Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-10-04
A Trip to the Shenandoah Valley.

trammels of seGentary existence, youF
correspondent boarded train Of the MsnGs
sac division of the Richmond and DanVille
R. R, for trip to the Blue Ridge and the
classic Shenandoah. After about en hours
run FROM Alexandria the train reached Ma
nassas, was switched eff a. the junction aDd
began It's Euu toward the blue hns 10 the Gle
lance, upon which ms sunset glo" il eli It's
grandeur waa settling. The iron horse vas
gradually le;senipg The distance oetweeu
me- and nv tjec i've point, and IS the trslo
sped on through cut AID oveE emoanhmeht
and bridge, and the king of DAY saGk out OF
sight, wtils esgsrly watching tie pic
turesuue country through which | was beng
waited, what little poetic "a ure had |as
brought into active p!ey. Thers Vas "C5a>
lowing herd winding slowly DER the lea"
md 1.-THE plowmsn homsward piodding bis
weary wsyn Night, however, soon cast lis
sable curtain over all, and brought with 1t
other nusings.
II was late in the evening whan the t.ein
landed me at Front Royal in the Shenandoah
Valley, and it was not long ESQ sleep hao
weighted my eye-!ds down and stepped ms
brain In forgetfuoess. was astir early
next morning, and in moving through thls
beautiful town was struck With the melt
mophoss under which it has passed 10 the
last wear OF two. The last time Wss heFe
Trout Royal contained but 700 people now
it numbers 1900, eod the number OF oew
and beautiful houses which have been All
ded surprised me no little. sister town,
Riyerton, which hss also grown amazingly,
1T the tune to which | refer Was merely
way station, and to ms astoalshment
| f. und it now has 500 souls within its llmlIs.
| Both places are undergoing steady snd
/ health gtowtt and ii takes 70 prophetic
| Instinct 10 draw the horoscopes ct these
places. as their eiiuation will Inevitably
| cause them to become cities OF no little I'M
portauce in the near future. Paced as tbey
are at what mignt be called focal poiat,
| three railroads censreiDg In their midst,
there ia almost direct Communication with
every point of tho compass, and Waen the
Shenandoah Valley road shall lave been ex
tended TO Washington, which le an assured
| fsct, more direct communication Will be ell :
ljoysd. ,..o ona
ct Riverton CHER destiDes ara onfl is not
i due TO apv artificial booming OF real estate,
| but to the ia urai results of the fortunate
location of both places, as nature evidently
| intended that q great manufacturing city
should be built in this locality at the Juno
ton OF the North and South forks, where
the beautiful Shenandoah river Is formed
Front Royal and Riverton are now the
junction OF two great Southern railroad
systems, the Richmond & Danvile ard the
Norfolk & Western. The las;-Damed rcsc
is locating sud will soon begIn the coz
stfuction of line from this point TO Wssh-
ingtor the Baltimore & OHIO is only ten
miles distant, while the Cumberland Valley,
heading in this direction, has reeched Wiz
chester, eighteen miles away.
Ualjke many II urishing towns, From
ROYAL and Rigertcn are not compelled to
huild from the ground up. They have many
substantial enterprises already In successful
operation. Front Royal has the advantage
| of being the Warren c1uaty seat and has q
population of 1880 There are two suit
etentiai heDks there having combined
capital OF 500 900, twenty mercantile honIes,
| Eve manufactures, an excellent gfsoeo
school with four departments, three hotels,
three newspapers, cig3r factory, taohefy, NJ
efficient fire department and TOUR livery
-tahes One Of the largest industries Is tDe
Rjverton Flour Mills, with 3 capacity TOR
! l25 barrels per day. The Oonu1e Line
Works Ia the largest in the South and eT-
| Il
Ano her company has been crgsn'zad for toe
mern.aoture OF lime end viii be in opera
ion soon, The Warren Manufacturing
| 90 manufacturers of all kiads Of woOd
! work. is located here, aud another profit
abe business is the clopersge establish
ments, Furnishing barrels TO the line works
and mills. Besides these Is coed hotel,
saw mill and gri5t mil. Tni5 section
abounds In iron and manganese ores, cop
per. lead. clays ADD oobre. The iron ores
ere said 10 be almost self 1uxing snd to ccp-
tain very small percentage OF sulphur end
phospho,us. which advantages WILL readily
bs recognized By iron and steel manuiaotuf-
era. The sunply OF timber, ard especially
oak. is very large, aud bnnding stone can
he Rad st The door, go to speak. Capitalists
from both the North and South are largely
interested here, and l GIN confident that
Front Royal and R'verion will give GER an
and ample returnn for investments
The climate is pleasant snd healthy in
summer end winter; the water is as pure
es ever came from mountain stream
F,uit, of every variety fourth here, and
the Belmont viDtsge is celebrated ABROAD a.
we'll as at home.
The initiative In the sen Of progress has
been token by tbs Front Royal & Rivarton
Improvement Co. an organiztticn WIN a,l b
canltel of $500 900, and composed Of gentle
men OF high standing and sterling integrity.
Hon. II. 81. Downing is president OF the
George , VIZ Core " vGs- J5ss
son. ties. urer, aud Hon. S. ). Turner, a.
tornev. Early in The summer the company,
pu,c aased at farm and pEicas 500 acres of
lae land lying 10 and hetWeen the TWO towns
with viaw OF developing the property, anc
elso TO induce worthy manufacturing enter
nrises to locate here. Their charter was
not grsn.ed uatiI June b, and it was not u
ri then that anv active work vas performed
But inside OF Sc hours after the books we're
opened sill of the stock wss snbacribed ny
nar,ies from Nav York to Texas, and bs-
fore the first iustalment was paid the stock
wss held at pemium o. II per cent. Every
e,ockh sfauas on thu same beeis, and
ths people have unbounded CONFIDENCE in
the integrity OF the mana age 9a NJ % T seg
ere to have sale ofiots 90 the ~ J, zpi shc
q III Of this month, which will doubtless ne
LARGELY attended.