, that gave him his line
success. All this was remembered when
his SOD, Captain Charles F. Jordan, and
other members of his family, and MessrE.
Moomaw, Barclay, Glasgow, Nelson, and
Figgat, and their associates determined to
strike boldly out for new Developments
Their movement was popular and the Poo
pie took hold of it. 1t is no surprise there
fore to hear of these registered orders for
the ores. The intelligence which Mr.. Moo
maw's letter contains will go out to the
hundreds of stockholders, assuring them
that if there were nothing else-if no great
old pine forests and thousand of acres OF
younger growth, the beautiful sites for
buildings and enterprises OF all kinds, and
all the other resources Of which they have
seen and heard, did not exist-the iron re-
sources themselves would handsomely repay
their Investment with profit
The Lexington "Gazette'' Of the 29th OF
March furnishes very full information OF
the recent discovery of silver on the Buena
Vista property, which is more briefly
stated in the following telegram to the
Richmond Dispatch which appears in that
paper of the Both of March
Captain Charles T. Jordan, director
in the Buena Vista Company and manager
of the mineral interests of that organiza-
ton in the work of prospecting, locating,
and developing the minerals, and who is a
thorough mineral expert, reports the dis
covery on the Buena Vista property OF
what he believes to be very large and
rich vein Of silver ore running along the
Blue Ridge mountains. The discovery
was made by q mountaineer and is just
made public. 1t is thought to be bonanza
The ore is now being analysed by an eX-
pert"
Information since obtained Of the ana
lysis of the ore by Professor Hardin, of the
Virginia Military Institute, makes it very
rich in yield.
OF the Buena Vista resources we have al
ways refrained from giving any representa-
ton of their quantities or values except of
such as were plain to the observation, as
they could be seen above ground, and TAX
ing standard authority as our guide con-
corning those below the earth's surface.
Now that the find of silver is reported, it
may be proper to relate legend concern
ing it, as well as another, to which no
former reference has been made concerning
black lead.
In 1880. when Mr.. Maybury's (the
Yesuvius) furnace was the only one in
operation in the South River Valley, there
appeared along the South mountains a
man of Spanish and Indian blood who gave
his name as Belknap. He claimed to be a
practical miner and had worked in the
mines in Mexico. He had a miners outfit
of buckskin suit as well as Implements
He spent several weeks in the vicinity OF
where afterwards Buena Vista Furnace
was erected, and where now its ruins stand
as monument of the torch applied in 1864,
and where, too, an elegant fortune of over
two hundred thousand dollars was made in
the previous seventeen years by the output
of that establishment. He spoke broken
English very well, and as small boy who
then listened to his conversation, an i'm
preston was made upon us of him and his
narratives which ffty-eight years have not
effaced from memory. 1t has been retained
with comparative freshness, because from
that time to this day the presence OF Belk-
nap and his claim to the discovery of silver
in that locality is mentioned il that
neighborhood. He refused to Inform the
people of the location of his fad and was
very guarded in seeing that his walks and
ramblings should not be traced. He often
spent nights on the mountain.sides, which
are in full view to observers on the hills on
the western side of the river. Without his
knowing the fact, his movements at night
were ascertained by his lantern, as its
light could now and then be discerned.
about the locality known as the head Of