The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-23
GUSHING WATERS
IN OLD VIRGINIA
Fonticello Spring, Near
Richmond, as a
Sample.
PUREST WATER AS
INDIANS SAW IT
Commercial Enterprise That
Means Much to Richmond.
Great Sanatorium in View.
Old Fonticello to Become
Rescue Horne for Afflicted.
Facts and Figures.
BIZ FRANK $. woopso,.

HI FRANK &. wOODSOy.
The pure waters. 10 say nothing or
the strictlS mineral waters OF Nir-
Ginia. constitute one OF tho states
most valuahlo assets. The abort Einese
who trapped game ran down the deer,
caught tho fish from the streams and
lived the lifc OF happy abandon un-
derstood this better than did their
SUCCESSORS In Virginia. the carly Eng
lish corners. Tho Indians know tho
value OF good water and by instinct
or otherwisc they knew how TO
hnd II. Tho red men Of tie sea
coast We're tho people who first found
the good waters or tho Upper lanes.
close to Richmond. aud they used
them as long as they were allowed to.
The white man who came along later
and gradually drove tho Indian to-
wards the setting sun did not set 50
mich store by the pure waters. True.
he drank them TO Tucnch his thirst
and enjoyed them hut he was looking
Tor what he considered bigger things,
gold and silver and coal and what
not. The struggling threads OF MS
tory and Of legend that have come
down to uH tell how the Indians made
their best and their most desperate
fights ut or about and in defense or
tho gushing springs OF pure water
they had found thus showing how
they valued them
The white men knew they got the
land, made none growing tobacco
and corn and potatoes and other
things and they paid bu, lt,le Mt
t.ntion to the value of tho waters
which gusicd from the granite hills
OF old Virginia and only within the
last half century have they shown APP
probation OF those waters and only
within the last quarter of a century
have they placed upon them their
proper commercial value. Within this
last limited nprind 81
water business has grown immensely
until now II is. as intimatcd above, a
tremendous business and one that
centres in Richmond
The FouticcIio story.
That IL is susceptible Of stilI greater
enlargement as business Is fully
demonstrated by tho history OF the
famous Fonticelio Spring. and right
Interesting history IL Is. If taken from
its inciDfcncy and traced along TO tho
present day. but that is another story
that may mako another chapter in tho
Industrial Section at another day.
Tho to-day's work OF the spring is the
topic in hand. y newly Incorporated
company with ample capital has re-
Gently bought Fonticcllo and proposes
10 continue and To enlarge the
mighty business of selling tho vaIu
able and famous waters all over the
country and also to build on the large
and beautiful grounds a modern sana-
torfum for the treatment of all the
bodily troubles usually treated in such
an institution. Richmond is already
known far and near as the scat OF a
number OF the best hospitals in the
country and this enterprise OF the new
company. which IL to be known AS the
Fonticeilo Mineral Springs. 1ucorpor-
Sted. will but add 10 I,ichmond's repu
tatiop as town for the treatment of
the sick and tho ailmg.
Fontice11o's I;nri! Days.
Tho Fouticello Spring is located in
the granite hills OF Chesterfield Coun-
~. exactly q mile ana half from the
Capitol Square of this big city. and II
has been famous for the last fifteen
years at least. The late w. c. Tay-
Tor commenced about decade and "A
half ago to bottle and sell the waite,
from the bold spring on his land
mile and n half ont Of town. and at
first he did only local business, fill
Ing demand for clear and sparkling
water that was created possibly at
first by the constant murkiness OF
James River which then and now sup
plies Richmond with water for drink
Ing and other purposes. Soon, how
ever. tine Fonticcllo fluid became
known beyond tho local territory. for
It was impossible 10 keep hid under a
bushel the reputation ii was quick to
acquire, a reputation for hcalthful-
ness. purely and medicinal qualities.
second to that OF no water that sushcs
from the hills of Virginia.
Tests by chemists proved it to he
nm alkaline water. light and perfect
~ pure. with suflicicncy of carbonic
acid gas to make il altogether a spccI-
fc for stomach bladder and kidney
troubles of all Kinds. Druggists and
physicians from all points of the COM
pass commenced to call FOR it and the
result was that Mr.. Taylor and MS
sons quickly saw that they had an i'm
mense business if they properly push
cd it. They were pushers all right,
and they at once purchased the sur
rounding land. some forty odd acres
IN ALL so that they could keep up all
the necessary drainage and properly
protect the water from any possible
chance OF contamination.
Sanitary Precautions.
The grounds were made perfect from
sanitary point OF view, the spring
house and all of the immediate sur
round were made to meot all of scien-
ifc requirements and the bottling
houses and apparatus were all made
and have been kept up to date, i'm
provcmcnts being made from time to
time AS the business enlarged and the
now discoveries OF science as 10 SAM
tation. etc. came to light. The bust |
ness of bott1ins and shipping the
water to all parts of the country and
OF supplying the local demand became
leading commercial enterprise OF
Richmond and one OF which the city
has ever been proud.
In the winding UP of the estate OF
w. G.. Taylor the famous Fonticello
has become capitalized and the new
company with 100000 paid up capital
has been Incorporated. there being
among the stockholders some of Rich
mond's best known and most long
sighted business men and capitalists.