The daily critic., 1890-08-09
IN THE VALLEY
EOW WINCHESTER HAS THRl7ED
SINCE SHERl0ANS RIDE
The Garden SPOT OF the Union Ferttle
SOIL and mineral Deposits JIM the
Immediate Nsichborbood

]
take a pride in being able to discuss tine
| topography 0t some far.0n State or
country, and are denselcy ignorant as to
| what surrounds them We are q pa
triotic nation, there IS no doubt Of that.
But where the native Of a smaller coun-
try is anxious TO be thoroughly ac-
Quainted within his limited horizon, we
Of this great republic seem never salts
fed until we begin our researches some
/ few thousand miles from home.
THIS ERRATtc FEELING
only can account for the fact that the
city from which | date this letter has
to-day o population Of but 5000. A
boom is started in the West, and Off
we 90 10 California or some other equi-
distant State in search Of a prosperous
future. We are induced by the florid
descriptions Of agricultural or mineral
resources; we purchase town lots where
streets are not yet laid out in the hope
that at some time a city may rise there,
and If, after paying for our experience,
we have cash enough left we return
home 10 begin life anew
1t Is a fact, however that where a
not fully developed region has fertile
soil, or where minerals are found in
paving quantities, an era Of
PROSPERITY MUST COME.
And If such a region is salubrious, II
great climatic changes or atmospheric
Conyulsions are utterly unknown, peo-
pie will flock there as soon as its all
vantages arc known This IS the case
with Winchester The "Old Domin-
ion has always had the reputation Of
being the garden spot OF the Union.
And the stranger who visits this valley
Of the Shenandoah cannot wonder at
the intense affection with which the
native Virginian regards his State
A rolling country where woodland
and stream pleasantly vary the long
fields of waving corn Here aud there
a farm house whose exterior gives evi.
denCe Of prosperity. Fatlooking cattle
quietly browsing In their densely. green
meadows; the whole scenery reminding
one Of the best agricultural districts of
old England And If we remember that
scarcely a quarter Of a century has
passed since this same country was de-
vastatcd by war; not In a single battle,
but by an almost continuous tramping
10 and fro Of soldiery for period of
four years then We cannot help ad
mitting the
IMMENSE FERTILITY or THE SOIL,
which allowed It's owners 10 recover
themselves from complete ruin In such
a comparatively short period
There prevails an idea IN Washington
that the soil Of Virginia has lost It's
pristine fcCundityi that Il has been ex
hausted. To see how erroneous this
idea Is, so far as the Shenandoah Valley
Is concerned, needs only the most super.
hCial glance. still, immigration has
passed by and land does not command
a high price, not one. third OF what Il
would bring II Il were on the road to
the far West, even With the often re-
peated drouth and cyclones-disasters
which are unknown 10 the farmers here.
The time must come, and Is sure 10 come
soon when some practical man will
change Horace Greeley's go Vest"
10 the advice Of Go SOUTH and this
Valley will see a boom which will prove
lasting.
If-and here Is the rub-lf this change
does not come too suddenly, This lay
Ing out Of town sites every two or three
miles may bring money into the pockets
Of real estate agents, but Il Is sure 10 be
followed by a reaction. II Is for this
reason that the foresight evinced by the
Equity improvement Company Of this
city cannot but be commended. This
company, under the direction Of gentle
men most of whom live In this city and
are identified with II, obtained a charter
for the purpose of establishing such in
dustries as the natural resources de
mand and al the same time to provide for
THE ENLARGEMENT O. THE CITY
as the increase Of population may war
rant. No wildcat scheme this. The
capital, 81 600 900, has been subscribed
The land, on which they had an option,
either has been OF is about to be pur-
chased. A magnificent hotel, ia
grounds containing seventeen acres, will
be built, and gradually the company
VIII establish water company, they
have spring Of pure water able 10 pro-
vide this necessary 10 a city with a pOpu-
latiOn OF 20 600; a steam brick yard
saw mill, sash aud blind factory, Ice
company, canning company, cotton
mill, agricultural implement factory,
tobacco factory, pork packing estab-
lishment, and an opera house and hall
will be built.
A scheme Of such magnitude might
seem illusOTy, unless We know what
Winchester has done thus far
IL THE WAY OF MANUFACTURES.
The GTaicheu Glove Factory employs
about 400 hands. The glove factories
Of MessTs Lupton, Anderson and Red
mond have from 75 70 100 employees
each. These gloves have a reputation
far above the imported article Tue
paper mill employs sixty hands.
MessTs. Baker have large elevator and
steam mills with a daily capacity Of
200 barrels of rolled fl0ur The bark
and sumae mill Of G. Smith Is flourish
ing. There are two steam saw mills, a
large tanuerY, two foundries, eight
cigar factories, two Of wooden cigar
boxes and paper ditto, q carriage fac
tory three marble yards. three furniture
factories and several Of minor import
ance. If these industries thrive, as
they do, there Is very little illusion in
the plans Of the company.
While this article would be t0Q eX
tended If We undertook t0 enlarge
upon the mineral resources Of Frederick
County. and within easy reach Of this
city 10 must not be omitted that the
Virginia deposits Of iron are mentioned
M The second geological survey OF
Pennsylvania as continuous with those
which supply the greater part Of the
stock OF the furnaces along the Lehigh,
the schuylkill the Susqqehanna, etc
whereas the more extensive disruption
Of the strata 10 this State render the de-
posts more accessible Tue ores a. the
Van BureD furnace. 90 Cedar Creek
twenty i've miles south vest of this city,
average IS So iron
EXTENSIVE DEPOSITS or MANGANESE
are found 10 Paddy's Cove. near Cedar
Creek, Wlile the CHmofa Manganese