Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-03-16

THE CEMENT PLANT.

In our atmosphere which causes nerV'
ausness as SO many cases of it have
occurred of late. Some of our very
first class city, others that local op.
ton election may be ordered; others
that our street railway may forfeit its
charter; others that Judge Crump
may resign; others that VIM. &. Hearst
may be the next Democratic candidate
for the presidency; others that VIM.
Bryan may be; others that Col. Joe
Button will not accept; Others that we
are about to have too many hotels;
others that the new G. & o. depot is
too small: others that the new county
building may empty business houses
elsewhere; others that the Panama
canal and our new water supply will be
completed the same year; others that
the horse show week will be rainy;
others that the chemical engine may
entirely displace our hose wagons;
others that locks may be put on our
JNAi ooOA5s 0euolS GAdb buc CucmlChl
works may breed microbes, and others
OF course that the cement plant may
cause unknown troubles, and result in
unheard of trials, tribulations and
dangers.
This cement plant is the latest sen
satlon, and with that wisdom which
q our o,fu oa-naiI
they have sent committee of their
body out to look over cement plants.
and otherwise seek light" This has
caused some composure, but not alb
solute rest. Already the imaginary
dust has caused coughing, and made
breathing harder. One of the greatest
objections to a cement plant is the
dust. This objection, we are told.
comes largely from those into whose
strong boxes 1.-THE dust" will not CO.
This is usually the case. We have
found that when 1.-THE DUST reaches
the right spot it is generally welcome,
and 1.-The dust from cement is no ex.
ception. Personally we know nothing
of the annoyances arising from the
manufacture of cement. We have
heard as objections to the location of
plant here that it destroys all veg
tation, heritage, and so forth, for a
great way around, laying the country
bare, causing devastation and waste;
then the blasting is something horri-
bic, it shakes the very ground, tum-
bles down buildings and makes one
feel as if he were near Mount Pelee or
some other volcanic region; that sui.
phur odors are emitted, and dust and
smoke spread abroad until the sky Is
overriding and darkness rather than
light prevails. Even PIttsburg, we are
told, il DIS diamond beside a cobble |
stone when compared with a cement
town. This is all very bad.
Then we are told that wheat and
corn will not grow in that vicinity. |
The wheat turns to grains of sand, and |
the corn to rocks such as ale found in
caves; that chickens cannot be raised |
because the eggs turn to stone, that
diaries cannot be conducted because |
the dust gets into the milk and it be. |
comes a hardened mass, that the hair |
OF The COWS becomes filled with the dust
and when rain falls on them they be.
come petrified. This is probable as to
the milk theory. Water and cement
do form stone. The dairyman might,
however, lessen the danger by reducing
the amount of water in the milk, and
as for the egg raiser it would be a re-
lief some times to have a stone egg in
stead of the one furnished.
What then are We to do to avert the
dire calamity which is about to befall
usp Must our small pox hospital
ground be turned into such base uses?
We learn that this plant is to be placed
right On our small pox hospital grounds.
We are quiet people. We are unused
to industrial activity, the hum of ma
ch1nery, the smoke of factories. When
we go about we are not jostled by grea-
1
sy Workmen in overalls, with their t
dinner pals, and noisy girls in crowds I
as they 60 to and from their work. c
NOW we meet our friends when we a
walk or drive. or 60 out in our autos. +
dressed like ourselves for an outing. Z
Nurses in white aprons with baby i
carriages crowd the sidewalks and j.
Chatter anG laugh In their good ma U
tured way. The clerks in the stores v
stand at their front doors to bow and t
give a passing greeting to their Gus f
toners and friends, and do a little '
MASKING. Our young men saunter t.
elsurely up and down the streets in n
smart clothes, putting cigarettes, kill. 81
ng" the girls, or by our female schools a.
ooking up at windows and indul9ingl
n handkerchief tlirtations. Our girls
n their purple or other becoming suits -
weep up and down the sidewalks and
~ the store clerks, with scornful air
elther afraid of dust from near by in
Iustrlal plants, nor of being jostled by -
or work women. Our homes -
re AS pure and clean as the mothers ~
an make them, or the daughters will W
save them after having entertained LIZ
heir company. Some ordor of cigars
cigarettes, some ashes from both. an mr.
;caslonal stump of cigarette on the kn
earth for mamma to sweep up, of la,
purse, but nothing equal to the awful il
nst from cement plant. Then must az
g risk being turned to stone? If of
lust we are, and unto dust we shall ow