The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-06-14

A highly respectable citizen OF KEN
mond, on n visit to lake town In Ohlo'
writes letter to friend in this city from
which we make some extracts that viii be
of general interest:
SITE. TOLEDO, ONO, June 6, 1871.
M Dear Colonel: When we
were here Ct forget exactly what year, pre-
vious to 1860. the appearance otthe place, TO
nv recollection, presented very much that OF
an old field, with Il few Struggling houses
here and there, raised to height barely
sufficient TO attract notice. Now the place
Is entirely changed, and while there are
long rows of stores of the most creditable
architecture, yet there are distinct build
inus, which in size, architecture, and mate
rial would do credit to the great city OF New
York. A street has been laid out three
miles in length, | am told-one portion
paved with stone, another the Nicholson
pavement, and, as you advance towards
the suburbs, plank: and along the Whole
is stretched Il railway with no grade any
where exceeding ten feet. One small horse
can draw eighteen to twenty passengers.
There are many cross streets lald out and
built upon, varying from half TO mile in
length. Some of the private residences
here are beautiful, the grounds planted and
turfed and kept rs eXqulsitely as the Gen.
tral Park.
The population of this city in 1860 was
1876. In 1870. according to the census OF
the nited States Government, it was3l ,73l,
an increase of $50 per cent.
The great business of the place, like that
of Chicago, seems to be in grain, and the
seven or eight large elevators here are very
conspicuous objects in the features OF the
city. They can store from 800, 600 to 1,000,-
30 in1n I rt
through one OF these elevators this morn-
ing, and was much interested.
Yesterday. through the kindness of one
of the most distinguished. if not the most
distinguished, lawyers of the place, / was
introduced TO the Corn Exchange. My
name was perfectly familiar to dozen or
more of the operators, which made me teel
quite at home. To one OF the gentlemen
whose name was Darlington remarked
il was with us an honored and household
word. He replied he was Of Virginia
descent. though born in Kentucky. An
other, of the name of Fulton, afterwards
speaking of him, said he was hlgh-mlnd-
ed, honorable man, and last year pald an
income tax on an amount a little exceeding
one hundred thousand dollars.
While sitting in one of the most eNquls'
itely-turnished banks l ever saw, ana laik-
know when have seen 4 handsoiner man.
nv attention was attracted by an ore on his
mantel. piece; and on asking what II was.
he said it was silver, and that IL was part VI
4 ton which had been represented 10 MIN
as having Welded eight hundred dollars IN
value and, also, there were now eignCy
| tons more from the same mine on the way
from Lake Superior.
In almost every village you see rolling
| mill, and the railway ears crossing you ID
everv direction loaded with bltumnous
| coal. and some of them with req stone,
which. ] was told, was iron ore, brought
from Lake Superior to some near harbor,
and then transferred and transported to
where wanted by rail. This must be great
thing to found village. The people don't
trouble themselves about water.power.
Great attention is given to ornamental
woods, which are obtained upon the dti1er-
ent lakes and rivers and shipped through
the same into Canada and further on to
England. There are now lying within 100
feet of where l am sittlngi ten or tWeiVe
walnut LOGS, on several railroad cars, when
[ am positive do not eNaggerate when !
say not one of them is OF a less diameter Silan
the columns of the Capitolat Richmond. A
gentleman told me the other day that he
had heard of walnut tree that had been
bought standing from the owner OF the land
for $3.50, and when cut up into veneers
brought upwards of 81 700. Mr.. Ruggles,
Of New York-Stephen d., or VIM. b.,
think is his name-eXhibited at the French
Exposition thirty five varieties of ornameil-
tal woods obtainedfrom one county i'll ONO.
will conclude by telling you something
'you don't know" In talking with one Of
the leading men here to-day, he told. Inc
they were about to build Immediately q
railway to connect with The Chesapeake ana
Ohio at some suitable point, to be called the
"Atlantic, and Toledo railway" Men,
They never say railroad here, but railway
and yuu must do it, too.
And anotherthlng "you don't know"
This same gentleman told me he had owned
in his life fourteen Elevators, and one he
has Just completed (Which went through
to-tlay), which cost him SIC, 0O0-and stores
SOC, 600 bushels of grain. He thought it not
improbable in year or so he would drop
down to Richmond and put up one just
like it. q. s'. n.
1t will be observed that this town OF
Toledo is suddenly growing wealthy ana
populous, and boasts Of its millionalres.
When we consider its location, and COM
pare it with that of Richmond, we cannot
fail to be struck with the immense supe-
riority of the natural gifts Of Richmond
over Toledo; and yet at no period has
Richmond grown as rapidly as Toledo.
Why is this? First, We may consider
slavery as having retarded the growth of
all manufacturing interests, and Of course
of ali cities within its sphere, since there
can be no great cities without manutac-
lures. Secondly, the troubles of the war
and the subsequent abominable policy of
reconstruction have given little opportu.
nifty for development since the abolition of
slavery. Thirdly, the negro population
cannot so well be adapted to the purposes
of skilled labor and machinery as white
men.
These sufficiently explain the slow pro-
gress Of Richmond up to this period.
Butfor these peculiarities, and we should
add the incomplete and disturbed railroad
system Of Virginia, Richmond would now
be perhaps the largest inland city in the
Atlantic States, save Philadelphia. ..
Looking at Toledo, we see that the main
element Of her growth, as with Chicago,
is the grain trade. To this are added the
coal, iron, and timber trade, and, per con-
sequence, manufactures. Richmond is hap
PLY situated for an immense trade IN all
these chief elements of prosperity ana
power. The two great lines OF railway
communication with the West Will con-
centrate here an immense commerce in
grain and the ores and Goals of West Vir-
einia viii be added to the aggregate that