The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-10-23
sTAUNToN, VA.
Notes of Travel.

Special Correspondence of VIRGINIAN.
Petersburg, Virginia, is situated at the
head of navigation, on the Appomattox
river, nine miles from City Point, where
the Appomattox empties into the James.
1t has population of $4,000, delight
full climate, and its people are as refined
and cultivated as any in the land The
old, courteous, cavalier manners prevail,
in pre-eminent degree. A striking fea-
ture of the town is the sturdy character
OF its business and business men. 1t has
over 100 manufacturing establishments.
Its II Tobacco factories put up twelve
millions pounds per annum, and do the
largest export business of any city III
the country-exporting more than one
quarter of all the tobacco exported from
the United States. There is located here
the largest silk factory in the South. A
trunk and valise factory were surprise
to your correspondent, as was also the
large amount OF capital invested, amount
ing to nearly half a million dollars, in
active work alone. A merchant from the
South, on his way North, stopped over
to buy his trunks in Petersburg, saying
they were the best made trunks ne had
ever handled. Every department of
trade is represented in Petersburg, and
the city invites capital and enterprise by
exempting new manufactures from tax
alton for ten years. Business is done
here in aquiet, regular way, but any one
who takes Petersburg for a dead city,
has failed to acquaint himself with it's
immense business, its large and varied
industries, and the bright future of the
city, backed by the sterling qualities of
as noble people as ever lived. Peters
burg has all the modern equipments of
any city. The Southern Hotel, we'll
known as the old Bollingbrook, has been
newly refitted and furnished from top to
bottom, and is now one of the most de-
lightful stopping places in the country.
The house.is kept in the very best style
by Mr.. H. r. Proctor, from Ohio, and is
an attraction to the city.
There is quaint mixture of the old
and new in Petersburg. 1t is one of the
Old Street, and in the lower part of the
city, take you back to we olden times,
when our forefathers powdered their hair
and wore ques, and the minuet was the
fashionable dance of the day; while the
upper part of the city has beautiful and
handsome residences-wide streets, and
ornamental surroundings equal to those
found in any city
1t is city of glorious memories and
historic environments.
A VISIT TO THE CRATER
showed this world famed spot, about as
it was 26 years ago, when 10 tons of pow
der sent the faithful guardians OF South
ern homes hurting into the air, and to
destruction. The trench dug by the enc
my, as the approach to the mine under
the Confederate bastion, is distinctly
marked by ditch made by the sunken
trench. About 80 yards in rear of the
line thrown up by the Confederates after
the explosion of the mine, is sign
board erected by some of the officers
of the 58th Massachusetts, infantry, to
mark the spot of the most advanced po-
sition made by the Northern troops On
this board is the following inscription
Advanced position of the 58th Massa-
chusetts Infantry, July Both, a. Losses
killed 10; wounded 50; prisoners o.
total 1874. Present for duty 49, Colors
lost"
Petersburg is not city of ''booms,''
but has several well organized and well
directed land companies, which are do
ing good work in building up and ex-
tending the city.
With its fine Railroads-among them
the great Norfolk & Western; it's steam
boat line and water navigation; deep
water, and nearness to all the great com
mercial centres, fine climate, refined,
cultivated and conservative people, ex-