Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-03-16
Letter from Roanoke.

family always peruse with interest the COL
umns oi the GAZETTE. aui She faiIu . to
receive ii daily, ia almost as much dssp-
poiutment as would bs the fsiiare 20 get an
expected lettsr ftom per-ona friend,
Tners sre bus few, If any, of The nsws teme
10 p.csily OF q ocai chsrsc'ef) that escape
our notice. have read with much interest
the report 0t the President OF the BcsrG Of
Trade OF yourci;y foE the pact II moaEDs. =
The beautifui psn p!ciares cf the eresi
future possibilities of the old LOWE mu't
aratify .ae hearts sDd eleCtrsfs tbs energies
Of her ci,iZsns. especially the property cwn-
ers.
Why, sir, it creates doubt in my mind,
ss TO the wied jm or nay changing my home
from the booming ~ city on tho grand Pc
tomac, nestiiog 30 peacefully within sgat oi
s:Ure country ~ tom. Slow pso1?
Slow is hardly the nane for il. Just tEiDk
OF town nesrly ten years old with less than
25 600 population, snd iosl than twenty
millions OF dollars in Industries. and cnIy
advancing at snaii's pace. At this rate it
will be fully ten years before she can claim
100, 600 but let ms say to you that this magic
city will catch on the boom before many
moons, and the next len years of her growth
will sstonieh the world, aud predict ttat
some of the c.tzsns OF Alexandria will pr,f-
il as much or more through Rjanok . iu-
tuse success than they have yet dared to
hope for.
NV change of ciliz snship from Alexandria
to Roanoke Yves not through choice, bot
rather OF necessity, and perbaps have great
cause to congratulate myself that an III
wind guided my barque to this bus ling
booming mountain village.
We are only q village yet, bu. we will get
there in time !ov the next census to bs cless-
ed as the second, If not the 6rst city in the
State. At present we can discount any
place 10 the Ucited States on real estate,
rta, estate egenta, mud, and the sbsencs Of
paved streets Alexandf!s possesses many
sdVsrtsge7, but the greet mis'or. une is that
her people have net and % not esen now
appreciate them. Just think of what Ro-
ancks would be If sbe had suoh advantages
OF location aud transportation (both rail and
water
Why cir, she would be the largest city 10
tbs State within five years, and every rail-
| road company within thousand miles
| would be seeking admttance. l am dIgree-
sing; did not Intend TO advertise Roanoke
a. the expense OF Alexandria No sir.
belitve there is a very great future for
that c;J and not very fer away II tie cit.
ne of Alexandria, wao possess the means
will unite with nervy end buatliDg young
men, VITO are now striving 10 put the Old
town on the road to success
Harmonious and united effjrt will lay the
foundations of many enterprises, whereas If
sou wait for foreign cid the few already
started will lapguisb, One object I have in
v'eW in writing this letter is to call attention
to .he very remarkable statement made in
inc report of the President OF the Board OF
Trade of your city. After asking the uDes'
ton, What has the Board of Trade done
since Its organization two years sgo2 he pre-
ceeds to snswer by saying We ''do know"
thai unimp7oved property has advanced
from 200 per cent and eevsrs other do
kaoWs" as to what the business men have
done and are doing, aod there seems to be
only cue thing accomplished whereby labor
fuds employ ment. and that is I'VE do
know" that there has been established by
the direct agency ofthe board a shoef faotcry +,
giving employ ment to 20 bands.
Judging from the Gales of property within
the past few months both improved and uD
improved, belonging tc the estate Of the ls;e
W. N. McVeigh, would say that property
had deprscIsted from 80 TO rs per ceat [
dare say that property viii bring within the
next months 80 per cens more than il solt
for
Now, Mr.. Editor, about the estabishmen.
OF the shoe factory "by the direct etf1rts of
the Bosrd of Trade" can aInoat imaoine
the sound of the voice of q certain K'np
street merchant saying, l told YOU 60"
Well, be did tell me before $40 600 Of ihe
money had been subscribed. tha. Mr.. Re- d
would claim the credit for the Board Of
Trade starting the shoe factory.
did not then believe 1t Is it not fsct
vel! known to Alexsn8rens that the efforts
OF the Board CT Tesde TO orgaulzs sboe
company proved miserable faiure. and
that then took the matter ia hand, and by
my personal efforts and energy. day after
daY for three months, finally succeeded in
organizing the eompsny ? (Myeelf snd sons
having subscribed over one fourth OF the
amount of the c.pital stock was not In
stigated By the Bosrd OF Tradsto undertake
Il. nor was aided by the board further than
the use OF thei: ball for holding public meet
ings.
I had bsen contemplating such au enter-
prise for several years and Six CT eishe
months before the compsny was organized I
proposed ,o one of AlexsDdra'a yell known
busiaess men to uni'e with me IN tins enter.
prise ..,.-
amount OF money emporo'ilS delayed ms
action, and I did nos abandon ms deter M.
nation to make the attempt. Foui-htic5 CT
the stock subscribed wss secured bs mug per,
sonsl solicitation and 10 20 iDs auce did
use the rams Of tee B. srd cf Trade to set ure
such suescrip ptiors.
Every item ofexpenae incurred in the or.
gan;zng OF the COMPANY ses paid out OF
my own privste funds. bu; returned to me
when reluc, anty withdrew from the COM
papy scceived 20 c3mpensation what
ever %. NJ s;nt and labor expended In or