Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-10-19

RICHMOND, VA, October ia
wide built city OF brick on ssven little
bills, lowering above the plunging
james river, with many little islands
brisk streets, very clean, wide and or
derby, and so densely wooded as to al
most conceal the three story houses
healthy, save down in the low and mis-
cradle huts Of marsh aud mud, where
uncleanliness invites disease; a busy
commercial and manufacturing city
beyond the river, with several bridges;
a rolling, English-down looking couns
try of vast reach and fertility still be-
You'd; factories on the intervening
islands and river banks, roaring with
progress, sending up a smoke that
hOvers over the tawny, rushing river
like the smoke of a mighty battle
and that is Richmond to day, only one
generation after she was the proud and
Warlike capital Of the COnfederacy.
One is surprised at the order and
industry here. Now and then you
come upon knots of colored people
loafng about in a dazed, lazy and help
less fashion, but they do not seem Vi
cious or loud-only indolent and help
less black Micawbcrs.
Churches are notably numerous;
schoolhousos among which the resi-
dence OF Jefferson Davis is conspicu
Gus, both from its modest elegance and
old association-are also to be seen on
every hand throughout this woody and
industrious town. | am informed-l
have no immediate means of testing
the exact truth-that there are more
church members, comparatively, in
the city of Richmond than almost any
other IN our republic. From the
order, the cleanliness, the quiet labori
business of the people of all classes |
am inclined to believe the statement,
whether Of Importance or not, to be
true.
WAR VEsTIGEs
A vestige Of the war, material,
moral or otherwise, is not discoverable
to the stranger. Old Libby prison,
down by the dirty river bank, looks no
more like a prison than the dozen
other big tobacco houses, all with iron
grated windows. 1t is no longer q
tobacco warehouse, however, but a
monstrous, groaning, roaring mill,
where bark, bones, stones and all sorts
of things are ground up for iertilizing
the soil Butt brings up strange fan
cies-this groaning, grinding and
crashing in there, and then the dense,
black, Vesuvian smoke that pours in
cesssntly out Of the top and hangs
forever overitl
The city is building fast buildings
are booming ahead, just like New
York, Boston, London, Paris, imprOv-
ing in all respects, just like these and
other great cities, You are liable TO
get mortar on you almost anywhere,
but the march Of improvement is
mainly towards the West.
FACTORIES.
To name these specially, even If one
had space in great paper, might |
edge on advertisement, but venture
to allude to the great nail factory OF
Belle Island. This place. once white
with hospital tents and packed with
prisoners Of war, is nov one vast blaz-
ing. flaming forge. 1t is not pretty
nor peaceful. Belle Island is 20 lon-
ger the Island Beautiful, and John
Tuskin would roar with pain st the
sight ofthis unsightly TRANSMISSION. But
it is in the line Of the ages progress.
the material march Of the time: it was
true old Virginia's best way out Of the
wilderness. Let US not quarrel with
her ready adaptation to uutoward cir
eumstances, but rather congratulate
her On her revolution and sudden con-
quest Of herself.
In another factory l have visited
here-merely 4 place where they make .
paper boxes 600 girls find constant and |
remunerstive employment. 1t is i'm. |
portant TO know, very important and |
delightful TO hear, that these girls, the |
entire 600, are looked after with care
that is psternal. Columns of we'll
merited praise might be written Of this
mans watchiHlness over the welfare Of
these honest:snd industrious girls
girls who, but for the war, had been
born to better things How much
better than in New York or Boston,
where they are poured out upon the
city when their days work is done to
swell the sins Of it and the sorrows Of
it.
There is another factory hereto
say nothing Of little ones-where six
hundred more girls are similarly EN-.
ployed and looked after. This is o
cigarette factory Every girl here has
her own private wardrobe, is dressed
fed, cared for as if she was the dauRh.
ter OF the old man at the head of the
immense establishment. He, | be.
lieve, is not a native Virginian. And
indeed, this new life and enterprise is
not entirely within. They have been
tostered and are fed, to limited ex
tent, by brain and capital from with.
out: And exactly the same may be
said OF the prodigious industries Of
chicago, Boston and New York.
SENATOR MALONE.
Few Of us at the North and in the
West have not heard Of this wonder.
iul little man, | reckon, 10 the last de.
cade or two. He weighs tar less than
a hundred and looks ike a mummy
but is every inch of him alive. 1
must confess to having followed him
In his aspirations toward the one great
goal, the United States Senate, with
great admiration. True | know
nothing about him further than that
he had been a Confederate General
and a brave one, it was said. All.
though bravery is SO common a quail.
itY 10 the United States that ANYONE
must be hard pushed who has nothing
better to boast Of, yet looking at this
man from aiar of, catching glimpses
Of him now aud then in the thick of
the hight, as | lifted my face IN from
my work, this little bit Of man
lighting the giant Democracy down
mere alone, standing at the head Of the
black people, organizing, marshaling
Ieadlng-another Moses-I tell You Il
looked grand, gloriousl be alone
seemed capable to lead the lower
classes Of thisState up and on to better
higher things. / loved him once. |
came down here to the capital to see
him. de is false prophet!
ind, on coming down here and
looking facts IN the face, that he il