Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1890-03-29
A. NEW LIZ 6.
MANY IMPROVEMENTS TO BE
MADE AT BEDFORD CITY.
IT WILL HAVE MANY FACTORIES.
a New 100000 Depot and $4,000
Hotel. The Eusiness and the SCHOOLS
Of the City: To he LiGnfed by Eicc-
r.inI.r Eha Mimernis of NcdfOr0.

Very few OF the thousands OF PEG.
pie outside of the State VINO traVel
over the Norfolk and Western Kali,
roud en- route South and West, ana
hear the conductor cry ont Liberty
after the train leaves LynchburE,
have any idea OF tho size and impor-
lance O, the place, whose depot they
see through the ear window, or Oh
the industrial activity that Is per-
meating the place ut present. Ihey
nav possibly recall that the town Is
famous fer its manufactured tobacco,
which is sold all over the country. but
they are by no means aware OF the
extent and business OF the city, nor
that steps are being taken to make
the place one of the live mauufactur-
ing towns OF Southwest Virginia.
Yet such Is the case, ami the place
is we'll WORTH visiting.
The new life which Is pcrmeatlrS
the town had its birth last fail. ana
Liberty was changcdt to Bedford CITY
by act of the Legislature.
Liberty. (still erroneousiy so called
nv sorne,) was II typical Southern
town. lt had large tobacco interests
and n sturdy law-abidinE reopic' II
had been asleep. however, IKE many
other towns in the South Tor years
The people for the most part were
cnn,ented To allow things to take their
farmer course and 10 special Efforts
were made To develop ana utiliZe its
vast and varied resources or attract
Enumeration from IL locality less tav-
ord br nature in climate, SOIL and
protluciivrness.
Last fall The Norfolk and Western
road. carr. ing ont their wise policy OF
nnbuildin. their local traffic, and re
roruizing Liberty a. one OF the most
imnortnn- places oil their line. decia
"a to erect a magnificent brick ANA
stone depot there.
Some OF the more entGrprising blood
az th,. place having seen what other
town, Will, less favorable advantages
were doing then began to STIR thelh-
selves to make "a new order OF Things
come out of the old, and the future
of the place is most auspicious
The name Liberty was changed. 10
Bedford City. Acres of land "d JON,
inc the old town were purchased ana
streets laid out and graded and
tic property otherwise improved and
b.uutiiled.
Sfeps were also taken 10 secure new
manufacturing industries 10 add 10
the cid ones and the cooperation o!
the leading men of the place. toget her
witt, outside capital, WAS enlisted III
the development.
Prominent among the young men
who are helping Bedford Clly he
come the manufacturing centre IL is
destined 10 be is Mr.. James NJ. Berry.
MIR. Berry is a member Of the 20
nacco firm of Berry Bros, which has
probably the best equipped tobacco
factory in the State, although rot
thirty ears ole yet, he has Travelled
all over the county in the interest OF
his business ana has ILL excellent ideit
of what other places are doing IN the
wav Of development. Convinced that
Notwithstanding their growth there
were no places that possessed superb.
advantages to his own home, Bedford
CITY, he determined 70 spend hls TIME
in hclpiuy to make Bedford city Il
manufa occurring city with al tile moo,
rrn comforts and convrniences, ana
the home of IA busy, prosperous pop
u,n:ion and lie is doing II. lie Is the
President OF the Bedford City Land
and Improvement Company, which
has an authorized capital stock OF
over 81, 100000, and Is composed OF
leading men of Bedford City and other
points in Virginia. Among the board
Of directors are DR.. w. w. Smith;
President Randolph Macon College;
and Rev. a. f. Dickinson, editor OF
the Religious Herald, Richmond, Va.
!. i. CLAYTON, of Il. b Clayton d
Co. is vice-president; } Lawrence
Canlpbeli, editor Of the Bedford Index
and member of Burke g. Campbell,
attorneys-at law, is secretary, and >.
NJ. 5oilIng, of Boiling, Wright 4 TO.
is Treasurer. The other members of
the board of directors in addition to
those already mentioned are Martin
P. Burke,G. w. Wharton, I. ID. Berry,
Judge Samuel Griffin and w, W.
Berry.
This company own six hundred
acres of beautiful rolling land in the
western portion of the city and are
proceeding to develop it along with
their efforts to secure the iutroduc-
ton of new manufacturing industries.
The land extends on both sides OF the
Norfolk & Western railroad and the
large depot which is to be built for
the CITY will be located upon the
company's property, and the trend OF
Improvement will quite naturally be
in that direction.
Upon a beautiful knoll command
ing an excellent view Of the business
norton of the city and the surround
| ing mountains, men are engaged IN
clearing the ground for the erection OF
hotel TO cost FROM $4,000 to $40, 600.
The site for this hotel was selected 10y
President Kimball and General Maan-
ger Sands, of the Norfolk and Western
railroad, and the architect is now pre-
pairing it's plan. 1t will be built OF
stone, brick and wood, and will be
very much like the Hotel Roanake in
design. 1t will be provided with all
the modern equipments and conve-
niences, and be kept in the most ap-
proved styIe. At first it will contain
only 100 rooms, but it will be con-
structed so that it can be added to ut
any time without marring the archl'
lecture Oh lue OIiS maj ouii'AN p
To the left of the hotel rises the
large brick building of the Randolph
Macon Academy which is nearing
completion. This structure will cost
over $50. 900, and the school will be
one of the largest and best equipped
in the State.
In addition to developing their land
property as stated, the company IN
tend to use large part of their CAPT
tai in aid of manufacturing enter
prises. The Brosius Steel and Iron
company, which has been chartered
by the legislature, will erect its plant
there and another company to operate
the r. w Coffee Machine has also been
chartered aud will soon be ready for
business. The machine OF MIR. Coffee
has also already been put TO success
full test, and the invention promises to
eclipse the Bonsack Cigarette Mach
inc. twill be the aim of the COM
pany to give help to small industries
as well as large ones, and a broom and
a spoke factory have already been
secured. The broom factory will be
quite large and will be the only one
of tha kind between Richmond and