Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-02
ghe Town HAS Greatly Improved
Anatrs In scott County.

GATE CITY. VA, April l.-(SpeciaL)-
rhjs town has never had boom in
the ordinary meaning Of the term yet
It's real estate has borne good price
which. instead Of declining, has steadily
Increased. 1t is safe 10 say that no olher
town OF its size in Virginia has shown
such substantial growth and improve
ment as Gate CITY has within the past
ten or nfteen years. At the close OF the
war Il was only small. dismanted VII
lage. with no business houses except oid'
dilapldated structures that would scarce
" be used now for barbeT-shops or
butcher-stoIls. The dwellings, with the
exception OF three or four "hne ola
places" were in keeping with the busi-
ness houses. Now the town has large
number Of fine business houses butt IN
modern style. while the old dwellings,
have not only been replaced by handsome
new buildings, but the commons on when
cattle formerly grazed. have become dot
ted over with splendid residences and
laid out in beautiful yards and gardens.
Two fine business blocks, containing SIX
immense grOund-tioOr storeroomsi are
nearing completion. all Of which viii be
taken as soon as finished. The court
house at Gate City is new. and the
largest in Southwest Virginia, while the
Old log schOol-house. which was so long
a disgrace TO the town and county has
been superseded by Shoemaker College,
the first session of which has an enroll
ment of over two hundred students.
The progress of Improvement has been
no less rapid and steady in the country
than In the town On every hand elegant
a
weller. Intelligent and progressive me-
thods Of farming are rapidly supplanting
the old slpshod methods. The crops are
cultivated and harvested by machinery,
and fine. bloOded cattle have taken the
place of the scrub stock of former times.
Handsome modern schOOl-houses have
been erected in almost every community.
and many fine church houses have re
Gently reared their spires toward Hea-
ven" Altogether. the progress Of our
hitherto obscure county, within the past
few years has been highly gratifying,
and its outlook at present is indeed
bright.
Since the trouble with Spain arose the
Dispatch has been more eagerly read
here than ever before, Notwithstanding
its iong-established popularity. The peo-
pie have learned to confide in 1t, and
perhaps no other agency has more influ-
ence over public opinion in this and neigh
boring counties than has the Dispatch.
II Is rapidly killing the power Of yellow
Journalism"
Heavy rains visited this section in the
early part of the week. and the streams
are very much swollen. The long-wished
FOR tide has made the log and lumber
men happy.
The freeze a few years ago killed near
ly all the peach-trees IN this section.
Other trees were planted and many OF
them are large enough to bear The fine
peach bloom this spring indicates that, il
not killed. there VIII be a considerable
crop OF the luscious fruit this year
Scott has long been noted rs an apple
growing county, and that crop also prom
ises abundance.
Mr.. Joseph T.. Tate, prominent citizen.
living six miles from town, was bitten
on the hand by a rabid dog few DAYS
since, and his friends are quite uneasy
about him.