The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-26
w w. FRENCH ATTORNEY .rI,w
BLUkFItLD, W. VA, THE SUMMIT
CITY.

Written for the Special Edition OF THE TINES
In reviewing the wonf crfrl development
throughout Virginia and West Virginia. brought
about hy tho Norfolk ard Western r,lroad, we
must not lose sight OF tho Summit City, Blu,
field, W. Va. 1t has IN elevation of 2567 icct
Five years ago this was quiet snd beautiful
blue grass region. There could bo seen OIL its
lovely In inn summer evenings. so characteristic
of this section, herbs or fine horses, sheen and
cattle peacefully grazing on liz vcrdart hills.
Then as the twilight dcws arc fal ing and the
scntc zephyrs whispering so softl, through its
dells, the whppo will sptnt his evenings coquet-
ting with his ncighho- acr, 81 the valley Little
then did tho dcnizens OF this quiet retreat think
that in less than five years 5000 busy people
would congrcgate around the honcs of the
Davidsons and Iligginbothams whose stalwart
dark and lonely wildwoods Into comfortable and
happy homes.
Before reviewing the industries of this city
venture TO say That one can stand gu Mercer
street bridge and sec more business IN one day
than can be sec" Ia any city OF the same size
within ,'R0 miles. here il wOulc require no
argument tn convince /. shrcwd imam TINT this
must evidently he the emporium for the di-trlbu-
ton Of goods II the Southwest. IA 1t is 100 miles
cart OF ltoanosc and from :arj To 5"U westward 10
points doing Wholesale business.
Bluedeld IL ihe terminus of three branch rail
ron roads, VIZ; the New River .he CIinoii Valley
the ONTO Extension, ana the emf 81 Tie oca-
hontas. Ciinch Fa q, AMI i;adfnr.t divisions
are We not (, o. raphcally ~ .ittintrd tuat VIC
must necessarily comm. nj the t;a,lc hoth whole
sale and retail, OF that rD.f. rapidly developing
territory, conpriring pcr! ions OF .irsinia, West
Virginia and Kentucky, penetrated by this great
artery. The Norfolk anu V cricrn railroad
We arc 40 located that we have the only point
going e@st from the great coal mines that has
immense shipments OF coal, coke aud We.tern
ircights that are weighed by electricity and
DIR ppcd by gravity.
Our Tremendous round house. our extensive
railroad lnachihe shops, and our immense over.
hauling business must necessarily maze Blue.
field the rendezvous Tor large lumber OF loco
motive engineers, conduco, aud hrak.n,en Ms
we'll Us the home of the ski ed labn OF M the
shops, and the large nnmh,r OF mn &C. --rr, T.,
Keep the yard In oider,togcthcr with the oiici ~
clerks and operators OF the several divis on- [ r
minatin0 here. 1t must he taken into consider.
alton taat this irmy or railrOaders cOngrcgntcd at
nlucis Id are not low priced men, but command
renliherative salaries for The valuable and dan
tor the Norfolk and Western railrosd
these men are paid off monthly through the
FIRST National Bank OF Blnefcld, which deserves
more han passing mention in This article
This bank was first organized in Jane. 1871, as n
State bank with capital OF $1,000 I'm Septcm-
DeI OF me SAME year " WAS made a national bank
anu IT'S capital raised to ! o CO. which WIS
promptly subscribed This institution is now
erecting On the corner OF colt street and frnc
ton avenue Que ( The fins 81 buildings of its size
~ the state OF est Virginia; the hr-t story OF
Porahoutas blue sandstone =; cond, third aud
loIrtn stories OF the finest pressed brick its
architectural symmetry and beauty would te-
: caE ior 1t O. prominent place III any OF our
larger cities
Our bus ness enterprises consist in part OF
sixteen general stores rcia shoe store.
three retsil faniii groceries, TWO furniture
stores, one undertaking establishment with
magnificent hearsc, the drug stores three col
orct! barbcrs, one white male barber. one white
female barber five clothing stores, twu milling
store, one hardware store, two stove enh ,imwarc
establishments, Ole paint and window glass
house, nc qncenswarc and lamp star, two
jcwelry establish nenls, one music store, two
sewing machine agencies one Wholesale feed
store ore wholesale oil house, one wholesale
sho: horsc. one steam laundry, one steam print
brickNa d. one steam saw mill, one woodworking
nmont, one four story oller Touring mil,
lists, Fix .ttorneysat law. fivr real state agcnt-
five insurance agents and SIX notaries public,
nvc good restaurants, three hotels
he town Is well We II supplied with good board
Ing houses. now constructing n lno brick city
hail, large four.story wholesale grocery ore
We have already fiji ished snd in successful op-
erstinn slightly churches OF the following dcnon,-
inatio g: Lutheran, Presbyterian. Methodist.
colored Baptist church, Christian Baptist, Rom sn
Catholic and colored Methodist, soon to be
erected.
Daughters, Is making steady progress The
Young Mems Christian Association Is unc or
good management mage located In fine rooms and is
large and "agnifcent opera house will be
erected In the spring. Itis expected soon to have
u court OF limited jnrisdict on and with BRIGHT
prospects Tor United stMes court.
Water Is furnished the city from seven
springs located In tho great East River Noun
tain and flows by gravity into large steel rcscr-
vol"
We have two fire compancs, one on each side
OF the Norfolk and Western railroad with q suf-
Gciency OF hose To do good work
We mean what we SAY when we assert that we
have tho lnest livery st ,be in The State OF Wet
Virginia. In every direction can DO 3 ell ne W
hnidin IS going np, squ de or men grading new
str It's, constru' ting leverage, and ying side
We can tastly feel thankful and proud over the