The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-05-20
Richmond. Wal, As II u.
Editor Boston Journal of Commerce /;


Editor Boston journal Of Commerce:
We receive few papers here that anord Us
more pleasure and profit than the Boston
.Tonrnol of Commerce. II has one most re-
sreshino cbaracterislic-namely II Is not
sectional, but is able to look nt the Cn''eu
states as unit in fact as well as in name.
Tho var ended in 1865 it certainly did as
far as we in the southern country are con-
cerned. 1t changed our economy violently,
and we should have had the quiet necessary
70 allow the elements TO rearrange themselves
for proper work under the new order OF
things That quiet was not vOuchsafed us.
and much bad blood has come OF it. In the
mean time we have been doing The best we
could to get along; in fact, outside OF those
who think life in Office preferable to labor
otherwise, the southern people have mad
but one end i'm view, and that Is the build
ing M OF their fortunes by honest efforts
in the direction OF the development OF their
resources, which are neither few in number
nor poor in quality. We take much from
the surface OF the ground, as our cotton,
tobacco, rice. and sugar crops amply attest +;
and the day is at hand when we shall tind
even richer fruit from the stores under
ground. Everywhere mineral development
Is In active progress, anu lhO p'VHi'oN IL
affords is most excellent.
This in general way: 1t may NOT De I'M
interesting to your readers to know what
has taken place since the war at this the
capital at once OF the Old Dominion and
the late Confederate States. When we look
at what has been accomplished here IN SIX
teen years, and under the most adverse CIR
cumstancCs, we have right TO feel PROUD
OF the achievement. IL Is a TACT that WIN
the evacuation Of Richmond by the C0nfed.
crate Government in April, 1860, all the bu'
siness portion OF the town was destroyed by
fire. In this calamity were involved all the
banks, insurance companies, and other
sources of capital, leaving us literally
Gas flat as a founder" The old Du>l-
ness firms, almost without exception, pass
ed away, and out OF the wreck the BEST
arrangement possible was made for new
start. That our people have not been ldIe
since, il is only necessary to say that III tne
wear 1880 Richmond showed 1O2 minufac'
turing establishments, great and small, en-
blowing S8,692 G26 OF capital, l6,932 hands,
male and female, and producing S2i,1O4,S92
worth OF goods. We have agood wholesale
trade also in the products OF other people.
Our population increased during the last
city have been greatly enlarged by the cree
ton OF new houses; the burnt district has
been entirely rebuilt, and with better estab'
llshments than those they replaced. Much
ate ntion has been given to the improve
ment OF our thorOughfares and TO perfecting
our water supply.
To define trade we need Use only one
word-namely, transportation. That Rich
mond has no lack in this behalf the follow
inc will show: We have the Richmond
Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad, from
here to cities North /; the Chesapeake anC
Ohio railroad, which Mr.. Huntington ap'
pears bent upon making thorough line
with his western connections, from san
Francisco to the capes OF Virginia; the
Richmond, York River and Chesapeake
railway, that connects at West Point WITH
steamers to Baltimore; the Old Dominion
Steamship Line TO New York; the steam
boat lines to Philadelphia and Norfolk
the Richmond and Allegheny railway
(Which will be finished from Rich
mond to Clifton Forge by July next
that will open TO development The
minerals deposits OF the beautiful James
River Valley, and there are none richer OF
the continent. This road will doubtless bt
continued to say Gallipois, Ohio, where i
will connect with the system OF road
through Cleveland; it will also be tapped
| by one, if not two, roads from Pittsburgh
| southwark, making Richmond a port fol
the distribution OF the products Of tina
| lively city. Then there is the Rlchmon(
and Danvile railway system that takes II
all the lines from here through the ricl
Piedmont country to Atlanta, Ga. 1t com
pri,es nearly 1000 miles OF Well.equippe(
road. Then there is the Richmond an(
Petersburg railway that connects will
the Norfolk and Western railway system
and the coast lines southwark. Altogether
YOU will admit that this has become by M
means an insignificant distributing point
| It will be made still better when the james
river is deepened so as to permit vessels o.
the heaviest draught TO come with comfort
TO our wharvcS; for this work the last scs
sion OF Congress authorized the creation ol
commission OF army officers. Mr.. Johr
Roach, the ship-buiIder, has examined
this point, looking to the location o.
yard here, and will carry this on
the moment he can secure the depth o
water he desires. He will be where hi
men can work the year round, enjoy goOC
health, live on little money, and where he i
in the midst OF a supply OF timber, iron
and steel equal to any demand in this be
half. Through these transportation facil
ties, Richmond has readily accessible to he
raw materials Of all descriptions, and manl
of them near at hand. Besides her ampl
Water-power, she has available eXcellen
engine-coal from mines almost within he
limits. Being between the north and tn
south, her climate is delightful, reduciD!