The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-07-24
westerly Expansion Of CITIES.


The New York Commercial mentions the
fact that in his work on the atmosphere NJ.
FLAMMARros devotes 3 very curious page to
the westerly expansion Of cities, showing
that the wealthy classes showa pro9ounced
tendency to cmigrate westward, leaving the
easterly districts to the laboring population.
This remark applies to Paris, London, Ber-
lin, st. Petersburgb, Turin. Liege, Tou-
louise, Montpelier. Caen, and Pompeii, in
Europe; to New York and other cities in
America. gs s,, h.. $50
The London Nature says: - l .s
"lt is true of many English towns, it is
similarly true Of American towns, and seems
to obtain as q constant fact in the distribu-
ton Of populations. Edinburgh, Dublin,
Glasgow, Liverpool. Birmingham, Leeds,
Southampton, and Bristol present the same
phenomenon. NJ. ILLUMINATION thinks the
tendency is caused by the fact that people
feel disposed to form their gardens and build
their houses in the direction Of the sunset.
Dir. w. +. Barrett, who has also observed
the fact, attributes 1t to the prevalent dis
like Of m easterly wind, and remarks that
the eastern half Of town is more likely to
be inundated with effiuva; but, whatever
may he the explanation, it seems to be an
instructive act to walk toward the rising sun
in the morning, and to turn YEARLY toward
the setting sun after the burden Of the day."
This popularity of the growth Of cities
and towns has often been remarked. The
city of Richmond exhibits it in remarka-
Bile degree. Some cities, however, cannot
grow westwardly. as Wheeling, and some
cannot grow eastWardly, as ST. Louis.
But, after all, it must be conceded that
cities and towns which thus move to the
setting sun only follow the example Of the
rural districts and Of all countries, in all
ages of the world. From the beginning of
the world, so far as we know, the march of
mankind has been westward, whether we
speak of men who lived in cities and towns
Oh men who lived in the country. west
ward the course of empire" has always
taken its way. AS to the general fact. it may
be set down as necessity that men circum-.
stlnced as was the human race in its earlier
days should travel westward if they travelled
at all, seeing that they knew OF the exist
ence of no country to the east Of them, and
had no idea that the earth was round, and
no sea.worthy vessels to move in even il
they had known the other things. But as
to the westward expansion OF cities, there
may be philosophical reasons to account for
the fact. II tradition is to be credited, there
have been societies engaged in teaching men
to follow the sun from the days of King SOLO,
ME- to the present time. Certainly the SUM-
worshippers OF Asia and the Druids OF Eu-
rope must have had potent influence in
Undressing upon the human race the idea
that the sun Is the source Of life, and heat,
and health; and the modern scientists, with |
TYypALIsat their head, attribute to the sun.
and rightfully of course, all the phenomena
of clouds, rain, hail, snow, ice, &C.; all the
rivers and other streams in the world; all
the water-power; all the factories run by
water-poWer; all the vegetation, which OF
course could not grow without rain ; and
all animal life, which of course could not be
in the absence of rain. In fact, when we
come to think that without the sun there
could be nothing enjoying life in the world,
we are disposed to feel very charitable TO
the Shah'S ancestors for being SURVIVOR
shippers. Perhaps, then, it is instinct which
makes those men who have the means oc'
cupy the westernmost parts Of city; or
perhaps the winds from the west are so
much more frequent than those from the
east that those who would escape unplea-
SAINT and unwholesome odors from their
ncighbors' grounds instinctively strive to
occupy positions which will free them from
this annoyance. We have heard it said that
even in the country, in this State, hog-pen !
west of Westinghouse, and near to it, |
will produce disease in the owners family, |
while one equally near on the east will do
no damage whatever. If this be true, and
also true of the cities, we need search for
no better explanation OF the anxiety OF
evpry man to he a little further west than