The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-12-24
How to. Make o City.

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The public authorities Of Washington city
seem to be determined to show the world
how to make city; and they VIII do it. We
believe that what is now going on in Wash
inston will result in making that very great
city-a city Of commerce as well as pohucs
and corruptions. The grand system Of grad
ing of streets and bringing the wealth and
comfort of the locality into concentrated
and entirely available condition would OF
itself attract an immense population; OUT,
not satisfied with this, those who are giving
their attention to the subject, and have the
direction in great degree of the public en-
terprise of the place, are looking at the river,
its frontage, and their susceptibility to i'm
proyement.
A commission was appointed last summer
by Congress to examine the waterfront OF
Washington and Georgetown (the latter IS
now included in the corporate limits OF the
former) with instructions to report plan
for improving the channel of the river Poto-
mac. This the commission have done, and
the results of their Investigation have becn
reported to Congress.
These results are Of very great magnitude,
as they should be. Such n city and such
river arc not to be disposed Of in slight
or narrow and CONSTRUCTED manner. The COM
mission propose to narrow the river channel
by bukhead, and to fill up between the
shore and bulkhead. This is estimated to
cost S6,OOO,0OO; but the "made land,'
it is supposed, will sell for even more than
that sum. The commission propose va
rious other extensive improvements, such as
rebuilding Long bridge, the purchase
of the Alcxandria canal, and the con-
version of the aqueduct at George
towr into railroad track, &c. These propo-
sitions will certainly be considered by Con-
gress, and, sooner or later, we predict, favor
ably. Washington is destined to be one OF
the grandc>t and most highly-improved cities
Of the world. New York city is equal in
pccuniary power to many States; but Wash
ington is the pet of all the States. However
the States themselves may feel towards tile
federal city, we must not forget the influ-
ences that are brought to bear upon our
representatives when they are once fairly
seated in the lodgings of Washington. They
are so cosy, so inspiring, TO Lie freshmen
from the distant provinces. Another hot
whiskey punch, waiter! Five thousand dol
lars year, and steaks and punches I'M
limited Washington is soon to be the
X t).,t
in the moral or immoral influence of this
representative phase of eXistencc-its blazing
fire, its slippers, its robes, its bright lights,
its splendid buildings, its fat jobs, its great
doings, and its national fame and conse-
qucncc-that settles the question.
Washington is great place, and is to be
greater. We are glad Of it; because it will
show to other towns some Of the ways i'll
which city greatness is to be achieved. Ger.
tainly, greatness does not flow simply from
the comforts of members of Congress: but
they vote the means by which greatness
comes. The grading of streets, the deep
ening of channels, the improving of public
grounds, the building Of elegant bridges, the
making of all the parts Of Il city easily acces-
sible to one another, the concentration of
wealth by making the extremities available
for comfort and for credit-these are the great
agents of city prosperity and growth.
The example is grand. 1t is practical, be.
nevolent, and even poetical. Beauty and
utility are thus combined in mastery man
ner, and the forces of the human mind arc
brought most thoroughly and efficiently to
the promotion of the comfort Of society and
the advancement of civilization.
We think the example Of Washington is
worth great deal. Especially are we graft
fed at what the rulers of that city are doing
because Richmond is the nearest city to
it in the South. We have not the federal
treasury, it is true; but we have means and
energies, and may to good degree profit by
the noble example we arc about to have in
the grand improvements in the federal city.