Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-07-17
FRIDAY MORNING. JULY 1891.
THE uEE71NG FRIDAY NIGHT.

1t is not i'll the memory OF the present
generation that such a meeting for public
business has assembled in Stanton, as was
gathered at the Opera House on Friday
night There were fully five hundred per-
sons present, and there was not mercan-
tile OF manufacturing interest large or
small that was not represented there. They
met with Il two-fold object-to consider
the steps necessary to be taken TO secure Il
connection between this city and the great
Norfolk & Western Railway system, and
to take some practical measures for furn-
ishng hotel accommodations for a new
class of travellers and prospectors who are
daily drifting to this locality.
On the value of Il connection with the
Norfolk & Western, argument is superliu-
GUS A city which is the depot for the
shipment Of $4,000 tons of hay and 500, GOO
bushels of wheat annually, and which is now
virtually cut off from the great Southern
market, needs no persuasion to take an i'll
terest in d short branch of track that will
open up that market to il. Nor does it
seem that the Norfolk & Western should
need much persuasion to interest itself i'll
it to the extent Of speedily undertaking the
work. Independent Of the immense addi-
ton to its freight traffic, Of which the coal
from Southwestern Virginia would be no
small part, it would build up Il passenger
traffic to Washington and the Northern
cities as we'll as the South Which would be
largely remuneratiye. Take it all in all it
would appear that it will prove one of the
busiest and most profitable connections
that the Norfolk 81 Western has ever made
i'll Virginia. All things are in readiness
for the work. A charter application
has long been Oil file at Richmond
placed there we think by Capt.
Carter Berkeley of Staunton, many months
Stuart S Draft has been surveyed; two miles
of it has been built, and there only remain
nime miles Of road to be constructed to open
to Staunton Il great Southern market. and
another outlet forpassenger transportation
to the National capital, and to give the
Norfolk & Western system the benefit of
both. The fact that the Stanton Devel-
Opment Co. has at its command, and is
willing to give, the most ample and liberal
terminal facilities is just one more great
blessing which the Development Company
has proved to the interests of this city. The
committee appointed by Chairman Echols
to confer with the Norfolk Il Western Of
ficials, is composed of practical men Of
large interests here, and on whom the COM
ml1lity can safely rely for speedy and judic-
ious action. The gentlemen who compose
that committee have u thorough concep-
ton Of the needs Of the manufacturing i'll
terests here and Of the Importance to them
tiat Staunton should be able to reach out
With abundant coal at low rate Of trans
portalloa, there is nothing that, with her
present ste;t in that direction, can prevent
Hlauhtoh being not only Il manufacturing
city but manufacturing centre.
The second object OF the meeting Fri
day night, was to assist Il movement al
ready far advanced, to build What is called
Il grand hotel hcre-tllat is to say a h,,tel
which Shall have the most modern STYLE
and luNurleS and charge 4 Fate commensu-
rate with them. The condition of this ell
terprise may he briefly stated as follows:
The Hotel Altemonte Company Il;is been
formed to build Il 100000 hotel: the site.
one Of the most beautiful on the suburbs of
the city, has been selected; something over
one-fourth Of the capital stock has been
on1cori,o1 lar, of I,
having been made by the officers of the
Staunton Development Co., a corporation
which has already done SO much for this
vicinity: i'll addition, the Development
Company itself has donated to the Hutc]
Company 81, 0O0 worth Of handsome lets
situated in and around the hotel lawn
grove and grounds, which lots arc to be al
lotted to the holders of the hotel company S
stock-thereby giving that stock q double
value. The question ROW laid before the
people of StauntCn IS whether they VIII
subscribe to sufficient stock to justify the
Hotel Company i'll proceeding with thciI
work and letting the building to contract
On this proposition We should like to
make Il few practical remarks. w i'll the
stock, if subscribed, he Of value to The hold
Ell? The hotel itself is to he built on the
street car line, and Oh grounds not surpass-
ed in Virginia for beauty OF value Its
land will lie i'll the midst Of, though elevated
fan above the activity OF great manufactur-
ing works, and as these go Oh the lots
which subscribers to the stock are entitled
to, will he equal in value to city lots OF
equal size. Will the hotel pay? That is best
answered 10y the history Of the Virginia
Hotel here, which is one of the best paying
hostelries IL Virginia, has been for thirty
years and will lie for thirty years more.
The Virginia, which has made I; specially
of keeping as good IL bill of fare lis any s.
house i'll the country, is crowded week afteI
week and often has to turn away guests, and
it will do the same il a high priced hotel is
built on the edge Of the city, because Of lis
central location. Its history, which is that
of Il hotel that has made fortunes for its
past proprietOrS and is making more for its
present one, shows that Stailnton has come
to Il point where there is sufficient travel
not only to overflow s., but of Il character
to fill Il 81 house as well. This latter it is now
contemplated to build. There is more
wealth now i'll the country, and there is q
class of people now travelling who are able
and willing pay any figure for the luxuries
of life. 1t matters little to this class who
have leisure, how long they Stay i'll city
if the accommodations are of the sort they
ask. Their presence is Of money value to
every merchant and business man in the
town, and the presence OF capital is always
of value to city that is developing. The
presence OF all expensive hotel here
would bring people Of means to reside in