Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-09-19

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WESTERN SIDE OF ROCKINGHAM HAS
TO SHIP.
&C., SC, sc.
On Wednesday last, the convention call
ed to offer inducements to the Cumberland
Valley Ry. to come up through the West
ern side of the Valley from it's present
terminus at Winchester, OF to some other
if the G. Y. declines, assem-
bled at the Court House A number
of prominent citizens were present,
including 6. w. Shuey, E. A. Fulcher,
DR.. J. L. Clarke. J. S. McCorkIe,
James Bumgardner, S. Brown Allen, and
others Of Augusta, and Prof. G. II. HUI
vey, D. \. Butcher, S. G.. Driver, Jno. w.
Click, Oliver Rhodes, Ad. Uoller, and
others of Rockingham.
On motion of Hon. A. i. Lightner, Mr..
I. S. Hogshead, member of the Board OF
Supervisors of Augusta, was chosen Chair
man, and the following gentlemen were
made Secretaries-D. A. Butcher Of Rock
ingham, S. Brown Allen of Augusta, and
N. Sterrett of Rockbridge.
ItII Ell OF TILE MEETING.
Chairman IIogshead called on Col. j. G.
Shields to explain the object Of the meeting,
he having been prominent in the matter
from the beginning and familiar with all
that has been done, and is intended to be
DONE Col. S.. after Earrating the inception
of the movement, said the Western side of
the Valley was practically without railroad
transportation. In Augusta we had Il rail
road i'll the Eastern Valley and on the pla-
teau, but none in the West. A railroad
through the neglected portion would find
ample traffic. lie remembered that eight
years ago the Shenandoah Valley Ry. had
one freight train a day; now it has from
twelve to fifteen daily.
RICH COUNTRY.
Capt. James Bumgardner being called
on, addressed tae meeting. He said VIM
chester could not be the Southern termi-
nus of the G. V. Ry. it must come furth-
Ell and the object of this meeting was to
show the controllers of that railroad that
it was to their interest to build it on
through the Valley of Virginia. That it
will come some time OF other is certain;
our object here to-day was to show it the
Importance to its interests of coming
a1oao. No similar area Of land in the Union
will produce as much food for man as the
acreage of this Valley, and no locality con-
tainedsu mineral wealth as is in it's noun
tains-its Ores are unsurpassed in quality
and quantity. Along this Valley lies the
natural track fol- the exchange of the pro-
ducts of the North and South, and If thee.
V. Ry. does not lay iron rails along it, some
body else will. The grain production IN
the Valley is now not one hundredth part
Of it's capacity. The ore banks are almost
illimitable and from the top of North
Mountain, Westward, are boundless sup
plies Of timber. The three together would
far Outstrip the capacity of the G.. V. Ry.
to transport them.
This morning he had heard startling
fact. Near Cleveland, Ohio, there is de-
posit of sandstone used for building pur--
poses, and it is quarried to that extent thatI
it takes two railroads to transport the out
put. We have superior sandstone on the
very line we invite the G. V. Ry. to come
over, and in less than three miles of that
stone is deposit of granite, superior to
that of Richmond OIL Vermont, Of course
we cannot build a road ourselves, we all
know that, but we can demonstrate that in
the Valley of Virginia therei wealth which,
ii developed, will take more than the two
railroads we now have, and the G.. V. Ry.
beside, to transport it.
Capt. B. suggested the appointment OF a
committee to confer with the G.. v author
tiles and inform them of the advantages
this section possesses for railroad
THE SHOWING WILL AsToNIsH THE
WORLD.
Mr.. S. Brown Allen offered resolution
in which lie embodied Capt. Bumgardners
suggestion. His resolution was for APP
pointing a committee of nine to prepare
business for the meeting, and arrange for
having facts gotten together and presented
to the G. V. Co. From some data he had
gotten to-day, he believed that a statement
OF the resources Of this section Of the Val
ley would not only surprise the G. V. Co.,
but aStOnish the world. MI A. asked that
Col. Shields, who had been at the inception
of this movement and grown up with it, be
appointed chairman of the committee. The
resolution was adopted.
Under MI. AS resolution Chairman
Hogshead appointed the following commit
tee-Col. J. G. Shields, S. B. Allen, J. S.
McCorkle, Dr.. J. t. Clarke, Heber Ker,
H. M. Beard of Augusta; j. W. Click of
Rockingham, land D. E. East of Rockbridge.
WHAT AN EXPERT OF THE NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT THINKS OF IT.
The convention adjourned till $50 P.
NJ. On reassembling, and while waiting
fol- the report Of the committee, Prof. G.
II. Hulvey addressed it. He said he had
no doubt the railroad would be built in
time, but the date depended on our OWN
efforts. Augusta, Rockbridge, Rocking
ham and Shenandoah are rich in minerals
aud timber. We are living on beds of
minerals. Not long ago he saw an agent
of the U. S. Government who was investi-
eating the matter, and he expressed the
opinion that the two Virginias contained
more mineral wealth than all the other
States Of the Union combined. We, said
Frof. Hulvey, have been working on the
top of the ground while our wealth lay
under it. The talent of the people of the
Northern States was more practical, and
they have developed everything While we
have been sleeping. We have sent our men
ard capital away instead Of investing our
capital at home. What was needed in this
particular case was to show the G. V. Ry.
what we had. and to keep on developing our