Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-09
BEAUTIFUL INDEED.
Yue NEW CITY THAT is RISING OUT
OF HARRIS BOTTOM.
suena Vista, It's History. Surroundings
End Growth--fts Observation-Disclosures
Observation-Disclosures In values
BursA VISTA, November 2, 1890.

BuyvA VISTA, November 2. 1890.
The first suggestion that entered my
mind in looking upon the Buena Vista OF
to-day was In the form of the question:
Whether one OF the ante-bellum iron-rnas-
tiers OF old Buena-vists furnace on gazing
into the smoke and fame that issued from
his stack and told him how "she was work
inc, ever INDUCED in reverie, as most OF
us are wont TO do. in contemplating these
elements when they are our servantsl Inen
the question suggested itself II so, ana
he ever dream Of the possinuity vi tho
picture that is before me plu nc e'eI
dram that tho day would come wnen
Uart's BOTTOM would DO the site OF a city,
whom the railroad train would take the
rIace ~ Tho WAGON and tho batteau IN
transnortinc iron, when the people would
he talking clibiy OF the basic and other
nrocesses. and when the little output OF
ms furnace woald be q mere bagatello
compared with what a few years will wit
ness as tho iron product OF Buena vista
The everlasting mountains that mem III
Buena Vista and rise in tumultuous gram
deur one above another, the gilstehIne
river, the glorious. exhilarating atmosphere
have not changed, but all the rest are
new.
PROPHECY,
Yet In DAYS later than the time OF the old
Buena Vista iron-master there have becn
those who had such dreams and nave pro-
phesied that the valley Of the North river
would be the scene of Just SUCH changes;
l remember that when the Richmond ana
Allechany railroad, now the James RIVER
division of the Chesapeake ana ONO ran
way. had covered the tow-path OF the
James-River and Kanawha canal to
point about twenty mics TINS sue VI
Richmond. Hon. John Randolph Tucker,
while in company with party OF north;
ern gentlemen who were interested
in the road, told them IN so many words
chat they might talk Of wealth elsewhere,
but old Roekbridge county was the III
Dorado of this country. and this was the
place 10 put money. But Ran" could
not miss the opportunity for a joke, ana
turning 10 the Dispatch man, who perhaps
possessed more ayoirdupois than any one
else in the crowd, he said: / was not talk
ing 10 YOU. Apy one can look into your
face and sec that YOU are one OF those lean,
poor, half-starved Virginisns. Well, this
is suggestive that Mr.. Tucker advised even
better than he knew, for the purse of many
a Virginian which was as lean as Casslus
has by the investment OF mite IN Buena
Vista assumed Falstaffan proportions.
THE ooMPANY's LAND.
The Buena Vista company's land con;
sists of Is, 600 acres. $500 of which are level
and adapted for building purposes. The
rest. some 10 600 acres. consists OF mineral
and timber lands. OF the level land about
] 800 acres were set apart IN the beginning
as the site of city. and upon these the
work of grading, laying on streets and and
parks and groves was commenced. Inls
was only eighteen months ago. Now the
population of the place is 5000 souls.
large number of industrial plants have
been located here, some Of which are IN
operation, new land companies have been
organized, a number of handsome brick
ranging in cost from $4,000 TO
S25. 900 have been erected, q sewerage sys-
TEN has been provided for, pipes have
been laid for water-supply. the place IS
we'll lighted with electric lights, and, as
some one has said. it looks like Roanoke
did seven years ago. In addition to this
FIRE and police department have been or:
gained, a magnificent hotel is in course OF
to take the place of the one
burned down short while ago, and an
electric-railway line will soon bring the
limits Of the city in close connection and
also connect it with Savernake.
THE EXPLANATION.
Is this magic? Not at all. Buena yista's
foundation and growth and the fact that IT
is destined to expand into one of the most
and busiest cities in the South
calls for no explanation on supernatural
All that II is now and Is 10 be
was written in the topography or the coun-
try and craven in the hearts of the noun
tains that surround it centuries ago. Man
had but 10 take the key nature had fur
nished TO read this. Buena Vista IS
an ideal site for a manufacturing and
industrial city. Its location 10 in one of
the most romantic, picturesque, and
healthy sections of Virginia. A few short
wears ago il was practically inaccessible.
To-day j. is accessible from North. South,
East, and West by two great lines of rail
road which run through 1.-THE Shenan-
doah- Valley branch of the Norfolk and
Western railroad and tho Horth-River
branch of the James River division
OF the Chesapeake and Ohio railway.
In the near future there will also
be tributary to II the new line OF road from
Pittsburgh TO Atlanta, which Will be com
PEELED, like the other two, TO pass through
the company's property. But beautiful
scenery, healthy climate, railroad facilities.
and picturesque river such as the North,
which bounds Buena Vista on one
side, do not make city. No. How
ever, nature has supplemented these
with another factor-yiz., inexhaustible
mineral wealth, particularly in the shape
of iron ores of high grade, from which it
is estimated by Pennsylvania experts pig
iron can be made at maximum cost of
S9.75 and IA minimum cost OF $3.50 per
ton. These ores are in the hills around
Buena Vista, where vast quantities of them
can be reached above the water level, and
their product Is especially adapted for the
basic process of making steel. Limestone
is abundant on the company's lands, man
ganese is near at hand, and the extensive
coal-belts of Virginia are pierced by the
great system of railways that run THROUGH
the city's site. thus afording the advan-
tage Of competing fuel.
INDUSTRIES.
This tells the whole story and accounts
for the tact that at Buena Vista an
iron-furnace is completed, pulp
and paper-mill is in operation, o
saddle and harness-factory is in ope-
ration, fre-brick works IL in course of
construction, steam tannery is IN opera
ton, aud planing-mills, a furniture-factory,
red-brick works, a wagop-iactory, and a
wire-fence factory all at Work. Woollen-
mills have been completed, an egg-crate