The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-05-29
AS THEY SEE us,
A NORTHERN EDITORS IDEA
OF THE SOUTHWEST.
TIE BAY STATE EICURSIONIsTS.
correspondence of the Greenfield
Gazette and COurier-He Thinks
Our Growth NIarycIous-Gran and
Beautiful Scenery.
ROANOKE, Va, May 10, 1890.

ROANOKE, VA, May 10, 1890.
In my letter of last week told of
the arrival of our party OF Bay State
excursionists ut Norfolk, Of their
pleasant reception there, and of their
departure on the 18th for trip over
the Norfolk and Western railroad TO
the mineral region in Southwestern
Virginia, which is now going through
process of development which is
unparalleled in this booming age.
Portions of the Norfolk and West
ern system are old lines of road. Be
yond Lynchburg the road runs
through the Roanoke Valley and all
along the route, rs far as Bristol,
Tenn, towns are springing up as by
magic. Where five years ago there
were nothing but farms with an oc-
casional crossroads village, there are
now huge furnaces aud rolling mills.
with plants for almost every mechanl-
cal industry. At intervals Of IL few
miles, wherever the situation is favor
able, cities are being laid out and Il
great population is flowing in from
every quarter.
On the morning of the 18th we stop
ped at Roanoke. This city is of twenty
to twenty-five thousand inhabitants,
is entirely new. Five years ago it was
one great farm. Now it is full
iledgcd city with great manufacturing
industries, with blocks of stores, fine
hotels, banks and churches. But our
stop was a brief one, and we will de-
fer further account OF this metropolis
of the Southwest until our return,
three days later
Not far from Bristol is the wild re-
gion of Eastern Tennessee, notorious
for moonshiners and outlaws We
met here Il young railroad enSi-
neer who had been out prospect
ing for a railroad. He gave a graphic
account of some Of his experiences.
They were liable to have their camp
raided at any time, a companion had
been killed by an assassin's bullet and
they were in constant fear OF robbery.
The people back among the noun
tains hardly knew the war was over
and still kept up their bushwhackins
proclivities. But the civilization
which comes with the new enterprise
which has struck the city among the
mountains will soon bring about
a different order of things. We left
Bristol with very kindly feelings to-
wards our entertainers and trust all
their hopes may be speedily fulfilled.
Returning over the Norfolk & West
ern we pass through Pulaski, a rapid
" growing town, and soon reach
Radford, where we are TO breakfast.
This point is the junction with the
New River division of the road, run
ming northwesterly into the great
Pocahontas coal region. 1t is wide
awake in its ambition 20 speedily be-
come city. Plants ha g been put
in TO utilize the ore coming over one
branch of the road and the coal and
coke which comes pouring over the
other. a large foundry is now in full
blast, and there is hurry and hustle
in getting other manufactures under
way. Here we could see just how
new town is started The railroad
company had decided that it was the
place and so upon the elevated land
above the river valley had construct
ed large hotel not "a cheap establish
ment, but an ambitious building in
the colonial style, costing forty or
fifty thousand dollars, and it is finish
ed and furnished after the manner OF
the best hotels Of the day. This is
done before any of the houses are
built or the people get there. Then
the station is built large enough aud
good enough to meet the demands of
a large city. These two structures
under way, streets are laid out and
lots staked off by the land companies,
which by this time are on hand. Rad
ford is in the midst of beautiful scene
ry and has a very promising future
A young man had just arrived here
from Dedham, Mass, with a printing
office, and will in few days send out
the first nun Der of the Radford Enter
prise. He had brought his wife and
household goods, and was going to be
with the new town from the start.
His fellow craftsmen from the old Bay
State left with the young people their
wishes for success. n
From Radford up Il branch of the
road to PocahontasS1s distance of
some seventy miles, 1t is one of the
widest regions we have seen, but
much of the scenery is grand and
beautiful. For long distance the
track winds in and out among the
mountains, following the course of
New river, which flows in a northerly
direction into the kanawha. and that
in turn into the Ohio at Point Pleas
ant, between the States of Ohio and
West Virginia. So crooked is the
course of the railroad that it runs for
a time over the border into West Vir-
ginia. and then goes back into the
parent State, and the traveller is not
slways able to til which he is travers-
lug. The Pocahontas coal fields
extend through vast region OF this
mountainous territory, and here are
being worked some of the largest
mines in the country. The mining
town was formerly known as Slab
CITY, but has been renamed Poca-
hontas. 1t was here that one hun
bred and thirty-five miners lost their
lives few years ago by an explosion.
The town has grown to community
of four or five thousand souls, COM
ing from every quarter OF the globe,
and speaking every tongue. The
Hungarians, are, however, the most
numerous. Many blacks work in the
mines. aid as for that matter all take
on a dusky hue, and it is difficult to