Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1925-11-06
DISTINGUISHED PARTY
AT SHEN. CAVERNS
ii. Il. Chapman Has As Guests Rail-
road Xecutiyes-PaiatiaI Train
of Private Cars

/ Through the instrumentality of
Hunter B. Chapman, president of
Shenandoah Caverns, the Shenandoah
Valley had as its guests Sunday
night and Monday the most distin-
guished body of railroad executives
who have ever visited the State.
Unfortunately, weather conditions
We're such that the beauties of the
Valley were concealed beneath a
blanket of fog, and it was a drab
automobile journey from the famous
caverns to Lynchburg which the
/ party essayed, after having seen the
marvellous beauties of the South S
greatest grotto. The route lay by
way of Natural Bridge, and the trip
was made in dozen Cadillac cars,
which were sent from Washington to
meet the special train, which park
ed at Shenandoah Caverns on SUN
day night
The railroad presidents and other
officials travelled in one of the fin
est trains ever operated on an
American railroad, with ten of the
latest and largest Pullman private
ears, with baggage cars and two of
the larger type of engines in the
equipment.
1t is worthy of note, too. that the
directing heads of most of the trunk
line mileage east of the Mississippi
River were in the party. and glance
at the railroad maps will indicate
that the guests at Shenandoah Cav
erns eontrol investments of hun
dreds of millions in railroad prop
critics, and they have under their ii-
rection tens of thousands of en-
ployes who coordinate into the most
perfect system of public service in
American life
Two of the railroad executives
were yirginians. President Fairfax
Harrison of the Southern, whose
home is at Belvoir, just west of Man
assas, on the Harrisonburg branch.
and President Eppa Hunton, Jr., of
the Richmond, Fredericksburg and
Potomac. whose home is in Rich
mond.
Almost all of the men who now
head the ereat RailAzy sssep1s OF
the country came 70 their positions
of power from minor employment,
and the party at the caverns includ-
ed those who, starting from the bot
tom of the ladder. have climbed to
the top through attentiveness to
duty, sheer pluck and a willingness
to work and work hard for a worth
while goal.
Probably no class of men in indus
trial life is as busy as these men.
and before the special train had
reached the caverns a wire had been
cut in and during their whole visit
an expert telegrapher was getting the
pulse of the systems of railroads with
which they were identified. On the
sidetrack at Shenandoah Caverns
they were in just as close touch with
the gigantic interests committed to
their keeping, as they would have
been in their Offices at headquarters
Many of them had never visited
The Shenandoah Valley, and despite
weather conditions they saw enough
to impress them with its latent pos
sibilities and the opportunities for
development
TO them Shenandoah Caverns were
( a revelation, and language was not
spared in commencing the work of
development which has made posi-
bic this great natural attraction 1t
was in appreciation of this develop
ment by Mr.. Chapman that the jour
ney was made to the caYerns, and
many of the party were lavish in
their praises of the fairyland.
At the invitation of Mr.. Chapman,
Col. H. ]. Benchoff, president of the
Shenandoah National Park Associa-
ton met the guests and gave them
inside information touching the es-
adjustment of the Shenandoah Ma
tional Park which not only excited
their interest but brought out en-
dorsements of the project AS one
expressed it, Some states would
give many millions for Virginia's OPP
porturity to secure national park. -
i Personnel of Party
The personnel of the heads of the
great railroad systems represented in
} the party was as follows: Fairfax
Harrison, of the Southern Railway
System; w. w. Atterbury, of the
2 Pennsylvania Railroad; L. F. Loree,
OF the Delaware and Hudson; P. E.
: Crowley. New York Central Lines
: and Eppa Hunton. Jr., of the Rich
r mond. Fredericksburg and Potomac
5 Railway
The far-reaching influence of q
] visit of this character to the Shen
2 andoah Valley is immeasurable, fol
: it brought to the area the class Of
t men who have more to do with {
: sections development than any othel
class in the world of big business
and when it is considered that the,
K came as the guests and upon the in
y lyitation of Hunter B. Chapman o
{. Shenandoah Caverns it can be ap
T preciated to what extent the cavern
u are giving nnhlicifv to the Valley