Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1900-06-01
B j { N A Y Is ia.
And The Product Of Its Five
Big Industries.
HUNDREDS OF WORKMEN.
Some New Phases of Industrial
Development, and how they are
0perated---Summer Hotel to
Open Orderly TOwn--PersonaIs.
(Staff Correspondence of the Spectator.)

(Staf Correspondence of the Spectator.)
Buena Vista, Va, May 30th.-In my
knockabOut trips through the indus
trial sections of Virginia 1 am i'm
pressed as never before that we are
living in an age of specialties. The
professional and scientific world is no
less exacting than is becoming the in
dustrial world. Competition in all
lines of industry is SO sharp and the
standard of excellence in the manu-
factured wares so high, that the labor
er Of other days is becoming the artisan
of today-nor is bis labor in many ca
ses less remunerative. The mechanic
to succeed must be skilled, must attain
proficiency III the highest degree in
some one thing be it ever so small. The
lack at all trades" and the good all
around man, has scant demand for
his services and is virtually back
number. A case in point came under
my observation today that will illus
trate the new condition. While sitting
in the Superintendent's office of big
industry, several men came in and ap
piled for work. what can you do /"
was the sharp question fired at the
first applicant. " Most anything, have
worked several trades, good all around
man," was his answer. "We have no
work for you" was the officers reply.
Of the other men, one was an engineer
the other a machinist. Both were at
once taken and without recommends
tion. And there stood the first appli-
cant, fine specimen of physical man
hood, mistified at his rejection and
growing discomfort, trudged away.
He was good at several trades; skilled
and proficient in nothing.
So it is with the fast moving world and
Buena Vista is up with the procession,
and counting her five industries, chal-
lenges comparison with many larger
and older town. The stranger who
came here during the boom made and
lost his fortune, will hardly credit the
substantial thrift and activity in busi-
ness that find here today. There are
an even half dozen industries, five of
them large and monied plants, viz -
Va. Iron. Coal s. Coke Co.'S Furnace,
Colum bian Paper Mills Co., Blue Ridge
Tannery Co., Buena Vista Woolen
Mills, Brick Works or Southern Clay
Products Co., ,and the Buena Vista Sad
die & Harness Co. At the first of these
the Furnace found as foreman of
the yards our former tOwnsman Mr.. E.
l. Jones, who has been here several
years. The furnace he informs me is
averaging about $50 tons per day. with
1S5 tons as high water mark. AS the
property was built for only 120 tons, it
is clearly being operated much beyond
its natural capacity fact that speaks
much for the ability of it's Superintend
ent, Mr.. Percival Johnson. an English
man. His company operates two furn-
aces at Roanoke, one each at Pulaski,
Graham, Bristol and many others out
side the State. Today's figures at the
weighmasters Office show IA cars coke,
8 cars limestone and 25 cars ore re-
ceiyed. A pretty good showing for in
coming raw material, to say nothing of
the large outgoing product. To keep
this vast industry going, time keeper
G. R. Mann reports 200 men on his pay
role. These are divided into night and
day shifts, And by the way, our Staun-
ton readers will remember MI. Mann,
as clerk many years since in the dry
goods house of G. A. Gladke.
Passing to the Pulp or Paper Mill 1
find another busy force of more than a
hundred operatives, under the active
management of Superintendent Harry
N. Egolf, Pennsylvanian and anoth
er example of the youthful men from
the North and West who are taking
such a prominent part in the industri-
al development OF Virginia. Mr. Egolf,
though young has had 10 years practi-
cal experience in his line of business
and is better qualified for its duties
than many an older man. His indus
try is comparatively new one in this
State and presents to the visitor many
interesting features. AS | looked upon
the heap of poplar wood piled in cord
lengths, it was hard to realize that it
would so soon come forth from the ma
chimes in the finishing room, sheets of
white, glossy, writing paper. The
transformation from wood to paper is
accomplished in a surprisingly short
time. The woods used are poplar and
linn and are shipped here from all over
the State, bya travelling purchasing
agent. When it arrives here the timber
is carefully barked and the hard wood
cut by machinery into fine chips.
These are cooked in kind of acid or
liquor and otherwise chemically treat.
ed till it becomes a thick, jelly looking
mass. Macerated linen rags are added
to give strength. The jellied mass
then passes through a series of rollers
that extract the water and compress
the fiber into long ribbons of white
paper. These are wound On large
spools or cut to sizes as it comes from
the machine. The wood thus consum
ed in "a hours is about 80 cords (fol
the mill runs night and day. and the