Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1899-03-02
GOOD SUGGESTIONS.

1t is stated that Commissioner OF
Agriculture Koiner will appear before
the State Board of Education next
week and advocate the introduction OF
the study of botany and chemistry
with special reference to their relation
to agriculture in the common graded
schools of the State. He thinks to
teach the elements of these branches
would be productive of great good.
This is a good suggestion and If
practically acted upon it might lead to
the establishment of school of Tech
Mythology in Virginia, something that
is very much reeded. Our young men
are greatly lacking in technical know
ledge, as is evidenced by the fact that
we feel the want of technical capaci ty
of almost every kind. as we have to go
elsewhere to obtain it or do without it,
Mr.. Koiner, some weeks ago made
another suggestion of even much
more Importance AMI wider applica-
tlOu llldd tlldU W W AlCA W Q IAo w OeAAi~>e
attention above. 1t was to have a
comprehensive investigation OF and
report upon the mineral resources OF
Virginia. Whilst our mountains are
ladened with minerals of various kinds
we have never had, since Prof. w. b.
Rogers time, geological survey Of the
State. AS result very little is known
Of our vast resources, and consequent
ly very little attention is paid to them.
North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee
and Alabama are advertised literally
through the industrial journals of the
east, while Virginia is passed by as
though we had no mineral wealth to
develop, when the fact is, we venture
the opinion that deposits of iron ore.
both hematite and fossil, may be
found in the counties of Augusta,
Rockbridge, Allegheny, Craig, Roam
oke, Botetourt, Bath and Highland,
than there are in the States named,
about which so much has been written
and published. Allegheny and Bath
counties alone have enough available
iron ore to feed fifty furnaces for one
hundred years, but rarely is any refer
ence made to this material wealth even
by the local papers.
If Mr.. Koiner can induce the State
authorities to encourage and put into
practical form his suggestions he will
accomplish an invaluable benefit to the
State and be entitled to the thanks of
the people of the Commonwealth. ~
In this connection we clip the follow
ing paragraph from the Winchester
correspondent of the Richmond Dis
patch of yesterday showing that local
influence is inducing capital to locate
in that section for the purpose of de-
veloping the mineral resources claimed
to be there The coal interests men
toned is the same as the Dora coal
field of this county, the value of which
has beel matter of controversy for
years. If the investigation proposed
in Frederick county proves to be sue
cessful, then it is reasonable to con-
clude that similar values exist in Au-
gusta county, and extend from Freder
lex to Montgomery. Thu Dispatch Is
correspondent says:
A northern company, representing
a capital of $1O,000,O00, has obtained
options on nearly all the land in the
northern part of Frederick county for
the purpose of developing the rich de-
posits of coal and other minerals there
on These deposits and the timber
product are rich, but owing to lack
of railroad facilities the regions was
never developed. A railroad to the
section will be built The company
will lease the land, paying the owners
5 cents per ton gross for bitumiuQus
coal, cents for semi bituminous and
10 cents for anthracite.