The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-06-07
SCIENTIFIC TOWN SITES.
What Mr.. Thomas J.. Grasiy Says in fh'
Baltimore Record of This Week.

What Mr.. Thomas j. Grasty Says i'm the
Baltimore Record of This Week.
LURAY, VA, May 3l.-Dp to the begin
ming Of the present era Of Southern develop
ment the American method in town build
ing has been manifested in the application
Of enormous 'pushr and energy 10 the acct
dental and unfit. Great results have often
been accomplished by the mere brute force
and awkwardness of men, who have said 10
one another: Here we are. We can't get
away. The bridges are burnt behind Us.
Let's make the most of our mud-hOle."
Ave. t has sometimes happened hy making
the most Of every resource. by unlagging
advertising. by gong into the hy-ways and
hedges and compelling them 10 come in.
that considerable cities have been construct
ed where it would have been a sin to have
built prison.
From this time on cities are to be built re-
cordng to the natural and eternal fitness Of
things. The true scientific town is the home
town. and BY hometown / do not mean
simply place for people who can cut of
coupons. The hometown j. "A place com
bining a field for remunerative work with
healthflluess. cheerful surroundings aud
opportunities for recreation 10 body and
brain. The best examples Of this Kind oil
town which have seen have been started
in the great state Of Virginia. The latest
one, but not the least one, is to be Luray.
SO far as the l0yeliness Of the region
around Luray is concerned, no one but a
cOnccited dOit or "A great genius such rs is
produced not Oiteuer than once IN a gcncr-
alton. would attempt To paint a cOlnpre-
hensiye picture OF it either on canvas or in
words. And for Il plain. matier-oi-iact
business reporter, which Is all ! set up to
be. g. essay Il description OF it would be. 10
put it mildly. gross insult 10 mother
nature. whom not - love and worship J
consider almost a crime and therefore |
shall not attempt to express 1.-THE thoughts !
that arose in me" when first ! looked upon
that glorious stretch Of diyinely undulatcd |
greensward and woodland. which certain |
far-seeing men ofmeans and Of good exc |
cutiVe ability wlthal. have recently picked !
out and dedicated Is the site Of what may |
be made an ideal hometown, one where |
there il great wealth Of resources, the de- |
VelOpmcnt of which viii brng even 10 the /
wage-workcr luXuries Of environment in /
the way Of inspiring scenery. clean crystal |
water and fresh InyigOrating air, which |
people who do not live in natures home /
towns annually 20 rushing and parting. |
amid dscOmtOrts innumerable. 10 find at |
great expense away from home.
In this glance at Luray, am not taking |
the wOrld-renOwned caNcrns into account.
These are known 80 well that not 10 have |
seen them is a confession which every |
American who has Travelled at all should |
blush 10 make. They are the property of
this company, which proposes TO build a
model city at Luray, and will in themselves
within a few years be worth the entire /
capitalization of that company. For. as
railways in this section multiply, and rs the |
tide 10 the southwark. now Just beginning |
10 flow, shall swell towards It's Hood. there
will come thousands 81 lovers OF Nature
and other lovers, who Will spend days a.
time reyeing in the witchery Of this. the
last found wonder Of the world. lfthere be
any who would learn Of il beg Ia inform
them that there is 10 be had of the Valley
Land and Improvement Company, AZ Lu-
ray, simply by writing, handbook Of the
cavern that can but interest every reader.
Another inestimably valuable possession
Of the Valley Land and improvement Com
pany is the regally appointed Luray Inn,
which has no rival that | know OF in the
state Of Virginia, or FOR that matter.in the
South. When one has been sOjOurner nj
the average hotels in the various new towns.
to visit some of which is "A terrible tax on
ones digestion and very constitution, the
comforts Of such "a house Of entertainment
as this, come to ones soul like the comforts
Of home TO the soul ola soldier who has lust
returned from campaign of forced march,
Ing for months in desert land.
I.uray's cayerns and Lurays palaiial inn
are, however, bat accessories TO the general
plan OF the Valley Land and Improvement
Company. The company's town site and
mineral properties are Of enormous value.
| believe it is admitted by biologists that
Page county. Of which Luray is the seat,
is the richest in minerals within the
boundaries Of Virginia. Ii that be true,
then it is not incredible that this
is the richest county in the United
States. The agents of this company had,
for months prior to its formal organization,
been quietly securing the choicest proper
ties in this marvellous county. When some
talk about SO many thousand
acres of mineral land, il may be safely sety
down that there are great many more
acres of land than OF mineral: but In this
case am satisfied that each one of all the
eight thousand owned by the Valley Co. is
undertake with what the miners call 'pay
dirt" either Of iron, or manganese, or cop
per, or red or green slsfe, or asbestos, not
10 mention ochre, plumbago and cement
rock.
Judge Brand, present judge Of the Page i
county court, with whom rode over much
)f this company's land and had fine views :
" much more Of il. told me that in his !
opinion these mineral properties would sell |,
'or rs much as the total capitalization Of the \
company as soon as they were ''deyelopcdv
that is 10 say. put in a position to show
heir extent. In this letter cannot 20 into I
ietaiIs, but there is noquestion whatever In :
ny mind but that these mineral properties |.
orm as substantial backing to Luray-a !
TO build upon as secure and
'road-as the mineral properties adjacen j