The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-10-12
ROANOKE FoREvERm

To THE EDIroR OF The TINES: Asa
citizen of Roanoke, interested in her
welfare, | want to say word.
Two incidents in the last two weeks,
seem to me to mark an epoch in the
city's career.
When read in your paper some days
since that Philadelphia capitalists had
purchaseda piece of ground seventy-five
by ono hundred feet, at the corner of
Campbell and jefferson streets, and pro-
posed to erect thereon the Terry Build
ing, to cost $4,000, it struck me that
Roanoke had taken long step forward,
because outside capitalists, in risking
their money in building worthy of a
metropolis, gave notice to the world that
they believed in Roanoke and her flu
ture.
Significant as this action was, it is
cclipscd by your announcement in yes
terday's and to-day's issues that the
Roanoke Development Company had
been formed, had purchased 1900 acres
at the west end of town. on the Roam
ollc river and had proposed to spend
@poV.OOo III tHc ScCuElUN Ol ncW lIlQuS-
tries on the land. The figures named
are astounding-one million. one humid
red thousand dollars for a suburb of what
was big Lick" nine short years ago.
$500, 900 for the land, and 5000, 900, work
ing capital! 1t takes ones breath away.
Tho striking feature is this: that
among the organizers and officers APP
pear the names Of n. G. Denniston and
Z. NJ. Clark. of Philadelphia. who were
the chief promoters in tho Terry Build
ing, and Richard s. Burch and Clarence
Nj. Clark, president and vice-prcsident
of the Virginia Development Company,
! with its capital of five millions. Surely
this means that, Interested as they are
all along the line of the Norfolk and
Western railroad, they nevertheless be-
lieve that Roanoke is the coming place.
and they back their brains and large
experience and Judgment with their
money.
While other places arc going along with
favoring gales, Roanoke is sweeping on
ward towards prosperity on the wings
OF cyclonc-cighty miles an hour, and
no. mistake! Unless ones Judgment is
largely at fault, the events of the last
/ forty-cight hours have sent Roanoke
years ahead. Such extraordinary events
! in IL new place must attract the attcn-
ton of the whole country, far and wide.
Since began these few lines Il friend
! has dropped in, and says that there have
been tallings of over $500 900 of stock,
with only 100000 to supply the de-
mand, and that kilograms and letters
are pouring in by each mail for stock
that cannot be supplied.
One does not dare to predict what
this enterprise foreshadows for Roanoke
Six hundred thousand dollars in the
hands of far-sightcd, active business
men means millions of capital, hun
dreds, if not thousands, of workmcn.
and thousands of population for this
beautiful and favored spot.
Now, while outsiders are doing all
this. have not the insiders q duty to
perform?
The answer is plain. The citizens OF
Roanoke thought their municipal of
ficers are in duty bound to strain every
nerve and make every effort to provide
at once, well paved. we'll cleaned, well
severed and well lighted thoroughfares
the best of police arrangements, and
ample and we'll equipped schoolhouses
If the men now in can't or won't do this
put in those who can and will.
WE'LL WIsHER OF ROANOKE.