The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-10-25
vIRGINIA's DEVELOPMENT.
Colonel Pardee Writes Interestingly OF
the Great &OutIlwext.

Colonel Pardce Writes Interestingly q,
the Great Southwest.
NORFOLK, Va, Oct. 24.-[Speciall-
The growth of the South is beyond the
power of any to estimate except those
who' by their official connection with
transportation lines, are compelled
daily to provide facilities for the hand
ling OF the freights that are constantly
pouring in upon them and fairly load
Ing down their trains and Nlling up
their freight depots with goods and
their sidings with laden cars Some
nve years since, the writer. in company
with the editor of the Providence Jour
nai' went up to Lambert's Points, mile or
TWO from this city, to see the coal break
ers of the Norfolk and Western railsnad.
and its system of receiving the Pssa-
hontas coal and putting it aboard ships
from everywhere that were awaiting
cargoes. We then counted some forty
vessels, steam and sail. that were
awaiting their turns, and were told by
Colonel Lambert, then mayor of this
city, and then as we'll as now tho local
representative of the Pocahontas Coal
Company, that what we saw was moth
ing unusual, but an almost daily occur
renee.
Again, after several years. | am here.
anu, locking over the ground, find
that that coal company has more than
trebled the business it was then doing.
ana that there is every probability that
before the LIST of January it will have
shipped from its mines during the wear
fully two million tons. During the
same year Norfolk has spread in all
directions, its local and general trade
has increased with annual regularity to
volume that makes the business il
was then doing appear very insignif-
cant by comparison.
Before coming here I went into East
Tennessee and Southwestern Virginia
to obtain by personal observation an in
sight into the development that is con-
vertins an extensive and but recently
sparsely settled farming country into a
populous district, fairly throbbing with
new mining, smelling and manufacture
ing enterprises. 1t is difficult for even
u cold-blooded, conservative inyestiga-
tor TO refrain from enthusiasm when
writing of the progress of that country
that begins in the district of which
Chattanooga is the centre and extends
parallel with the Appalachian noun
ta1us, from thence northward to the
junction of the Big Sandy with the Ohio,
and northeastward through East Ten
nessee. the upper counties of North Caro-
lima, nd Through Southwestern Virginia
All along the lines mentioned old
towns are frightened with fresh life and
vlgor, new ones are springing into n
lusty existence, the roar of traffic is
heard in their Streets and the clangor
OF ponderous machinery fills the air with
industrial sounds. Among the several
centres visited l found Roanoke, Va,
the greatest surprise of all. In 1889 l
was compelled to wait there several
hours because of a delayed train. The
Norfolk and Western railroad was put
ting up it's headquarters building and
its hotel; few small frame houses had
been erected near to the passenger sta
ton, and scattered about here and there
were white frame houses surrounded by
fenced pastures and titled fields. Now
Roanoke has 49, 400 people. according to
the eleventh census: blocks of brick
buildings filled with merchandise:
several banks; two very large hotels and
several of lesser size: three iron furn-
aces; machine shop employing 1000
mechanics; churches; schools; lodges of
secret societies; electric lights; street
railway system, and many other eviden-
ces of solid growth and substantial pros
pcrity.
The purchase recently of the Shenan-
doah railroad by the Norfolk and West
ern will put that railroad under an
efficient and financially strong manage
ment, and make it much more feature
of the prosperity of Roanake than it has
been heretofore. AS it is, the city
reaches out to the coal fields and iron
ore beds of Virginia, kentucky and
East Tennessee, and it will soon have
direct communication with the richest
ore beds and timber and agricultural
counties in North Carolina, as well as
direct connection by short lines with
every one of the south tlantic scaports
while by another trunk line it will he
directly connected with the tceming
population of the Ohio Valley, and the
fiourishing cities bordering the great
lakes.
Beautifully situated, with ample room
for continuous growth, with numerous
transportation facilities already, and
several others absolutely assured, with
an enterprising railroad company max
ing 1T their centre Of operations; with
vast mineral district surrounding il on
all sides; with coal delivered at mini
mum cost to the people, Roanoke is
pushing ahead with tremendous strides,
and will soon, as President Kimball of
the Norfolk and Western declares, more
than double its population and treble its
industries. Such is Roanoke, in fact
and in prospect. AS it grows so will
flourish all the surrounding country, for
it is the rapid development of the
natural resources of the entire region
that is building up the restless, busy
city Of Roanoke. II. $. =.
Refuse to Abide the Agreement.
LONDON, Oct 24.-[Speciall- In ac-
cordance with an agreement recently
l.,l |, A