The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-09-11
The civ OF kichmo ud

city frac ton above 1900 Inhabitants. The
suburban towns that have grown up around
IT, number between eight and nine thousand,
so that We have, strictly speaking, a popula-
ton of $4,000 very nearly, In 1850 the city had
but - 900 and fraction, so that we have in
creased fully twenty thousand in ten years
This is a prodigious growth for any part OF
the world. For an Atlantic city 1t is some
thing which ought to be expressed by some
word of more meaning even than proii-
gious,' if we could find such an one. 1t is
considerably more than eighty per cent. That
the public Improvements which have been
made 70 the city within that time have been
the principal cause of this rapid growth, can
not be doubted. Yet that portion OF the pop
ulation who claim TO be mise, par eyctllsncs.
never fail 10 oppose all such improvements TO
the extent of their power. There is no in
stance of any city in this Commonwealth
doing so little for herself, and having had so
much done for her. Baltimore was notstronger
| in population than she is, when she set on foot
the improvement by means of v hich she has
reac he'd the Ohio, and grown from a city of
| 50O10 TO one of five times that population, all
within thirty-Hye years. But Richmond can
not venture to try railroad from here to
| Lyuchburg, though the distance is but I2G
miles and The improvement would put her in
| direct comm unication with the Mississippi.
| Well, then, If Richmond Will have nothing
| to DO with enterprises beyond her own bouu-
| Diary, let her at least attend to her own at
! fairs. We are about To make suggestion TO
| her. From the Capitol along 10th street. as
| far as the brow OF the hill beyond Leigh, will,
| when they shall have bridged over the inter-
vening ravine, las they are now dong) be, as far
| as it goes the prettiest walk in the whole city
| The sidewalks are all the way nearly Oyerhung
| by trees, and handsome buildings abound on
| either side Of The broad and easily improve
| able street. From The point where 10th street
| terminates, just beyond Leigh, We have one of
| the most agreeable views in the whole city
II is of character entirely distinct from any
to be found anywhere about town. 1t en-
braces no water scenery, but we have before
| beautiful valley, through which meandets
brook, Of il be lawful 10 idealize Shockoe
creek into q brook,) and on the opposite side
a hill of GET tie slope and wide range, extend
ing around it i'll the form of a Sescent, termi-
mating back from its slope in an elevated
plain dotted with farm houses, and presenting
pictureof unsurpassed rural beauty. Now
if from the point on which We are supposing
the spectator TO stand, 10Th street be extended
I'll IL StTlht IL IN OF dlieJ street Just where
the soap factory stands, in less than five years
every foot of the country between would be
covered with houses, and teeming with popu-
Ia.ion. At this point. the Meadow Bridge
Road and the Mechanicsville Turnpike meet,
or very nearly meet, and such street would
afford the readiest possible access to the very
heart of the city The valley and the hills on
both sides of it near the centre of business
much nearer than other suburbs that have
grown enormously, and are still growing. In
a few years all these will, Of course fall in the
corporation.
Another thing that can be done, is to open a
new street to relieve Cary, which is already
crowded with business, and is likely TO be
much more so than it is row.
Before another census, the James River and
Kanawha improvement will have been COM
pleted-so at least We hope. Then there VIII
be no limit to our growth. We hear fears
pressed that Norfolk Will take away all our
prosperity, in such an event. Out upon such
narrow views! Let Norfolk or any other Viz
ginia city grow 10 the utmost that IL posi-
bly, can-letit count noses, If possible, with
London, or Pekin, or Jedd0 is ii not all for
the good Of Old Virginia! Let US get this
mighty improvement through, and then we
shall see that the whole State VIII be benefited
Most assuIedly, Richmond must always be
one of her largest cities, and we are sorry to
see some of our friends as narrow minded as
the denizens OF the small country Towns. Let
the canal bring its millions of tonnage 10 the
East, and then every new railroad i'll the State
will be turned in this direction. We expect
(if we liye) to see Richmond city of 100000
in