New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-21
A PARADISE OF BOOMERS.
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE ShEN
ANDOAH VALLEY.
,..D-rrrr CHARACTERIZATION BEING
WROUGHT BY A PROTECTIVE TARIFF Be
TWEEN THE BLUE RIDGE AND
ITTFGTIANIES.
BEING
,rnoM AS occAsloyAL connEsRoyDEyr or TnE rRTBrNFl
THE ALLEGHANIES.

IRON Az OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIVE TRbCN''I
Winchester. Va July 2O.-Under the benehcent
working of the protective tarh ana Inc energy Ut
the town-ot boomers truly wonderful Trans
formation is taking place in the historic Nhch'"-
doah Valley OF Virginia. Twenty-Five years ago.
after one of Shcrdau's destructive RAIDS 'hro"@"
the valley that commander declared tlo'
crow flew over the Shenandoah Valley II WouIo
have 10 take its rations along with H. NO
better picture Of the desolatiOn left Ill me wake
=, tho Nortbcr1 and Southern armies could he
drawn than is conveyed in that striking phr'S'
If Sberjdan.s. Now. except for the wel-kept
cemeteries where the fallen on both sides lie
waiting for GabrielS trump to summon them
from their resting places, and few req cay
lroastworlys on the old batleSclds, there X no'h-
ip, that recalls that tremendous struggle with me
sacrifices and awful dcsolation entailcd by H.
prospcrous towns and embryo cities are springlnS
nm by the dozens all over Western virginia ana
in that remarkable depression of land NlhS "eSo
81 the Buc Ridge Mountains. from Harper
Forty 10 the toe of Virginia. AT Cumberland
Gan. the boomer that wonderful prodnct Of Ilou-
crn American civilization, is IN ms glory ANU
fostcrcd and encouraged by the protective 'ariH'
no * working wonders for the Old DohifIl"h
Venerable towns like Winchester, that have slept
- ,rr,ovcd and untouched by the spirit OF
nroorcss elsewhere for hundred years h1Nc
,ol,ered couqht the Infection and begun to
crow in n manner that paralyzes the Oldest III
bebitont who. il is needless TO say Is pretty
nuucrous hcrcabouts. The cIang OF the trooper
sabre and the CHATTER of his horses hoois OH '"c
turupi,lc roads have hccn succceced ny tic sun"
= ,Io hammer and saw If the carpenter. They
can boom 4 "ctY' on air ana ""'o'
don.r here \ thrifty town springs mp
"a.
THO boomer will pitch his tent peslue
= snIor,id snriur of water, name his city, l>suc
o. nrosncctus with glowing accounts Of biaS' i"r-
| pocos factories water and gas companies Saofc'
and Mot ont town lots till the surveyors le''n
nm oyaius, the inaccessible sides OF the nclghpoI-
r', mountains Like the migrating gold hunters
II fine Rockies in the good old days OF w.
s,cculotnrs 0ocl, to the big spring OF "eVcr-loW-
inc water" and. presto. there's n now Guy. lie
VIRGINIA boomer Is miles ahead ot MS western
prototype who builds imaginary opera houses anu
asks Broadway prices per front foot Tor lois III ''
shadow Of the primcval forest. II IS ho' INC
,oul of the town-lot boomer down mere II inc
....;,,. s,ronorr is not induced 10 invest. The
nro.n.c,u4c, and circulars Of land improvement
..,,o,,i.s ar, scattered through the trains. and
fine mails are heavy with them. HE rFaIrN
hcyccn thc various towns is intense. and is shared
hacl, their favoritcs by subscribing to tine stock
~ tLc Improvement companies. Cemetery lots
arc hoopcd with all the enthusiasm. fervor ana
,.icor that are bestowed upon business blocks IN
,bc ccptrc of the town. Here is a sample OF the
attractions urged upon the public in behalf OF
rcv,ly nlot,cd addition of booming Valley town;
Tn, t.i.phonc from salt Lake Springs To Red sulphur
Spring. passes through this property
4 laborn. man VIII hnd here hn' range Tor hor'h
f,is
raising fowls. ,. .,.. ,..,,.
IA s-cd In Virginia for bauty Of location.
The sportsman Will ind deer in snort h"ht mo
,r s,,,,.l one ON the premises and the mountains are
a short di-tanc" away.
lyhtfullv cool pure atmosphrr' VIII h' rlT9h"S '''
,,yiyoratlne \ city man who viii build him cabin
hero and ru-tIcate two Weeks ]" H"""''' '' ~ "
vo ,r,s,,, her.: no doctors needed Your Wives and
children VII healthy and rosy and yonr d' Tor DINO
II i, believed that even the hardened nerve
of a Kansas or Colorado town-iot boomer "oul"
NOT I've equal TO She task Of recommending clty
lot as n desirable purchase because OF the H'cr o"
or about it,
But with liberal discount for all the cN'raVo-
rant language and the impossible schemes OF 'o"h-
lot boomers and hnd-spccalatlng sharks the l'''
remains that an enormous industrial develop
m taking place III llllS l'-l''l' -'''''
# Nortbcrn and English capital are pouring
into Western Virginia, and the development oil
its mineral resources is proceeding rapidly. Roam
ol,o the most prosperous city of the State set the
n,cc and furnished the shining example that
stimulates The booms in all the surrounding re-
,,ions Ten wears ago Roanoke was mala'lal
hamlet known ~ Biz Lick, on the Norfolk ana
Western Railroad The crossing of the Norfolk
and Western by the Shenandoah Valley Railroad
and the location OF the shops OF the lat'er ioaa
Al this junction point started dcNelOphleht "hICh
has spread ever since and resulted IN one ol Ihe
livclicst cities of the New N0uth' win Il PoPuia-
lion of 30. 900 and total property valuation
exceeding - 900 900, being an increase OF soo1o,
oOO within five years. Now, with ROANOKE
,,rowth to stimulate tic people, the building OF
cities is the order of the day. Winchester Charles
ton, Berryville, Front Royal, "aNhesporoL.
names famous in war annals ana suAers.tsc VI
ench thrilling memories 10 all surviving veterans !
of the struQglc-are all ION a boom III the eA- !
pressive language of the day Lana values ana
future prospects form the sole thehle Oh conNc'su-
ton i'm dwelling houses hotels ana parrOohS' III !
uriyate and public discussions. mere are SUD !
stantal booms at Bedford City: Buchanan, Char /
lottcsyillc, Stanton Lexington, LynehOurg, oalei'
Luray and dozen other places carpenters, ]
fathers plasicrers, bricklayerS ana sklllcd work
men. who formerly had TO leave the valley OF !
Virginia If they wanted work, are not numerous /
enough 10 meet the demand for their services now,
and new houses are rented or sold as fast as they
built 49,, An -,
Between the summit OF Inc hlIcgnanlcS ana the |
Rme Ridge busy hands and brains at work |
developing the practically ineXhaustiblc beds OF !
ores Between these mountain tops lie parallel |
bands of coal suitable for coking, etc, Of great
thickness three limestone formations and five
distinct varieties of iron Ores-all within eighty
five miles Of navigablc tidc-watcr. and all within
n region rich in agricultural, pastoral and forest
wealth Near Bcrryvillc ore is found that assays
81 per cent of iron. Here, as in many other
points on the Shenandoah Valley road the ore is
hauled long distance by wagon. and shipped TO