Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1890-01-11
I'M PROV EM El\77S.
SOME POINTS GIVEN TO I
TIMES REPORTER.
4 TALK With PRESIDENT .ElHBatL
improvements 80 be Made In :hc Nenr
Future The Machine Works, Office
Buildings and Freight Yards 20 &c
Enlarged.

President +. j. Kimball, OF the
Norfolk and Western railroad, spent
yesterday in Roanoke, and will leave
today for the coal regions Of south
west. Virginia.
The Norfolk and Western road,
under his management, has done
wonders in developing this section,
and in bringing it before the atten-
ton OF the North, and President Kim
ball is still full of plans for It's future
advancement.
Sitting in the Office of General
Manager Sands, overlooking. the
grounds of Hotel Roanoke ara the
railroad depot, while the trains over
the Shenandoah Valley and lsorfolIl
Western roads we're pulling into the
d"pot yesterday afternoon, President
kiinbslll talked pleasantly to a TIlIEs
reporter about some OF the Improve
ments his company Intend 10 make in
Roanoke.
The machine works, you know, :
he said, are TO be enlarged, and we
are going 10 manufacture Our pas
senger coaches here as well as freight
cars and locomotives. This. with Ike
paint shops, the finishing and up
Lolstering 10 be done, and the entire
addition 70 the wo Ks, vii! give eni-
p!oyment, should say, to not less
than 300 people"
Then our business here IS increas-
ing so much that we are crowded for
Office room, and to provide additional
accommodation, we propose TO erect Il
go foot addition to our main Office,
extending along Shenandoah avenue.
This will necessitate the removal OF
the Office OF the Pocahontas Coal COM
pany, which will be put up il the
West End near the round house. We
are continually adding TO our work
ing force III the Office from day to day.
and this extension will be as stated,
to provide for all our needs.
THE freight yards are also to be
enlarged, and taken altogether these
Improvements will give work TO some
live or six hundred Hen. >
"What about the addition to Hotel
Eoanolle?'
"Worllnen today began prelimi-
nary outline Of the ground TO be used
for that purpose The addition viii
be lI9 feet long, extending from the
present building westward. II viii be
three stories high and be built OF blue
sand stone and brick 1t will contain
So compartments and viii include
suites Of paTlor. bedroom and sitting
room. with bath room attached. The
building will be heated throughout
with steam. and provided also with
connections sun porches. The ad-
dition will also enable the present
dining-ball 20 be very mach enlarged,
and ample space will be provided for
dancing. 1T the extreme western end
of the extension the ladies' parlor viii
be located. This will be IS feet square
and magnificently furnished. just
below this, reached by Il somewhat
private stairway, will be a handsomely
:irted up biliardroom provided for
the use Of the ladies, where rs guests
they can find amusement. This will
be different from the ordinary gentle
mans billiard room, you know
~ we desire TO cultivate the habit OF
billiard PLAYING by ladies. The main
part OF the present building Will be
made three stories nigh also, and
each floor will be provided with Il
larae lavatory, in addition 10 private
baths, Tor bathing and toilet purposes.
We intend 10 spare no pains 10 make
the hotel one OF the finest in every
way in the South
When will work he begun; III the
spring = -.
permit, ard the addition will be
pushed to its completion ut orce.
President Kimball also said that
when TIE city decided to construct an
overhead bridge over the railroad at
Henry street, by the freight depot.
that that building would be converted
into Il brick structure and made 2GJ
feet longer. and Shenandoah ayenue,
from the freight depot TO the main
Office, woiid be paved.
what do you think of the outlook
for Roanoke Z" lie was asked.
"Basing the estimate upon the gen
allv accepted theory OF live people to
one workingman, | think the ia
broyements of which l have knowl
edge will add at least 1900 to the pop
ulation of Roanoke in the next year.
The improvement to which Presi-
dent Kimball has referred will do q
a great deal, there is no doubt, for
Roanoke. The Hotel Roanoke will be
made nearly 500 feet in length, and al
ready one of the finest hotels south Of
the bio, it will make it Il credit to a
CITY of 200,CG0 inhabitants. The i'm
provements in the Machine works.
the extension of the Office, and the
enlargement of the freight yards, Will
all prove of benefit to Roanoke, and
aid materially its onward march Of
progress.