The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-03-13
ond.-past. Present, and Future


MAR column to the following glowing article
commenting upon receipt editorial oil ours.
4, is well calculated, as a lawyer'iriend
az ours would say, 10 make every business
man In Richmond feel several thousand dol
lars richer:
An article in the Dispatch OF Maren the
9th, entitled West Point and Richmond,
has induced me 10 ask small space u, you,
valuable paper 10 present TO your readers =
Few tbonsbls in connection with the growth
and nrosperity OF YOUR beautiful city, Inc
fniure ~ all communities must he luuged
nv their pas,, and from this standpoint GER
family the peopie Of Richmond have notning
70 be ashamed Of, when they look BACK 10
WHIT she was in 1910, and what greets Tue
eve on every side to-day. In connection
with this. | present you an eXrac; Ifotn
Unwe,s History Of Virginia, giving inc
commercial and manufacturing statistics OF
picsmond for the year 1910. Mr. howe
ssvs. "Tbe principal articles OF en-
noris,otjon are wheat, corn, ana toDacco,
amounting 10 S3000.000 annually. Inc
manufactures are also extensive. Inc
fails OF the James river afford water
pogcr OF unlimited extent. Ihere were /.
fo~e,gn and % commission houses, with
nal. 81. GAG, 900 60 manufactures, w, cap
ilsl. 1892 900; daily papers, % churches,
tonnage 6,9ll tons. and total population
of 20,153" Mr.. Howe says nothing Oh
railroads. or feeders, other than the james
River canal. Now | will ask your leaders
70 review wit h me what has been accom-
pljsbed during the past forty years, ana
am sure the croakers and faulfinders, siler
they read the facts as | hope to present
them, will have little upon which to base
their conplaints.
Richmond and Manchester, built as they
are on the north and south side oil the
mighty water-power furnished by the lalls
OF the James river, present to The active IN
dustry OF the United States locations Tor
investment equslled by few cities ID Ame-
rica. Beauty Of situation, healthy lOca'
ton, the greatest watcr-power east OF the
mountains, and cheap land, are Gel talnY IN
ducene nis which will not be ignored by
those seeking a permanent settlement. 10
addition TO these advantages you have lrcn'
ore Of all kinds, slate, gypsum, SAT-,
lead, zinc, copper, mica, manganese, anu
coal tboth camel and bilumlnous), III large
quantities, within $50 miles. seven raii'
roads entering you from every point OF Inc
compass are constantly employed IN assist
Ing in the development OF the immense ana
varied mineral deposits OF your STATE.
Among the most important OF these IS the
Chesapeake and Ohio, which will before
the Isl of January. 1892, connect Richmond
with Louisville, Cincinnati, Chicago, II.
Louis, aud the great West-thus giving her
an additional market for her manufac-
tured goods. and receiving IN return Yast
SHIPMENTS Of wheat, corn, meat, Wbl>kev,
and tobacco from those cities, ana coal,
iron-ore, and lumber from Western Nir-
Sinia. Then you have nearly completed the
Richmond and Allegheny, draining the Val
lev Of the James OF its wheat, corn. and TO-
bacco. From Lynchburg to Clifton Forge
il will develop perhaps the largest and most
varied deposit Of ir0n-ore on this continent,
which, with the thousands OF acres of tim.
be,.ands, necessarily become tributary to
Richmond.
The Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio will
also be great feeder TO the factories OF
yeur city, furnishing tobacco, slate, zlnc'
oypsum, copper, and salt. and in return
carrying from your merchants and manu-
faclureIs provisions, clothing, ana ma
chInery TO the population now engaged IN
developing the resources OF southwestern
Virginia and Tennessee. And, lastly, you
have the Richmond and Danyillc, pass
=
Virginia and North Carolina, bringing
into your city thousands OF hogsheaGs
OF leaf.tobscco, and thus furnishing
your people another great source OF
active industry. Large quantities OF cotton
will without doubt at no distant DAY ind
market and contribute its mighty power as
procurer OF wealth and population to the
cities ON the banks Of the James. 10 addl-
ton 10 the powers named assisting in tbs
development are the Richmond, Fredericks.
burg and Potomac, Richmond, Petersburg
and Weldon, Richmond and West Point,
and Richmond and Newport News, and the
James river, all furnishing their quota OF
agricultural production for your ware
houses, and taking in return food, rament,
and implements from your merchants ana
manufacturers.
Very few cities enjoy so many resources
n near at hand, and SO many outlets Tor
the profitable prosecution of mercant lie and
manufacturing enterprises as does the ca2l-
tai city OF tue Old Dominion. Richmond
had, by the census OF 1870, population OF
81 .03s: to-day she can safely claim 10000,
an increase OF over 80 per can't, whilst the
great s.. Louis only added little over 10
per cent. TO her inhabitants in the same
lime. While the population Of Richmond
manufactures have increased both in num-
bers and importance over 100 per cent.
in the same decade. Seven hundred
and fifty manufactures OF every va
riety, with capital amounting to over
$4,000, 600, employing between $4,000 and
ljO00 hands and turning out goods worth
over 800, 900. 900, contribute their influence
in increasing the wealth and importance Of
your citizens. Now, Mr.. Editor, all TINS
has been accomplished by your people II
forty years, notwithstanding one OF the mos
disastrous wars known in history raVage(
the territory tributary. and conflagration
second ONLY to that OF Chicago, devastated
the largest part OF the business portion O
YOUR city. When reflect upon your mis-
fortunes and realize your present prosperit.
/ am forced to admire people who nave
accomplished so much in the short space o
forty wears. Richmond has no rival in Vlr
unil. and but one south Of the P0tOma
river, and il her businessmen continue tn
work they have so successfully begun
will never lose its present rank among th
commercial cities OF the United States.
West Point and Newport News will, il
my estimation, never be more than excbang
and transfer depots for the great railroad
that have chosen them for their seapor
termini. 10 sustain my assertion i call at
tention to East st. Louis, H.; AmbOy, n
j.; Jetfersonyile, Ind; and City Point
Va.-all OF them towns as old as the cite
opposite which they are located, and 70
which they have acted for years as transfe
dep0,s only. Immense transfers of freigh
aud merchandise do not necessarily bull
up city, and in defence OF this proposltlo
point to Norfolk, Va, which, Wills
has A..