Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-07
W.,TERPOWER THAT
CANNOT Isl. UI.tTEN

.
CANNOT III: BEiTEN
! Grayson is splendidly watcrcd by
I New River and it's many tributaries.
anG the streams are filled with every
/ species OF fresh water game fish. Tho
d mountain ,rou, is very common in all
of the waters and the famous New
/ tivcr catfish reaches its highest per-
/ fcction therein. In these streams
/ there is, with few exceptions the finest
water power in the world and more OF
4 IL New River. according 10 govern
mcnt survey, furnishes more than 900
I horse power per mile. and all of the
New River afford abundant power cv-
/ cry mile or TWO for purposes Of milling
and manufacturing.
/ There are but few miles OF railroad
/ In the county. y spur OF the North
/ Carol!na division of the Norfolk and
| Western dips into Its domain on the
| eastern border and runs eight miles
or more to Fries and about as many
miles of branch road from Marion In
| smyth County just touch on the west
| arm border, while the North Carolina
! division barely touches the county ut
! 'ialaX, small town on the eastern
! SIDE which stands partly in Carroll
| County< When the Fries spur OF this
tranch of the Norfolk and Western
follows the New River from Fries to
and beyond the North Carolina line
as some day X must, tho eastern part
! OF Grnyson County 10 the centre Will
be developed; sawmills and wood
| working Establishments of all kinds
/ will spring up: the iron and copper
mines ana other mines will be work. ;
! iron mills will come forth the vast
water powers will hc utilized by all
! Kinds of factories, enlarged To furnish
! supplies for the thousands OF people
] "A a. a.
! tries The railroad from Marion will
/ or should come from the western hor-
/ der to the central part OF the county
/ and perhaps come on eastward. and H..
too. will bring to fun development vast
! resources, and GraNson Will. indeed. be
one of the richest of the many rich
counties OF which old Virginia doth
! boast. That capital has not come from
/ afar, for all OF this development be-
! fore now is one of the mysteries hut
| Il will come and that at no very dis
| taut day, and the people now located
! III Grayson and those who come in and
get on the ground floor. slightly ahead
of the new era, VIII become rich almost
! before they know il.
| SOME THINGS DOING
WITHOUT RAILWAY FACILITIES
/ i, must not he Inferred from the
I foregoing that the tiraySon County
| people are asleep and that there has
!
! this is not true. The farmers are as
! good MS any in tho State, and they
make their lands produce abuudantly
as above Indicated, they give much
attention to cattle, sheep and hog
raising. and they grow everything that
Is Ia eat and plenty of II for home
consumption ana 4 great deal TO sell.
but. Of course. they are handicapped
lay tho lack OF facilities for reaching
the markets of the outside world With
railway facilities. the farmers OF the
county would enlarge their operations.
and the grain, hay, bacon. beef, wool.
mutton and horses they would bring TO
tho markets would he something enor-
nous In volume. There are in the
county along the water courses that
furnish power several small WOODEN
mills numerous small Touring and corn
mills. two or three FORCES ana foun-
dries that partially supply the homo
demand for iron and for foundry pro-
duets
Bur by way OF showing what Won
derfu! development would follow in the
track of the iron horse one has only TO
look al the town of Fries. at the ter
minus Of the spur Of TIA" North Caro-
lima branch OF the Norfolk and West
crn Railway. There. in the Washing
ton Woolen and Cotton Mills, may be
seen one of the largest aud most i'm
portaut of similar industries in tho
state. The vast water power there was,
OF course, what attracted this S2,50o.00o
company. which holds a widc-opcu
charter Of the New Jersey variety, and
has built UP an industry that employs
about 2.0gO people, men. women. lads
aud lassics. and il known all over the
country. Capital from outside the Sta,e
built this immense factory to utilize
th. ."atcr power TO drive its 1000 or
more looms. and this same capital has
made = town where In, few years
upo ;hcro was only q farmhouse. ana
created e market for the products OF
~" farms for many miles around. other
Industries hav" followed the Washing
ton Mills to Fries. and others arc yet
to oonr
WOODWORKING ESTABLISHMENTS
N WESTERN ptItT
/ ON the ether side of the county.
where the branch road from Marion
just docs touch tho county. a great
business has sprung up In tho lumber
trade. and aawnirs and other wood
working ESTABLISH tents arc converting
tile valuable t.mber Of that end az the
county Into cash. When thcs" roads arc
extended, or when othcr lines shall
U"n"'rtto 'h" county. there viii lac a
Frivs nt every bend of The New River
so 30 ap"ak. and smaller enterprises Of
many Kinds al