The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-03-23
Richmond Her Future.


LIE, Richmond prepare for her cofona''o"
as queen Of commerce OF the Middle STATES
The ,,nc has come for action. Her people
,nrs, now stir themselves and put forth all
their strength aud energies TO place 'be CITY
,r condition to derive the greatest adyan'
,age possible from the finishing OF the 'm'
nor,au, public works which have been so
many years In progress, end which are now
rapidly approaching completion. the nu'
merons lines Of railroads that have been
gradually extended in various directions
from our city have al length tapped '"e
more productive regions OF tue interior a"o
nj the great West, and we sha'' soon ""o
onrseIyes blocked up with immense P'o-
x,pe,s Of the soil and commerce ana ihdus-
try. which we shall perhaps not be 10 con-
di,ion 10 take care OF or to turn 10 the pest
account. There Is yet time, ana o"et
lime. 10 meet the exigencies that are aoo"'
IN arise in connection with this approaching
impetus 10 our trade.
We clam. and have long claimed. that the
mouth OF the Chesapeake Is the great na'u-
raj outle, on the Atlantic slope for The pro-
duets Of that vast country which lies De-
tween parallel lines running weStwsrdN
and including 4 territory OF three nunoreo
miles north aud south and reaching 20 tue
eastern slope Of the Rocky Mountains
Tbis Is far from being an extravagant est''
mate o. the area in question, the surplus
productions Of which would require twenty
thousand cars day to transport them, ana
would load daily thirty ships Ia The Day. De-
sides supplying an intervening consumption
OF one million of souls engaged In manu-
features. The great centre OF these manu-
features would be Richmond. Besides
manufacturing, Richmond would become
an important point for repacNiDg' a>SoH'
ing. and adjusting these vast produc's i'r
shipment to their points OF ultimate desli-
nation and consumption in every rar' OF
the world Like an immense distributing
Office Of mail matter, Richmond would nave
much OF the wealth OF The area we nave
described, and more dor the regions
north and south of IT would often tap II,
and add TO lis oyerN bclmiug floods Of com
merce). emptied into her lap for hua' dls'ri'
button. She has advantages necessary Tor tDiS
jmpo-tant work which the localities on ire
hay have not. She has surrounding Ioca'
production for the support OF her popula-
tiop. with abundant supply Of pure waler'
nndulatine surface, securing natural dfaln'
aye: with an atmosphere non'masmdllc'
and as pure and dry rs that VI the ROCKY
Mountains. She has splendid wa'er-p""e''
and beds Of coal and feds OF timber near
at hand for mechanical aud manufacturing
purposes. She POSSESSES ALREADY buc' us
OF manufactures that will give her, IN any
event, the start. Thus she is already IN the
from, rank a. place OF residence i'r th"se
who aspire to the zanlh OF human er!o!-
ment OF living. Hither following ihose
objects and the fruitful investments OF cap
itsi. the rich will flock, and here the poor ma
frugal artisans will gather together to hrd
constant and remunerative employment.
But We must prepare for this her deOW
uuon this new stage OF trade, when The long
DELAYED coronation of Richmond will be Of
fered 10 her, and not find ourselves IN tbe
fix in which another city was, with 6oO,OOO
bale, Of cotton at her doors and 2ot sing'e
compress or suitable warehouse for their ac-
commoda,ion. We want warehouses on the
Iarges. scale, cotton comprises, elevators
depots, machine.sbops. easy grades ana
a vast union derot; and chief OF all. we want
CHEAP Ugh, and water, and comfortable and
weiI.ven,ilated houses for mechanics. and
places for public recreation OF the enlgnt-
ened and skiled-labor population. We
have two rivers with excellent channels to
the bay, and we want, besides, four d"uoie
sleel.ra.l tracks to deep.walcr Wharfage
Now, all this sounds like crazy specuia-
ton 10 some ears, but Is Il so! Let lis come
down TO plain existing facts. There are
nov twenty double tracks OF steel rails run
ming on psrellel lines, or lines nearly 30,
north Of Huntington and south of The lakes,
Transporting The commerce OF the west and
pouring it into Atlantic ports north OF Rich
mond and Norfolk, and all these lines re-
quire from seventy.fve TO two hundred and
fifty more miles OF interior transportation
than would be required on lines converging
at the points named near the capes Of VIr.
GINA and passing through or near Rich
mond. Thus millions will be saved by
adopting the shorter lines OF Transports
ton, and nothing that we know OF can
cOunterbalInce (other things being mea-
surably equaD the item Of real saving in eX-
pense. Neither capital, nor local Influence,
nor loyalty towards the sovereignty OF eS'
tabiisned city trades, can successfully COM
pete with the continual and unfaiing saving
that arises from great natural advantages.
Wesay then, when our lines OF Transports
ton have once struck the mighty hcids Of
western produce on fair ground Of compe'
titioD, We must win, and the tide OF trad'
will flow toward Virginia and concentrate
al her capes, and through and near Rich
mond. Ii will then be found that our cape'
will be the gate through which it must pass
aud tina, trip out Of its way by Baltimore
will be delusion and altogether TOO eX
,pensiye and crooked.
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Our River.
Our readers are aware that Congress ha
directed the Secretary OF War TO make