Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-11-30
STOKESV|ILE
PAST AND PRESENT
Has Three Good Industries and a
Pay Roll of 10000 0p ming
A Rich Timber Tract-A Mod !
PIant-PersOnaI Notes and In
cidents. ETC., Etc.

| 0oliy VI pIiml1iNc uHyo Vi ooohoo' 'ii>
your correspondent was on the field; o
rather in the woods, for the place theE
was in the brush. with but lone hab
itation here and there. and across ths
fiat, an idle saw mill building. Thai
was but four years ago, when the rail-
of the c. W. had just been laid through
the woods into the Gap and the noun
tain sides were not yet used to the ech'
of the shriIl locomotives call. Then
your correspondent sat by the fire a.
the little commissary store and listenec
to the talk of the men, about what
StokesvilIe would be. But as l have
said that was four years ago. Today
| am here to see if the place has lived
up 10 the early predictions regarding
it. In many respects it has gone ahead
of what was expected, not 80 much in
point of residence building, as in the
activity and value of everyday bust
ness. Three industrial plants are now
sending up their smoke and noise, land
round about them have sprung up
many substantial frame houses, several
stores and other buildings. The depot,
the first building that greets the
strager, makes a good Impression with
its neat exterior and comfortable, Ca
paciOus waiting roOm-a credit to the
place. But it is from station agent
Keller that one gets the best idea of
the value and volume of StOkesYille's
growing business. AS this is the
ives tern terminus of the CIV. road
the freight train that leaves here every
afternoon is made up entirely of values
created here. The train usually
starts with about IL cars, sometimes
as many as Is, the money value of
which to the road in freights, includ
ing ticket sales, runs from 1890 to
80, 800 per month. Some of the sur
prising figures are 40 to so car loads of
peeled bark per month, logs and saw
ed timber, barrel slaves and headings.
81 to 80 cars per month; Is cars of short
cord wood, tank cars extract, besides
other cars containing an assortment
of merchandise. These figures give an
idea of the bulk of business done here
and prepare the reader for the state
ment that Stokesville puts up month
ly pay roll of over $40, 000-a very con-
siderable sum of money to be turned
loose in rural community.
Crossing North river on the railway
bridge which divides the town, one
comes first upon the Stokesville Stave
g. Headidg Co., w. A. Bell manager.
Mr.. Bell is former Stauntonian, and
the industrial pioneer here. His COM
pany does a good business in cooper
age stock, shipping largely to Mary
land, W est Virginia and New York.
They own about HOO acres valuable
wood land and from this obtain their
supplies in raw material. About one
half million slaves are on their yards.
The capacity of the plant is about
80, 900 slaves and 1000 barrel heads
per day.
Across the yards from this point is
the large plant Of the Stiegel Lumber
Corporation, having capital stock of
$4,000. and giving employment to
force of about 100 men, including the
loggers in the woods. The corporation
Is Officered by Robt. Mem. Gillispie,
Prest.; Chas. s. Walton. Vice Prest.;
J. W. bonner, Gen. Mgr, and q. B.
Williamson, Sec. and Treas. These
gentlemen have done a great amount
of development work In the mountain
beyond North River Gap and are still
extending their lines of railway far
into the mountain hollows along the
small streams that form North River.
Eleven miles or more of narrow gauge
extends up Little and Big rivers, and
now new branch of 10 miles is about
completed extending up Briery Branch
and opening probably the best lumber
belt the corporation has yet entered. A
force of woodmen have preceded the
road into this field and have on the
ground 1000 cords of peeled bark ready
to move out when the road is put in
operation, about Jan. 1st. A great
quantity of saw logs, bark and extract
wood will come from this tract which
embraces about 5000 acres.
Both hard and soft woods are the
product of the North River forests and
The corporation is bringing down to
their mill quantities of Poplar, Hem.
lock, Oak and Chestnut. The Oak
goes largely into car timber for the
Pennsylvania railroad, the poplar and
nemlock are manufactured for the
New York aud Philadelphia markets,
while the slabs are cut into short cord
wood and sent to Harrisonburg. Much
-, z hnr 10 c0v I'D
and sawed into plaster Iaths. The
plant does it's own electric lighting and
Is driven by powerful steam operated
machinery. The equipment of band
saw makes this PROBABLY the only band
saw mill in the Valley, and certainly
the largest capacity mill in this Sec
tion, handling about Z 1900, 900 feet per
year and making about 100000. On
the yards now the great double rows of
stacked lumbe will reach the million
mark, and makes an impressive show.
Three logging engines lone new one)
are doing the hauling, and new and
powerful climber is soon expected to
operate on the Brlery Branch.
La the Office force we tiud the youth
full aud courteous Mr.. H. w. Syiegel, q
relative OF Mr. ]. Z. Stiegel, the found
er of the corporation, also Mr.. L. P.
Kuegele, an efficient young business
man, filling a position of responsible
ty. Mr.. Kuegele was formerly resi-
dent of the Crimora neighbOrhood in
this county, and his people are well
known in that community.
The third Industry AT Stokesville
| and one in which the town takes just
pride, is the Imperial Extract Co.. op
Grated by Philadelphia capital and
differed by w. I. Buchanan, General
Manager, and j. A. Shltiet. Superin-
tendent. This company is the newest
OF the Stokesville plants, having been
/ in operation only since last spring. Ii
is, however, one Ut several extract
works owned by this company. The