Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-07
GROWING GLASGOW.
THE BEAUTIFUL CHILD OF THE ROCK
BRIDGE COMPANY.
It's birth, It's HeaithfuIness. and Its Sur
roundings-The Company's Mineral
Properties-Expcrt Testimony.
GLASGOW. November 5, 1890.

L wonder what one OF those grizzieu
old captains OF canal-boats who were
monarchs Of the James river and ha-
nawha canal in its golden days would
say could he como back from that harbor
in which all good canal-boat captains are
supposed to tie up finally, and expert
ence the changes Of sounds and sights
that have taken place within the last few
years at the junction OF the Nortn
and the James rivers? "Prodigious
would probably DO his exclamation,
provided his amazement would per
! NIT OF his exclaiming at all ana
prodigious !" would be the proper
exclamation in the proper place. Where
in his day were only the evidences OF q
quiet farming life he would see the
| foundation OF n great industrial CITY.
Where aforetime the lowlsnds between
the two streams and the gentle slopes be-
yond them were so often the scene OF the
powman's or the Graders rivalry, were
dotted with stacks of wheat or shocks oil
corn, or specked with browsing cattle, he
would see residences going up, factories
rearing their chimneys, and the nucleus
Of surging mass of humanity. Instead
of the packet-horn, the notes OF which
were wont to woke the echoes OF the
mountains. and which instrument is now,
like the lamented poor Uncle Ned's
fiddle and bow, hung up. he would hear
the shrill whistle of the locomotive, and
it would probably cost him mental
struggle to convince himself that he was
not laborng under hallucination super
induced by splicing the stove-pipe once
too often.
REALISTIC.
But there would be no hallucination
about the matter. The change IS real
istio in the highest degree, and IN most
of its factors il the work of but few
months. Eight months ago Glasgow,
the place our ancient canal-boat captain
would now gaze upon, existed only IN
namo. At present il has population OF
! 500 souls. Within q few years, unless
all tho laws that conspire to build city
are reversed, It will be great industrial
centre, shipping its products TO all parts
of the country, and will number Its In
habitants by tens Of Thousands.
BIRTH AND GROWTH.
Glasgow was born March 6, 1890, and
is the child Of the Rockbridge Company,
and though so young has history and
promise that would FIJI volume. In
situation it possesses every element OF
beauty embraced in mountain, valley,
and river scenery. In whichever direc-
ton the eye is turned, looking upon
! GLASGOW or from il, nature charms one
with picture of Typographical loneliness,
and nj this season of the year especially,
when the forests are putting on their most
gorgeous tints, the whole country round
about the place is one Respondent piano.
rama. Nor has nature been less gener-
Gus in bestowing material resources upon
Glasgow and vicinity than III bestowiEg
beauty upon them. 1t Is easy enough
to say that nature designed certain
place for a great city, but it Is quite diff
| ferant thing to prove the assertion.
Proof, however that nature designed the
location of Glasgow for great indus
trial centre is ocular, is found in results
of the efforts of the Rockbridge Com
pany, and in the testimony OF experts in
the matter OF the conditions necessary
| for the foundation of such city.
TIE CORNERSTONE.
The cornerstone of the foundation OF
Glasgow is iron. The topography OF
the country is such that two great lines
of railroad, both piercing immense coal
fields end trayerslng lron-belts other
than those in the immediate vicinity OF
Glasgow, had to make it their gateway
and bring it within their embrace. These
two lines are the Richmond and Ale
ghany division of the Chesapeake
and Ohio railway, with its North
River branch TO Lexington, where
it meets the Baltimore and Ohio road,
and the Shenandoah-Valley division of
the Norfolk and Western railroad. A
new railroad has been projected from
Pittsburgh 30 Atlanta, Ga, which will
shorten the distance between these two
cities $40 miles, and which must also
make Glasgow its gateway. Water ID
abundant for ore-washing power, drink
ing, and domestic purposes timber IN
plentiful supplies is near at hand the
| farming lands in the neighborhood arc
rich and productive, and tho whole
| country is remarkable for its healthful-
ness. These are some of the facts to
which the Rockbridge Company pinned
their faith in founding Glasgow, and
their faith has not only been justified,
but has proved contagious.
oREs-oUASTITY AND QUALITY.
The quantity of ores controlled by the
Rockbridge Company Is lneXhaustible.
The site OF Glasgow proper embraces
about 5. 900 acres of land III what may be
termed the triangle formed by the
junction of the James and the North
rivers, but this is mere suggestion OF
the land owned by the Rockbridge Com
pany, the mineral and other wealth OF
which will be made tributary to the de-
yelopment OF Glasgow. The company
possesses other immense tracts OF land,
the ores of which have passed the scru-
tiny of mineralogists, biologists, and
mining experts. Included in their lands
are the Glenwood property, the Echols
property, and the Craig Greek property,
upon which specially interesting reports
have been made. Among those who
have visited these properties IN profes-
sional way is Mr.. Ralph Moore, the emil
nent British expert for iron and coal IN
Scotland, who was sent to Glasgow by the
English syndicate negotiating with the
company to make an examination Of
and report upon the iron properties of
the COMPANY. / am informed that no
one stands higher in his profession than
Mr.. Moore, and that in consequence he
has been employed fifteen times by
English capitalists in examining land
submitted to them for investment. 1t is
also said that the company's property
is the first he has made
favorable report upon. His report
regards the quantity and quality of the
ores on the companys lands, but as re-
| ......l. tha nIxrn nianea OF lIlnELOM us VIC