Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-01-02
INOUS1 RIAL CONDITIONS IN
ROCKBRIDGE

INOUs1 RIAL CONDITIONSIN
ROCKBRlDGE
Rockbridgs county has enjoyed
Q fair share of the "unprecsdented
prosperity that prevailed through
out the country in the past
year. Conditions in the United
States at lsrge have been such as
to bring contentment and a meas
urabls degree of success to almost
every field Of endeavor. The capac'
ity Of mills and factories, as well
a. distributing agencies, has been
taxed to their utmost to supply the
demand for every kind Of product
and commodity. Labor has com
handed remunerative wages with
steady employment. and the pro-
ducts of the soil have found a
ready market at prices which have
insured fair returns to agricultural
enterprises.
Land In Rockbridge for the past
few years has shown an upward
tendency, and farms are now selling
for from twenty-five to fifty per
cent more than could be secured
ten years ago. This advance Is
due not alone to the general growth
of values, but also TO the dividing
of farms into smaller tracts and
more intensive farming than for
merIy. With tie difficulty in &C.
curing agricultural labor, farmers
have been forced to rely more and
more on their own exertions with
the aid of machinery.
1t has been observed that some
of the most thrifty sections Of the
county are those devoted to poul'
try and small fruits. The sales of
these products bring secure com
pensation for the time devoted to
their production. and 40 supple
mens to the regular crops on the
farms they form no Insignificant
sum in the total of receipts. An
intelligent handling Of these pro-
ducts sometimes determines the
nuccess or failure Of agricultural
effort.
Rockbridge is enjoying the bene
fits of the educational revival that
is being felt in various parts Of
Virginia. Already several district
high schools have been established,
with tho consolidation Of num-
Der of district common schools, and
other high schools are under way
OF organization. The school au-
thorities of the county are in earn
est in this matter, and nothing lese
than at least one high school IN
every district will be satisfactory.
Without exception, where these
schools have been organized the
patrons are enthusiastic over tbs
cause of higher education for their
children.
The question Of road improve
ment has been agitsted in Rock
bridge from time to time, but as
yet nothing tangible has been
done for the permanent bettsrment
Of the public highways. The time
10 coming, however, when the pro-
perty owners Of the county will
not be longer satisfied with the
present conditions, but will demand
q departure from the antiquated
methods of make-shift dirt roads.
The solution found practicable in
some other counties in Virginia of
working convicts may have to be
adopted in Rockbridge. That with
. bond issue has been advocated by
some of our prominent bueiness
men.
In Lexington the situation is en-
eouraging. Although not manu-.
featuring town, still there are sew.
sralsnterprises that distribute CON-
siderable money in the community,
notably the Rockbridge Lime &
Stone works just west OF Lexing-
ton. offering a good market for
both labor and wood. The roller
mills Of Moses Brothers and FUR
& Brothers afford good markets for
the wheat of the county. The
three banks Of Lexington, with
deposits amounting to thres.quar.
se-s Of a million, are strong finan.
cial institutions. TIE reopeniDg
of the Lexington opera house by
Captain w. F. Pierson gives the
people of the community a first
class city hall.
The attendance upon the two
institutions Of learning here, the
Washington and Lee University
AMI thu VIRGINIA Military Lnsti.