The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1894-06-02
An ORIGINAL ENTERPRISE.
What A Stranger Thinks Of the Victor
Elevator and Mills.

Among the many things that are
contributing to the business pros
perity of Morgantown, we discovered
nothing more original than the Vic
tor Elevator and Mills Company's
manufacturing establishment. Orig
inally a Touring mill, by the sagaci-
ty of its managers it was converted
few years ago into an establish
ment devoted almost exclusively to
the production of the highest grades
of what they term ''corn goods, y
that is the best quality ofcorn meals,
germless and pearl, grits and hominy,
and incidentally the manufacture of
chop and all kinds Of food for stock
into which corn and oats enter, and
the handling of other like articles,
including bran, shorts, oil meal and
hay and flour. The plant consists
of large store house and grain ele-
vator adjoining the railroad, with its
privsSe switch, upon which will be
seen at almost all hours of the day,
cars loading or discharging grain or
manufactured goods, which are
shipped to all points east of the
Ohio river and north to Pittsburg.
This building is connected with a
tram steel-laid road leading to the
mills proper, operated by an endless
wire rope, by which grain and all ar
ticles are moved to and from the ele-
vator to the mills in the most eco
nomical and speedy manner The
mills are equipped with all the most
modern and approved machinery, by
which the corn is cleaned, secured
and kiln dried, and the meals puri
fed and properly separated, so that
the products are as white as most
grades of flour. We here learned
that a remarkable difference exists
in the tastes of different sections of
the country, as to the color and fine
ness of the meals consumed. One
market will take nothing but pure
white meals, of fine grain, while
another will take nothing but gold
en-" or rich yellow meal of coarse
grain. Another popularity is that
many jobbers buy here, arranging
TO have the meals, heminy and grits
put up in packages bearing their
own brand or name, and after pay
ing freight from Morgantown, reship
them into West Virginia and even
to Morgantown, and sell them as a
foreign product, goods manufactured
here. So true it is that people love
to go away from home in the hope
of getting something better than
homemade goods. Distance lends
enehantment," dc. What much sur
prised us was the enormous amount
of flour, feed, hay and grain brought
into the county of Monongalia and
consumed by her people, when we
noted the richness of her soil aud her
natural advantages. We suppose
the easier method of making money
through the oil, coal and natural
gas business, and the hauling and
other work growing out of these en-
terprises, is the explanation. But
we could not help thinking the farm
ers would be better off if they would
devote more time to agricultural
pursuits, and at least raise enough
for home consumption. The Victor
Mills are creation of the genius of
Hon. Geo. c. Sturgiss, late U. S.
District Attorney, showing a man
may be many-sided, and succeed in
various departments Of business.
The active management of the bust
ness now devolves on his partner
and brother in-law, Mr.. Robert A.
Vance, whom we found to be unas-
Stunning but level headed and prac-
teal business man. He showed US
through the establishment, and gave
us many interesting details, which
we have not space to repeat. The
Company is incorporated, having
capital of about $22, 900, and is the
largest payer Of freights in the coun-
ty.