Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1892-06-21
Roanoke,s Big Celebration.

on Friday and saturday.
The celebration was opener Friday
evening with a grand free concert and
other exercises in the Sam Jones Ia
bernacle, an immense building capa-
BILE of seating five thousand persons,
which was we'll filed until the close,
after eleven o'clock. The opening
prayer was made by Rev. DR.. W. C..
Campbell, the historical address by
Col. John E. Penn aud the Grafton by
Gen. n. Kyd Douglas. The historian
gave an interesting sketch of the ear
ly days of Roanoke, when the Shen-
andoah Valley Railroad, ten year ago,
tapped the Norfolk and Western at
what was then Big Lick, a quiet vii
lage of four or five hundred inhabi-
tants, following with data showing the
great andrapid growthof the city since
that time. The address ofGen. Douglas
was replete with humor, good sense
and information. complimentary TO
the great and growing city and her
good people.
The parade on Saturday was a
grand affair, and greatly exceeded
our most sanguine expectations
There. were in line about fifteen
hundred MALTA, including the I'd
and 4th Virginia regiment, V. NJ. L.
cadets, Blacksburg cadets, and COM
panies from Salem and Winston, N.
c., and Hagerstown, Nd. Some
eleven bands of music enliyened the
route of possession. The Roanoke
Machine Works turned out eleven
hundred uniformed men, with their
own excellent band at the head of
the column The trades display
was magnificent one, and would
have done credit to a city of much
older and larger growth. A base
ball game and sham battle enltVened
the afternoon, and were witnessed
by an immense throng. At night
the celebration was brought to close
with firemen's parade and pyrotech-
mic display. The number of visitors
in the city has been variously esti-
mated at from ten to fifteen thous-
and.
The growth of Roanoke, in the short
space of ten years, has been marvel
Gus. The population has incr eased
from four or five hundred to some
twenty or twenty-five thousand, the
assessed value of its property from a
mere nominal sum to S12, 900, 900, its
banking capital from $4,000 to
$500, 600, and from contracted area
in 1882 it now covers several square
miles, many of its buildings being
of the most handsome and costly
character.
The success of this grand celebra-
ton is due in the greatest measure,
We believe, to the business tact and
indomitable energy of Mr.. Jas. S.
Simmons, at one time resident of
Charles Town and well known to our
people. To him and the good peo-
pie of Roanoke we return many
thanks for courtesies extended.
Roanoke is closely allied to Charles
Town, and in witnessing the events of
its great celebration last week we
felt some degree of pride that our
town and county had 10 a considera-
BILE degree contributed towards its
moval and material Development
Rev. w. C. Campbell of the First
Presbyterian Church, went from Har-
per's Ferry to Roanoke; Rev. DR..
w. H. Meade, rector of st. Johns
Episcopal Church, was for number
of years rector of Zion Church in
this place. Mr.. Jas. S. Simmons,
chairman of theDecentennialCo Commit
tee and prosperous real estate agent
was former resident of Charles
Town, as was also Mr.. j. C. Daven-
port, marshal of one of the divisions
in the procession, and cashier of the
CONNIE rcial National Bank Mr.. w.
W. Coe, Chief engineer of the N. &
w. r. r. Mr.. j. Shirley Smith,
secretary and treasurer of the Mineral
al Wool Company; A. B. Hammond,
of the Hammond Printing Works.
Mr.. John e. Hough, member of the
City Council; and Messrs. Olin
Beall, T. j. Martin, NJ. L. Avis,
w. II. Roadricls, and others whose
names we cannot now recalI-to say
nothing of the good housewives we
have sent there to be helpmates to
industrious husbands, and the large
amount of capital some of our citizens
have invested there.
Summer Excursion Tickets