Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-22
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA.
Progress and Improvement In That
Portion Of the State.

Il
WIZ IT'S PEOPLE ARE PROSPEROUS AND HAPPY
CHANCE OF BUSINESS METHODIST GOOD
TRurT-oRowINa couxTRY-ABIxaDox A WIDE
AWAKE TOWN.
Correspondents Of THE EVENING stan.
ABINGDON, Va, September IT,
Inc great Improvements going on, the de-
velopment OF mineral resources the influx Of
capital the building Of railroads. the establish
ment OF manufactures and the general ad-
vancement Of values SO much talked about In
southwest Virginia have hardly been exagger-
ated. There is perhaps no section in tho
United States. no larger in area than that por-
ton OF Virginia lying along and contiguous to
the head waters of the Shenandoah, James and
New rivers, which flow eastward, and tho vari-
GUS streams which form the Tennessee, flowing
westward, the Blue Ridge, Allegheny and Cum
bcrland mountains, improving more rapidly or
substantially. 1t is q section embracing the
widest range of agricultural, horticultural,
mining and manufacturing possibilities. Ex-
tending in latitude from the fertile valleys Of
the upper Piedmont with its early and almost
tropical seasons to the rich, blue grass min
cral-ladened mountain ranges two to three
thousand feet above the level OF the sea and
L
| tie and inexhaustibe beds of minerals.
PROSPEROUS PEOPLE.
It is impossible among so many diversified
| interests worthy Of note to scratch of letter
that will do justice to all or any particular one
but there is one thing wish particularly to
speak of and it will probably do much toward
explaining why capital is flowing in u stream
into this country-aSde from the fact that the
natural resources OF the country attract it.
No. II, -
country may be, or how attractive, rarely ever
| invest their means in community whose peo-
pie are not self-reliant or not inclined to help
| themselves, or at least who do not display some
sort of enterprise. The recent census shows
that only two counties in this portion of yir-
ginia. known as the southwest, have either a
bonded or floating debt, though the close OF
the late war found them, one and all, heavily
handicapped with one or the other. and many
OF them had both. The two exceptions are
Smyth and Bland counties, and these two are
far behind all Of the others IN the great race
OF progress and enterprise. The total increase
OF values by the present census in the state. it
Is said, will be about $40 600, 900 As it is known
that number of the largest counties in the
eastern part Of the state show q decrease-somo
as much as half million dollars and one alone
more than 81 000, 000-it will readily be seen that
the greater portion OF the increase is Ill the
southwest. In fact, there is not u county in
this section which does not show a large in
crease in real estate values.
CAUSES OF PROSPERITY.
The progressive spirit of the people out here
is the chief cause of this prosperity. Left i'm
poverished by The war they went to work and
worked along patiently until within the past
few years. when they attracted the attention
OF Capital by their perseverance, the results of
their limited labors and the natural resources
of the country. Completely capturing the con-
fidence OF investors, it was no difficult task to
secure the aid OF capital. consequently it has
flowed and is flowing INCREASINGLY into all parts
OF this section, and the substantial basis upon
which its tenure is established places the ulti-
mate result: far beyond idle merely specu-
lative theories. Every dollar invested here
rests upon solid and, may say, a commercial
foundation. OF course there are instances
where the speculative theory has been INDUCED
in too greatly, carried too far, but these are
few. Here and there town has been located,
laid out and divided of into the ubiquitous
town lot upon purely artificial promises. but
protector and not the capitalist is the loser by
Its failure to materlallZe. Some practical anu
tangible course is nearly always the ground
work OF n new town or OF the rehabilitation OF
an old borough. These towns spring up out
here mostly because Of demand for such from
neighboring coal mines, vast deposits OF iron
ore. the erection of furnaces or the location OF
a factory. The prospector is met upon the
Threshold with generous welcome and finds
his guest shrewd, enterprising. energetic. all
DuslneSS anu ana &c Is long Ill 1Oln-
ing hands in the great work of development
and accumulation of wealth to both state and
individual.
CHANGE OF BUSINESS METHODS.
In a conversation with gentleman in Wash
ington recently who had visited this part OF
Virginia some twelve or fifteensycars ago he
asserted that the people here were too loose
and Indifferent in conducting their business
affairs to ever be anything; tina. merchants
would fail because of the credit system; that
banks would suspend because obligations we're
not promptly me.; that the reputation of the
country would be ruined because the people did
not do business on a strictly cash or stringent
business principles. He misunderstood the
condition of the country and the necessities of
the times 1t was necessary to do credit
business as there was but little money in the
country; it was practical assistance to those
who had it not but would eventually get it,
The banks. to do any business at all. had to be ]
exceedingly lenient, and with the people it was
necessary To run into debt and carry their
Indebtedness along until accumulation by hard
work enabled them to liquldate. l should like
for that gentleman to visit southwest Virginia
now. complete revolution has not taken
place, but the younger men, who are leading
the vanguard of progress have adopted new
methods, while the old ways are dropping out
with the extinguishment of the conditions which
necesstated them. He would find a gratifying
change from what could not be obviated to u
Statc VI 10 Otuer portions OF
the south. Though AZ a matter OF fact am
told the old order OF things are changing
throughout the entire south in the manner of
conducting business and commercial affairs.
THE TOWN OF ABINGDON
Abingdon is a place Of three or four thousand
inhabitants and is a center of trade for large
portion Of this part Of southwest Virginia and
neighboring portions of Kentucky, Tennessee
and North Carolina. 1t is the place where the
United States court for the western district of
Virginia is held, and the government building
for this purpose and for the post office is one OF
the prettiest and most substantial in the state.
having been just completed, with all modern
conveniences. at q cost OF about $50 600 A
Washington man was the contractor. Like
Charlottesville, Staunton and Lexington it ia
noted for its schools and colleges, and has,
believe, the only Catholic convent outside of
the cities i'll Virginia. In addition to the Nor
folk and Western another railroad is being
constructed from this place to Damascus. which
IL one OF the most picturesque places in the
state and in the very center OF vast elds of the
finest hematite iron ore deposits in the south
Shady valley i'll Tennessee, noted for its lux
urious growth Of crunberries and deposits of
superior Bessemer steelmaking iron is but a
few miles away.
The town has good system of water works
and Il number one electric plant and excellent
payements. There is not here just now tho
manifestations OF enterprise and Improvement
that characterized the spring and early sum-
mer, but the feeling of confidence is strong as
and a wal NJ In. "a.