The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-11-14
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

REBUILDING NORFOLK. The sweet
music of the masoh's trOwel and the
carpenters saw falls pleasantly upon
the ear in all parts of the city. The work
of improvement, of renOvating and re-
building Norfolk has been commenced
i'm earnest, and we trust will continue
till we can hail it as a new city--rejuve-
mated, regenerated and reconstructed.
Roanoke Avenue presents the most
striking and agreeable scene of activity
in this respect. On either side OF the
street, between Main and Wide Water,
the work of tearing down and rebuild
ing is now in rapid progress. Yesterday
morning the laborers commenced to
"break ground" by breaking in the
broken, decayed, and time-worn roofs
of the novels in the rear of our office,
which front on Little Water street, and
the old rubbish and small WORKOUT
wooden shanties to the rear will be re-
moved so far back as to include in the
work of general demolition that quaint
little Dutch-built howell. that sets with
such ajaunty lean upon the ground-like
a dilapidated hat on the head of seedy
loafer-and is the first object of interest
to attract the eye after leaving Main
street. 1t Is very picturesque little
AAVuSS, anu HAS Qil vi IOIlituCC duOuI
1t which seems to tell of ghosts and
gobblins, and the poetry of antiquity
We regret to part with it--but then the
veteran" has long uselessly obsiructed
the pathway of civilization, and so away
with it! Life has long since departed
from its body--the soul is gone-and but
a ghostly, grinning skeleton remains.
Then quickly bury it from our sight,
that IA new and beautiful structure may
occupy the valuable ground it has too
long, for the good of the city, been per-
United to burden. On thesite occupied by
these loathsOme and uninhabitable hab-
itations, Mr.. Reynolds will immediate
ly commence the construction of large
and elegant storehOuse, which will add
much to the beauty of the street, and be
real benefit to the commercial and
manufacturinginterest of the city. The
signs are hopeful on the other side OF
the avenue also, where old buildings are
being torn down, in order that new
ones may take their place. And so we
progress. IL needed but break to be
made-huta start in the matter of I'M
provement--in order to create new life
among the owners of property, and stir
our capitalists into activity. Every
where in the city the evidences of this
new SlbifII w HUI HIS DceH lllttSet lntO
the people are visible in works of I'M
pr0vement--and renewed energy seems
suddenly to have been impaired to all
kinds OF businessmen blood to have
entered into our sluggish arteries-and
an ''irrepressiblc conflict" to have been
fully naugurated between the Retrogres,
sives and the PrOgressives, in which the
former must either yield or go down
while the latter will surely triumph
and Norfolk will rise and fulfil its proud
destiny. The Caesars rebuilt Rome, and
the proudest monument Louis Napoleon
will leave for the French to remember
himby, will be the improvements he has
made in Paris. Those grand boulevards,
which through his energy have taker
the place of the filthy little streets in the
vilest quarters of the great capital, viii
do more TO transmit his name to poster
ty than triumphal columns as stately
as the pyramids, and as durable as brass
We are not so immense as Paris, but W,
can beautify and adorn our city, accord
ing to its size and our means; mod
est hut can be made to vie with prout
castle in the magniiicence of neatnes
and beauty.