Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-02-10
FROM BUENA VISTA.
SEVERAL MANUFACTURING COMPANIES = OTHER
ENTERPRISES-THE LYNCHBURGERS AND WEST
yIRGINIANs- OF JOHN A. KENNER.
Correspondence of the SPECTAToR.1
BUENA VISTA, RoCKBRIDGE Co. VA.
February 9Th, 1892. !

Correspondence of the SPEcTAToR.l
BUENA VISTA, RocKBRIDGE Co. VA.
February 9Th, 1892.
This has been busy week here The i'm
proved state of the weather, as the first foul
days of the month encouraged all depart
ments of business, gave decidedly animatine
scene to Buena Vista. Several of the manu-
featuring companies held their annual meet
ings of stockholders The first in order was
that of the Buena Vista Cashmere Mills
Quite an amount of the stock of this company
is held by parties in the lower end of the Val
ley of Virginia. Like several others of the
enterprises here, it was in the planting and in
the commencement of turning out its prod
ucts, the triumph of effort, during the hard
year of financial pressure, 1881.
The meeting was presided over by Rev. A
c. Hopkins, of Charlestown, West Va, who
is so well known and so highly. esteemed il
association with his service during the war, as
a chaplain in the Stonewall Brigade. 1t will
be remembered, also, that he delivered the
prayer at the unwilling of the monument at
Lexington to Stonewall Jackson, July 21st
Mr. A. Undertake President of the Com
pany presented the report of the Board OF
Directors, which was clear, business paper
brief in words and clear in its exhibits OF
transactions. 1t appears that the capital
stock of the company paid in was not quite
enough to pay for the erection of the plant
with its entire outfit. Commencing the manu-
facture of goods about five months ago, the
products have been put in the market, and
the sales brought in resources sufficient not
only to pay current expenses, but also to
liquidate the balance due on machinery, and
at the same time to pay for fine quantity of
raw material on hand. Mr.. Timberlake, the
President; Mr.. R. D. Miller, the Secretary
and Treasurer-both business and experienced
men in their duties-were reinforced by
energetic soliciting statesmen, and thus the
gratifying exhibit may be accounted for,
ordinarily an unusually quick result, and
surely so during the brief time of operation
and of the year named of severity. :.
The report was discussed by several mem
bers of the company who expressed their
agreeable surprise, and complimentary reso-
lutions of the management were adopted.
The former Board of Directors were unani-
mously reelected, to-wit: A. Timberlake, ].
W. Blackburn, W. P. Coe, A. P. Moore, C..
H. Effinger, C. B. Guyer, F. D. Coe, E. 1.
Jones, A. T. Barclay Mr.. W. p. Coe is of
West Virginia; Messrs Efinger and ]. D.
Coe, of Lexington, and the others are of
President, and Mr.. Miller, Secretary and
| Treasurer.
In connection with the contract for making
forty thousand yards of cloth for the U. s..
army mentioned in my last letter, an expert
detailed from the army clothing department
| is here in connection with that matter, who
states that the establishment is first-class one
in all its departments.
The Fire-Clay Company of which the
readers of the SPECTATOR, some months ago,
| were furnished a full sketch of its plant and
its products also held the annual meeting of
stockholders this week. This is a very strong
company, the stock of which is mainly held
| by Lynchburg capitalists.
In the very nature of things, that, in Vir-
GINA, the business of manufacturing fire
brick and tiles, with long and perhaps tire
some experiments both in manufacturing
and in undergoing the usual severe tests, and
coming through successfully, and then find
ing customers for the product, required men
of nerve for the undertaking who knew they
had to put down their cash and plenty of it,
for the effort. These Lynchbergers and their
associates with a clear insight into what they
were doing, erected here, right at the bound
less mines of the most highly-approved clay,
an expensive plant and during the months
of the past fall continued to add to the kilns,
and in time will have full capacity in that
department, to receive for completion the
forty-five thousand brick, which the ma
chinery is capable of turning out every
twenty-four hours Nothing daunted, the
making of brick, both of the standard size,
and for special orders, was proceeded with,
and over three hundred thousand have been
sold Customers have been found and con-
tracts are making for this year. Experience
and skill have been added to the management
of the business and the prospect is assured
1t is of that kind which usually accrues to
clear-headed, solid men,.
These points are gathered from the report
of the Board of Directors as they were
presented to the meeting by Mr.. John P.
Pettyjohp, of Lynchburg, the President of
the company. 1t has been decided that the
establishment shall be pushed with vigor to
accomplish the complete success assured.
The old Board of Directors were called again
into service as follows
Jno. P. Pettyjohn, J. G. Payne, NJ. H.
Payne, w. w. Dornin, c. H. Effinger, A. T.
Barclay, H. P. Woodson, Geo. L. Fleming,
and Jas. Hancock, all of Lynchburg except
Nr- r
of Buena Vista.
1t may not be out of place to note, that Mr..
Pettyjohn is the large house-building con-
tractor of Lynchburg so well known through
the State as enc of the most generous of her
citizens The Methodist denomination, Y.
NJ. C. A, and contributions for benevolent
and christian purposes are large benefciaries
of his constant liberality.
The Pocahontas and Greenbrier Investment
Company, as its title denotes, is in the main a
West Virginia organization in subscription to
to the stock Mr.. H. M. Lockridge, formerly
of Pocahontas county, is the President, and
resides here Captain Alex. F. Matthews, of
Lewisburg W. Va, is one of the Directors,
and l. B. Moore, N. J. Brown, and A. F.
White of Pocahontas, Hugh Adams, of Rock
tlemen, with Messrs. w. H. Gross and w.
Harold, of Pocahontas, among the stockhol-
ders, were in conference here several days
this week. This Company own several good
buildings and excellent lots here. The hous-
es are yielding satisfactory incomes, and alto
gether it is a plucky Company. An existing
liability and more to mature here the matters
which brought the parties named in confer
ence Arrangements were completed to pay
off the entire liabilities present and to mature.
Captain Mathews is widely known and
highly esteemed citizen of his State, and
| leading member of the bar. He is large and
,uccessful participant in the development 60
| ing on in the two Virginias, and it would be
| hard to tell which of the two, the mother or
the daughter, hold the highest place in his at
| fections, remembering, as he does, when both
| were old Virginia, and he of family .promi-
| nent in her historic renown. He is brother
| of the deceased Ex-Governor of West Virgin
| Ia Henry M. Mathews a young and brilliant
man, among the first of Southern heart and
! sympathies to wear that honor of his State
after the trying ordeal through which our PEG
pie were forced to pass. l need not add that
this gentleman, Capt A. F. Mathews became