Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-10-20
RICHMOND. VA.
From Memphis 20 Virginia's Capital
One Of the Most Beautiful Cities
in America.
The Statues of Departed Great Virgin.
fans-A Glorious Trade Prospect
The Chesapeake and Ohio Etc.
Fr,m our Special Correspondent

| Fr,m our Special CORRESPONDENT
RICHMOND, October l4--TnGsa VIII
| witnessed the fearful ruin in which this cit
] was lett at the close OF ghe war, can haTdI
reaslze 10 what extent taa: condition has bee
| chsnged into one OF the most beautiful ellie
! on Lhe continent. On Main and Care streets
| botn sides OF which were reduced o mouldsr
! ing ruins and piles OF ashes and debris on TIA
| day the Federal forces entered the CITY hat-
| been erected continuous rows OF thee an,
| fourStory buildings, all of the most substsu
| tlal and many OF the most UNIQUE moderI
aIcIlt ~ GU anu what Is more, every one oc
| cupied by enJerprising, thrifty merchants, al
| seemingly doing good business in their re
| specuve lines OF trade Richmond is perhaIa
| the Oldest English settlement on the conf
neiit, and has become historic as the civ n
| ealamities. AT the head of navigation or
James river, and situated on several dtstinc
eieVaIlons, the views in and around this city
present 10 Inc eye living panorama
Il the most picturesque beauty TIE de-
ais OF the various calamities which have
pIsLleu thls CITY within the experience of the
pi esent generation OF her citizens would Oc
cupy more space than your correspondent
would presume to occupy in this letter EJnl
Will Only mention the hr great confiagratior
OF I.oI, tolIoWlng only q few years after fear
fuI freshet in James river, which entirely sinh
merged That part OF the city now known a.
Rockets. Then came the horrible loss M
life by the burning of the old Richmond
theater in 1911, which event is commemorative
by the Monumental (EpiscopaD church, on
oIOdu SIteet, between thirteenth and EDur.
Geenth streets, the site of the Inflated theater
The next disaster was the great fire on The
occasion OF the occupation of the city by the
Federal forces in 1855, when Main and Carey
streets, on both sides, were reduced to ashes
from Ninth to Governor streets embracino
Ihe entire business center of the CITY and
WHICH reduced almost 10 beggary many
OF nef WealthleSt citizens FOIlOwfng
inns came the Capitol catastrophe the
raining IN OF the upper floor and gal
leries of the building during the progress OF a
h1A IaI -
Sether an immense gathering of her best citi-
Zehs, by WnOm the building was crowded to
itS utmost capacity, and which resulted in the
ueatn ana AWFUL mangling of very large
n0er OF men and women. A few years ego
Il nave not the means of obtaining exact
uat9S announcer treShet In James river did
nuch damage IN the same locality as suffered
Dy the one above alluded to the water xteud-
ing eN' tuTtuer up Main Stl eet than did the
former, the nigh water-line being marked by
one shatt set q p on the CurbiDg of the side
walk, In which Is fixed brass plate bearing
the date of the event. These and many Other
minor disasters have fallen upon this devoted
city, Out fiom each, By the indOmitable pluck
ana energy characteristic of her citizens she
has arisen to a just claim as one OF the most
beautiful cities o. America. There are many
points of interest here, the most notable ~
which is Capitol square, in which
is the great equestrian statue
IN bronze, CT Washington, around
Whlch are grouped, also in bronze, the most
notable Of the sous of Virginia, who distin-
guished themselves in the legislative halls of
Ihe Sta'e aud nation, and in the first struggle
inr liberty now about to be commemorated in
It's one hundr- dth anniversary az PhjIadeI-
phls. Within the Capitol building stands
houuon : famous statue of George Washing
LonJ ana IN the senate chamber bangs lie.
size oil portrait OF our late great leader, Gen.
