Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-12-18

lGded Immensely tn Inc appearance nf
he. town. while set erAi niiles of smooth
,ranoiltiiic sidewalk. tiave beea laid
through the principal business streets
md residential section. Ten new
houses have b cen completed within the
year and others are TO follow in the
early spring. Oae Very material ad-
vantage Ilirtou Forge hes, ID ITS ex-
c-iienJ water supply, q free stone OF
the best mountain quality, brought
10 the town by gravity, An InexpenslVel
luxury that many n down east city
would pay millions for possessing, and
In sach u bundan. supply that the town
may never hope to need it all, grow as
it may. Clifton bias ten bar rooms
that II doesn't hrAg much ABOUT, but
t. dues pra.e on the way they are Con-
trotied and kept. for kept they are,
pretty much OUT Of sight down on the
narrow stilp Of laud between the rail-
road and the river in the section beyond
the Old McUurdy House. Here they |
are easily policed aud give no annoy !
ance.
1t is generally believed and affirmed
that the c. u o. will soon begin the
erection OF large Office building on
their property holding just below the
depot platform and near the Y. n. 9.
A. building. This structure Will be
for the more economic and convenient
management of the Superintendent
office, the Dispatcher office and the
Engineers and Claim Agents depart
ments. 1t will be of brick and proba-
bly, three storios high. This must add
much to the appearance OF the vicini-
ty, fronting as 1t will both on Main
street and the railroad. And this
leads to the suggestion, or rather the
hope, that some day. in the not dis
tant future, the G. & D. people may
move their general offices . here. At
present there is not great deal of
excitement over the prospect, but
time was, and not many weeks since.
when the whole community was in q
more or less excited mind over it.
Real estate in the two towns took q
sharp advance in anticipation Of this
coming and that advance has been
maintained. With much show Of rea-
son both Clifton and West Clifton are
putting forth every effort to secure the
coveted plum, and plum it would be to
> either community, for with the NOV
ing of the offices would come new
population, almost the equal of one
third the present, bonanza that any
city of the Commonwealth could re
joice in the possessing. That Clifton
;. is the logical point, should the office
= ever leave Richmond, is evident, no
Y only to the interested observer, but il
acknowledged and commented upoi
BY high officials of the road. GeOgrapt!
n ically near the center of the system, j
is also at the terminus of the tire
!. most important divisions, where is 10
Gated the large. machine shops an
"a round houses, and where are othe
physical features that would tend t
n make the operation Of the road nor
4 economic from that point. Blu
# whether the offices come or not Clifto
# is going straight ahead woring out he
j. own commercial destiny by the energ
IL and means of her public spirited cit
D. zens, an impetus that no discourage
ID ment now seen or contemplated ca
ID check.
'e In its business quarter the town ha
8, some fine buildings with as capaciou
y store rooms as will be found in an
% place of its size in the State, and !
g these store rooms is carried line tina
for completeness and quality is /
ID keeping with the exterior building
1T One such store have in mind whic
,e serves my purpose as case in point
1t Grocery stores are not usually attra'
70 tive places, not even in our large
10 cities are such places Of business foun
q to be tidy or neat. This store room
n however, possessed both these exec
b lent qualities. National flags drape
Q, the large plate glass show window
| and beneath these we're placed q fe
IS potted plants, while amid them wei
N arranged pyramids of golden orang'
10 and handsome candy boxes tied Wit
n silk ribbons. This was near the bride
re on Main street, and on entering thes
1T 1 passed under the sign which read HI
1T Parker & Co. Inside, the decoration
n the tasteful display of goods and th
'r general tidy appearance impressed n
g. most favorably. Fancy and slap
D groceries we're arranged in pyramid
i or otherwise displayed, much as sue
wares are at our County Fairs or e.
y positions. The ceiling and wall dec
is ratlons we're in flags. colored crsr
le paper. potted plants and pictures. A
I'd may be judged, the goods were fres
I'd and Of superior quality; the best
g. their line. When asked II there wa
a demand for such high grade stool
D. the proprietor informed me that b
IS customers expected such and woul
D. not be satisfied with cheap or inferit
1T line. Said he. 'many men here ear
q handsome salaries and they deman
q. and expect the best the market affords.
The excellence of the stores. at Gil
= ton Forge is equaled in the excellenc
of its leading hotel. 1t is an admitte
fact that town is otter judged by th
character of its hotels. If the stranf
or is comfortably housed and fed be
. prepared to think we'll Of the tow
and comm unity and it takes consider
!. able reversal of this in the outside cond
tions to over come these first and mos