New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-09
RICHMOND.
GROWTH OF THE OLD DOMINION.

| WEST POINT.
| RICHMOND, Va, Dec. $40 go South during
ga cold snap" Is discouragng: 20 be delayed In Wash
ngton ~ hours Is tantalizng; to be exposed to the
dscOnfOrt OF her hotels and the dreary blasts In her
wide streets dsgustng ana yet notwithstanding all
these drawback cordial greetings at Richmond, and
the pleasant OF her people make one forget all
the trials by the way and leave only the peasantest Of
memories.
Reaching Richmond via the Acquia Creek route at 4
o'clock in the morning, Is taken in omnibus, a
long ride, 10 the hotel On the way thither native
Vrginian turned his neigbbOr who happened to be
from the North saying Is this your first visit TO Rich
mOnd, sir I" "Oh no." was the cheerful reply 81 was
here during the war and after pause-"in Libby
Prison" This acted damper on further attempts az
conversation, and shortly afterward the hotei WIS
| reached
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, whose line IA
already partly constructed had advertised for proposals
for bridges which would be received up to noon OF inc
9Th as result all the prominent bridge-buders OF the
country we're on hand In keeping with the work already
done on the line ChiefEngineer Whitcomb called for
iron bridgea only AS the rolingmills at PhTnixvile
Buffalo and Pittsburgh which supply the principal parts
Of far distant the transportation neces
sary largely into the cost Of the bridge. As far
the castings required concerned, the Tredegar
Works at Richmond furnish them and thus the
item Of freight amounting TO at least 5per tun is saved
The Tedegar Works have the rods bolts, etc. used
in Howe bridges. and parts Of the Fink Patent
made for the Louisville Bridge Company, but have not
yet gone INTO the general work required by bridge
builders These works employ large number OF men,
and embrace coal and iron mines blastfunaces and roll
ingmils, nail works. and carshOps under their corpora
ton They the most prominent in Virginia, If not in
the entire South. Financially, | believe. they are
emlnently successful when this great State has
such works scattered through her borders, her citizens
and those OF the Union at large viii appreciate the
immense wealth Of coal and iron she has hidden In her
bosom.
A distinguished authority says: To give any ade
quate description of She mineral wealth which virginia
contains would be not only to describe minucly every
rod Of her entire length embracing hundreds OF miles,
but 20 enumerae almost every mineral Of value hitherto
known among mankind 1t is not in gold alone that she
abound, but scattered in prOfusoD almost her
surface to be found iron. copper, silver tin, Tel
urium, lead, platinum, cinnabar, plumbago, manga
nese asbestos kaoln, slate. clay coal roofing slate of
the greatest durability, marbles Of the rarest beauty,
sOapsOne, sulphur TOMBSTONE equal to the best Turkey
gypsum lime cOpperas, buesUOne grindsones, cobalt
emery, and A variety of other materials that have
hitherto been compelled to import or to do without In
deed ii may be said without exaggerating, that IN the
single state Of Virginia in the most singular uxtapos
ton of what might bo considered geOlOgicaly incOn-
gruous materials to be found almost exhauStess
fund Of God given treasures than enough pay of
our whole national debt and only awaiting the magic
touch Of capital and enterprise to drag them to light
for the benefit OF man"
The carly ruers Of the State dcsrous Of making
this wealth marketable, and encouraged the building or
railroads and canals by most liberal of the State
credit Virginia entered the lists with Pennsylvania
New-York and Maryland; but while each Of these States
has had for years more highways for her own |
DEVELOPMENT aud for feeding her labOrers from tine
granaics of the West Virginia will only possess these
advantages in 1872, many years behind her rivals
Pennsylvania after much trial finally sold her STATE
tbr Baltimore ana Ohio NewYork Central. the Penn
syvana Railroad and the Chesapeake and ONO Railroad
Is in ike manner the work Of united energy ana capital
To show what the State of Virginia. did TO encourage
within her limits give here the list OF
internal improvements the States interests in which are
he the 5th of February In accordance win the
act Of Assembly passed at the last session of the Board
Of Public Works: 2752 shares common stock in The
Fredericksburg and Potomac Il. H.; 2O,l4O
shares in the Chesapeake and Ohio r. r. 1910 shares in
the Richmond and York River r. r.; 100000 bond OF
the Atlantic Mississippi and Ohio X. r. Co.. secured by
second mortgage; 600 due by the Richmond ana |
Danye X. r. secured by second mortgage three bonds
of the Alexandria London. and Hampshire r. r. Co, for
kc 95 each $4,000 shares the James River and Kama
VIII, Canal COMPANY; 10000 shares common stock OF the
peake and Ohio Canal Company par value S2SlOO
al,o shares of common stock in the hempNvllle Canal
Co. par value nearly 81 600 the avena Navigation CO..
p,r value SG9OOO the Roanoke Navigation Coz par
value over s269OOO and the Upper Appomatox Nayiga-
o Plank Road Companies, Sc Turnpike Companies,
Bridge Companies
visit to the Capitol made historic by the cloquencc
Of revolutionary times and more recently notable as the
place Of meeting of the Confederate Congress showed
tbe Legislature of Virginia III General Assembly met"
ttoro and There among the Conservative and Radical
the coored representatives were seem As far
"a mere appearance went they did not suffer by com
parison and was favoraby impressed with the newly
elected Assembly representatives OF Virginia. Ihe
view from the hill upon which the capitol Is punt Is me
Around the building extends park studded with trees
IN ,bis mark f. an equestrian bronze statue OF Washing
tam ,b, figures at the base representing portions OF
revolutionary history to me more admirable than the
central figure but, taken as whole II Is credtaDlc To
fine city, Richmond is indeed city Of homes. and is
ropily recovering from the effects OF the war The
louses are in good order the shops on the principal
streets display expensive goods in their VIII
dows, the horsecars have plenty of customers
and the general impression made on the
visitor is one Of progress and growing wealth.
The auick movements and restless activity OF the
yobernrr cannot be disguised any more than his sharp
face and peculiar speech Yet met only kindness dS-
pty and courtesy In my business intercourse ropes
likely to call out differences in sentiment were avoided
tb from motives of polteness and policy. Had they
heen brought up no doubt opinions would have been eN
rressed differing as widely irccrade and protection
soted at the foot of the hi and immediately In trout
of the main pOrcO of the Capitol 'Fe ne Che'
buidings with the flag at fun mast. Iho 'nS ,i
s,reet - Immediately beyond and could not neip no's
Ing how the active life of the place was Ss'SrS "
the pubic offices of the Union while the h,' G T,o
, -, cooosiop state Fights, ana Otnor uanS'fou'
,os tood cold alone and for the noS' part
hrreSeE ,,oI with its gloom and loneliness. had
pied The ''Pi,'S ,r,,ne TO Richmond, but the Post
ocso opd United States Courts ""u ''0''" "' 0''''
'ii ,,n,,,ht pcace after years OF ''rHe'
ana oro"s'' rond ly the York River route 10 West
La' lns scs through the memorable battlefeds Of
Ioih'l o.l - seven Pines Chickahominy ETC.,