eral Robert h. Lee. There are many other
attractions. but those mentioned are the lead
ing ones of which limited space will permit
me TO mention. In this connection [ will
state that on the twenty. sixth instant and
one OF the leading attIac ions of the opening
OF the state fair, the celebrated Foley statue
OF Stonewall Jackson will be unveiled. Dre-
parat OnS for which are now making on tue
gIahdest scale That ever attended any publ;
event In TINS city. Every inhabitaut of Rich
mond, whether OF the southern army or in
sy mpathy with the southern cause ~
well as those of the other side, manifests
an interest OF unmistRkable sincerity and
zeal In this coming great event General 10
seph 4. Johnston has been appointed, and |
see by the city press of yesterday morning
has accepted the position of chief-TnarShaI ~
on that day, and It i certain that
there Will be gathered here larger
NUMBER OF people than was ever ass6mbleuI In
This city on any previous occasion. In con
Versation with several old citizens | learn
that the past two or three years have bspn IF
dizziness, but the present sea-
son of apparent prosperity has revived hone
and the merchants, mechanics and huSipaS1
people generally Of Richmond have rolled nm
their sleeves and are now ready to make the
ularIy the tobacco and grain growers have
been most abundRntly rewarded for this
years labor, and are busily employed saving
and curing their rapidly maturing crODs
Everybody, merchant, plsnter, mechanic IA
borer, and all, is in the best of spirits
In view, OF the prospects ahead. Ia
they have something TO Complain Of
in vertticatiOn OF the adage that every sweet
has its bitter, and that is that the city is now
suffering from a visitation of a disease i'm
many particulars similar to the epiSootic
which prevailed in yours as we'll as
othsr American cities a few wears
tent that all the street cars have ceaSsd
running, and conveyance and transportation
through the city is greatly retarded. The dis
ease, however, Is not OF as fatal q character ss
the no SO disease of the winter of 1872 and
1873, though the animal affected is wholly un-
ut tor work. There is considerable talk here
about the disposal recently made of the
chesapeake and Ohio railway, by the an
pointment of receiver, and the probability
Of Its passing into the control of the Baltimore
and Ohio Railway association. This il rs
argued, VIII prove detrimental to the inter-
ests Of Richmond, as well as of the original
oondholderS OF the road. l see by the die
patches that number of New York bond
holders are contemplating action toward
pushing the receiver. Nearly all the first
bonds of the Chesapeake and Ohio
railway are owned in New York /
he rapid progress making toward a per-
ect system OF railway passenger and freight
between your city and
lirect line starts frOm Memphis, bv Wsy
II the Memphis and Charleston railway IL
hattanoogaj thence by the East Tennessee
hence by the'Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio,
through Lynchburg TO BurkvIIle which latter
embraces the Piedmont airline; thence by !
he HtcAmpnA and DauVille railway to Rich- !
Aond. From Chattanooga to BurksVilIe juno |
ion Inc several roads are under the mo- 80
nent OF the association Of inch General Ma
hone IS president, under whom they are un-
ieTgoing rapid and substantial re-
lalrs. ThG Old track being p
placed with the fish-bar iron, and the road
)ed ballasted with stone ballast, will be one of
he finest railway lines in the Union, although
uunipg through perhaps the most rugged and |
districts. Another new feature |
noticed on this road and one that is psrticu- |
arly appreciated by ladies, is the female at
endant furnished TO every ladies' car on the
inca feature which IL IS hoped will soon be |
.dOpted on ali southern roads. l make partic-
liar menti IN OF the rapid improvement on |
General MahOne's road because formerly 1t |
vas the great Objectionable feature of the |
Outhern route to the east, in which yOuT CITY |
md all her railways are VitaiIy concerned. |
u doing so l do not mean 10 detract from |
he merits of your own Memphis and Charles |
on railway, which is now rapidly undergo |
ng thorough system OF repairs, the most |
lot cable of which is the replacing the old |
rack with the fish-bar iron, and the ballast
ng Inc road-bed with the famous TishoIningo !
ravel. In this connection l will say that en- /
QUITE to this city l heard much complaint of |
he recent raise in freight rates on the Mem /
,hIs and Charleston railway, those who could !
o so making arrangements to ship their cot
90 and purchase their goods and supplies at /
ther markets, by which Memphis is made to
utfer in the flesh. those who cannot help |
themselves and who are obliged to ship to |
nd purchase in Memphis declaring II an IN
recedented outrage. only repeat the gen
raj expression of opinion, l know nothing
t all about the matter or necessity that in
pired The rise" in freight rates. Another
omplaint reached your correspondents ears
nd that was about the poor accommO-
atoms at the Union depot in CHATTANOOGA
there transfers OF passengers to and from the
arious lines jntersecting the route I'M
er discussion have TO be made. There
but one waiting-rOOm in the i'm
lense building, and its doors are open
D the rag, tag and bObtail of ali classes, con
itions and colors, so that ladies have no
pecial accommodations judiciously provided
Or by all well regulated railway associations.
learn that propositions have been made to |
be Nashville and chattanooga IA lway COM |
any, which has the building leased, aud IN
er its entire control, by responsible parties. |
D furnish in an elegant manner a ladies
II the company would build |
Ne room. The cost of its building would !
mount to perhaps two or three hundred dol
aTs, but the proposition was rejected, and the
raVeler who is so unfortunate as to "get |
tuck" a few hours at that point must under
o the torture OF this great, very great, inCOn- |
euience. At all other points on the line |
lie accom- mOdatiOns are complete in every !
railway association be induced |
D remedy very object enable feature on |
his route TO the east? By the way, a short |
amble in and about Chattanooga DEVELOPS |
be fact that here is growing what will soon |
G one OF the leading manufacturing cities Of
ne souts. Perhaps your correspondent will
Interview Chattanooga IN futuIe letter. Ga !
~ journey through Middle and East Tennes. |
De I heard at every station the most hopeful |
IMPRESSIONS OF the prospect, in view OF the /
reat abundance OF crops OF every kind. In
Jme cases on the water courses some indivld- |
ais were washed out by the recent freshets,
ut the loss by these Is P-ore than compen-