The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-02-14
The Boon al Our l,t. I!
AN IMPORTANT MOVEMENT,
Looking to Industrial Plants.

Looking to Industrial FIants.
In our local columns Will be. found a
statement of tie organization of the
Stanton and West Augusta railroad COM
pany. The purpose of this organization
is to construct railroad from Stanton
to North River Gap. to accommodate the
valuable anthracite coal fields in that Sec
ton of the country. The distance to be
traversed is about II miles, through a rich
aud prolific agricultural and pastural por
ton OF the county. The road when COM
pleted, in addition TO being an outlet for
the anthracite coal, it is intended to reach.
will accommodate the trade of Northwest
Augusta, Southwest Rockingham, High.
land. Pocahontas and PendletOn counties.
and will command lucrative local bust
ness, indt pendent of the coal and iron ore
interests it will develop.
The possibilities of this enterprise for
Staunton cannot well Re over estimated,
1t will bring US in direct contact with the
anthracite coal of North River Gap, and
furnish fuel for domestic and manufac-
turing purposes for less than it has ever
been offered in Stanton. 1t VIII not only
invite IL e location of iron industries at
the coal fields, where there is an abundant
supply OF iron ore and limestone, but will
virtually assure the erection of furnaces
and rolling mill at this place, to be fol-
lowed by other industries related to the
iron interests When we consider that
Stanton is midway between two of the
most extensive iron ore deposits South OF
the Potomac.-the brown hematites of
Ferroll, Is miles west of us. and the red
oxide, or specuisr iron ore of Dayidia
alb )ut the same distance ON the east.
both Immediately Oh the Chesapeake and
Oaio railroad, ard at the intersection of
two great trunk lines of railroads, reach
ing to every portion of the Union. and
competing for the traffic of the coke
districts of West Virginia. Southwfs st
Virgirit, and Connellsville. Pa, and at
the same time in reach of the anthracite
co ii of n 1rth River Gap, it Is not extray
of lie town is practically assured. We
ven ure the assertion that there is no To-
cality in the Union more favofably sit
ua.ed for manufacturing pig iron at the
lowest possible cost, and where all the
facilities both for manufacturing ami
ma Ike ing the products of industries ex
list.
The future of Staunton, and indeed of
Augusta county,is now in the hands Of our
own people. They have it in their power
to inaugurate an era Of industrial actiy.
ity never before dreamed of. And we
are gratiied to state that they begin to
understand and appreciate their excep-
tional opportunities. 1t is not to make a
boom in the ordinary sense of the
term. to create craze over town lots. but
to establish substantial industries, based
upon the natural resources Of the county,
which would last and flourish, when the
paper booms of other localities. have col
Iapsed, and the investments of the deluded
have disappeared in the chaotic debris OF
the ruins.
We understand that plan is maturing
and an organization will be effected. to
submit to the people proposition for a
blast furnace and rolling mil-a prop
osi:ion that will have no ground floor"
except for all the subscribers to the stock
with no speculative or doubtful feature
about it, but which will address itself to
the Common sense of every one who de-
sires to see the town and county partci-
pate in the industrial progress of. the
country.
There never has been in the past,
and there never will be in the future,
such an opportunity to build up large
and lucrative Industrial centre at this
place as is now within our grasp. If We
do not avail of it. it will be our own
fault, but Judging from the manifested
and growing public feeling on the subject.
We feel sure that we will soon witness
change and the Inauguration of enter
pri5es that will bring their fruits in unex-
amped Development, progress and pros
periJy