Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-06-13
Staunton indicator.
FRIDAY MORNING. JUNE 10, 1890.
LOCAL.

III d lUWl !!
IRON CATE IN MAY 1889 AND IN JUNE
1890.
TRASTED-THE BUILDING OF THE NEW
CITY-THE MANUFACTURES VAL
UE OF IT'S LAND-LIST OF INVESTMENTS
IN TIE VICINITY FOR SIX MONTHS
THE SALE OF LOTS JUNE 24TH-wHAT
is TO BE SOLD-THE FINE HOTEL.
&C., &C., &C.
(Reported for the stanton Vindicator,)
IRON GATE. June 9th.
had my first experience Of one of the
new Virginia cities tonight. just one
year ago was here. This evening am
sitting in the verandah Of four-story
hotel erected on the spot where I stood in
the briars year ago and looked over a bare
cornfield stretching down to. the river.
Where there We're then burrows there are
now streets, along which groups OF work
men are passing from their work with their
dinner buckets on their arms. Then the
whippoorwill sounded his notes from the
hill; this evening the steam whistles Of the
factories are blowing to shut down work
for theday. Then the Southern horizon of the
field was redeemed by the glow of the set
ting sun; tonight it is redeemed by the glow
of the red iron as it is drawn back and forth
in the rolling mill, and athwart the picture
dart the forms of the stalwart workmen
stripped to the waist for their hot work
/ From across what was the field of that day
the supper bells float over the broad streets
calling the workmen to supper. Away
down where the woods stopped the view III
'S9, the trees have been cleared and in theil
place stand row after row Of pretty cottages
but harder still when go inside and see
the beauty of the furnishing of the hotel
the electric bells, the hot and cold baths,
the glittering silver of the dining room
and most wondrous of all the head waiter
in his black dress suit and white waistcoat
After supper as we sit in the cool verandah
a gentleman remarks that he has just come
from the City Council, where they have re.
solved to light the city with electricity
Lowmoor and Clifton Forge to be supplied
by the same plant. The news does not sur.
prise me. Lhave been so much surprised
at the change year has brought about
that nothing would surprise me.
HOW LONG IRON GATE HAS BEEN
GROWING.
But it didn t take year to do it. and the
details Of it are very interesting. They
were to ME, because it is the first transfer.
nation of field into town that have
seen. Work was not really commenced
here till about six months ago. Since that
time there have been put up here the rolling
mill, of which Maj. II. C. Jones formerly
Of Lyncbburg, is the Superintendent; the
Farmers Alliance Agricultural Works, a
group, think, Of seven buildings in all;
boiler shop; a planning mill; the Luster
Manufacturing 20. S tin works; two brick
works, and two Oh three smaller industries.
There are to-day at work in the town about
800 men, and IS houses have been built.
There are seven stores here, and when tell
you that the pay rolls in the town aggregate
nearly $4,000 week you can easily under
stand how it is that all of them are doing
well.
The company is now negotiating to have
built here 7O-ton iron furnace. They will
thus be enabled to run their metal into the
steel mill which is to be built, and thence
to the rolling mill, which will be great
saving. With these industries and others
there will he occupying the land owned by
the Iron Gate and West Iron Gate Compan-
les, within the next six months, not less
than goo workmen. 1t is human nature
to want to be on the 81 told you 500 side.
When I returned to Staunton from my visit
here in May of last year, where had been in
formed of the character of the men who
were at the back of the enterprise, and the
course they had marked out, friend who
thought Of investing here asked me what
1 thought of it,. 1 told him if he had the
$4,000 he spoke of, he might put it all in lots
here and then 60 back to Staunton and wait
for his money to double, which it would do.
Since have been here this time have, to
satisfy my own curiosity, taken the trouble
to get official information about the prices
the lots have brought. 1 find that had nv
friend put his money here-which he did
not-he would have gotten over Sc, 900 back.
THE REASON FOR IT.
The reason that Iron Gate is bound to
grow is not of the Iron Gate Company s
making; it is one so large that no one COM
pany is likely to make it. In radius of
five miles around here there are Lowmoor.
Longdale and Princess furnaces, turning
out an aggregate of from 100000 to $50, 900
tons of pig metal year. The quality of
this iron has stood the test of time and both
of the first named furnaces have contracts
ahead and the Princess is engaged on a gov
eminent contract, furnishing the iron for
the castings Of the new cruisers. So high
does the iron stand that when :he govern
ment officers heard that the Princess iron
was from the same vein that was used by
the old ''Grace" furnace in this neighbor
hood, and which, before the war supplied the
government largely, the matter was at once
settled in favor of the Princess. The noun
tain that runs by Iron Gate is loaded with
this ore, and i'll fact part of the companys
property is on this mountain. Iron
that is to he used in the South can be gotten
just 81 ton cheaper at the Iron Gate Roll
ing Mill, because it uses the pig from the
neighboring furnaces, and the user saves
exactly the 81 freight he would have to paw
if the pig had been sent North and rolIolI