Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-09-26

| General Manager Miles NJ Martin of the
Glasgow 90 npanY las resigned.
SHENDUN, A NEW TYPE OF THE
NEW SOUTHERN INDUSTRIAL
CITIES.
Editorial correspondence of the Staunton WIN
DICAToR.l
SHENDUN, AT THE GRoTToEs, Sept. 49,
To-day [ rode over the new town about
to be launched on its mission, which is to
Go its share-and think avery large share
IN the building up of Virginia. 1t is the
fourth entirely new site in which Staunton
men and Staunton capital have been largely
engaged in preparing a city. 1t is to be
the hive of many q busy workman in the
days to come, and I give you picture of
it as it is to-day, before the bees come.
| N allure has done so much for the site in
tae way Of dollars and cents, that verify
believe that where other enterprising town
companies have had to spend So in i'm
proving their sites, this company has had to
spend only about 81. Solevel is the land and of
such character is the soil, that it looks as
| IL O1iC ll1cl llllSlU lllsthc UlOJu GNCuuS
| with a garden hoe in a few days. All the
Grottoes Company has had to do about
streets is to have them surveyed and run a
road -scraper over it. With this easy field
the company has used it's advantages to the
utmost. The city is three and half miles
long, running North and South, and one
mile wide. The Avenues which run nearly
North and South are SO, 20 and 60 feet wide
and the cross streets are 60. 20 and so feet
wide. There are fifteen miles of them now
graded, and by the 18th Of next month, the
day Of allotment, fully so miles of avenues
and streets will be ready for use.
The extreme Southern part Of the town is
to be used for villa sites, next comes the resi-
dence portion, next the business portion,
and next, and last, at the North end is the
manufacturing section. A belt railroad
will be run from the Shenandoah Valley
railroad, which is ON the Eastern edge of
the town, around the last named section
and up to the old Forge on the river
| Between the business and the residence sec
ton will run a park one thousand feet wide
| p1uliCCu WILL UlCCo3 tsllSi Will ClCC-
tricity. This will be connected with The
Grottoes park, one OF over 200 acres of native
forest, and will, l think, be one of the
most striking features of the place. The
lighting of the city by electricity will he
cheap, the motive power being the water
fall only few yards above it, and which
now supplies power for $50 incandescent
lamps III Weyer Cave and for every room
in the Station Hotel. The river has q
fall of sixty feet in its course along the
city S edge, which not only provides ample
water power, but a rapid stream for drain
age, an advantage which is emphasized by
the incline of the surface of the city Of over
60 feet to the mile towards the river. This
matter of drainage has been looked after
carefully by the projectors of the town; it
block. Premises will be drained from their
rear and the branch sewer pipes will he laid
under these alleys.
A street railroad will be the first i'm
provement which will make it's way over
these broad avenues and streets Of the
tract for layinf7down a street railway over
these streets to be completed by the Sth of
October MI. r. W. Apperson. the Gener-
eral Manager of the street railway at Staun-
| ton, will commence next week to lay the
tracks. and is to have 5000 day bonus for
every day earlier than the date named in
which his work shall be completed. Those
who witnessed the rapid track laying at
Staunton under his supervision will feel
pretty sure that if he has even tolerable
working weather he will capture several
hundred dollars of the bonus. One thing
is greatly in his favor; the soil here does
not make mud and in a few hours after a
hard rain you can walk over it without the
danger of muddying your shoes. The railway
will CROSS the river on an iron bridge and
run up alongside the Grottoes Ridge to the
landing at the paths leading to the
famous caves. The track is to be
laid with heavy rail, so that the
company can put On electric cars which it
will soon be ready to do, though the start
will be made with cars drawn 10y mules.
Another improvement is under way-a
telephone line to Staunton, for which the
the poles are already distributed.
| The most striking Improvement, proba-
bly,, will be the grand hotel. The famous
Weyer Cave and the adjoining one known
as the Cave of Fountains, are here and lie
at the end of broad avenue running from
the present hotel They are reached by
crossing the river on a suspension bridge,
and are situated in high hill. On the top
of this hill is to be built one of the finest
hotels in the South. The front of the hill
is steep ascent in the face of which are
pierced entrances into the two cave. This
top is to be reached from the rear by Il
broad avenue which approaches it from the
North and West, through one of the most
beautiful groves that exists. The trees of
the grove are Of original growth. Here are
many acres of oaks, then you go into u
long stretch of pines, then pass through
long stretch Of cedars and finally emerge on
the summit. The scene from it is wond-
rously beautiful. Southwark you can see
sixty miles and the House Mountains in
RocIlbridge stands out clearly. On the
North you can see seventy miles. the Mas
sanutton Mountains being the most promi-
nent in the middle view. On the East you
see the towering Blue Ridge.
1t is not the mountain view alone,
however, that will attract most attention.
1t is with strange feeling that you see
at your feet two of the noted battle fields Of
! the late war. There is Cross Keys, aud you