The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-04-10
GATH'S GOSSIP.
HIS RECENT RICHMOND VISIT.

mcturcs Here-Rare Old Books-Holly-
understandable Theatre, &c.
The following IS from a letter written TO
a New York paper by Mr.. George Alfred
Townsend:
Last week l made tour in Virginia,
stopping at Richmond, old Williamsburg,
Yorktown, Newporps News, and Old
Point. The fare from Washington to
Richmond Is now SO and the time not three
hours, though the distance Is 116 miles.
People can leave Richmond after breakfast
and land in New York for dinner. They
can leave Richmond in the middle OF the
morning and be in New York for supper.
They can leave Richmond after supper and
be in New York before breakfast. When
we consider that 1t took four years 10 90
from Washington to Richmond the time
table seems short.
Richmond has come up In the past four
or five years, chiefly through the manuiac-
lures. Without manufactures IL is next
to useless to expect any full-grown town
In the South. There Is one paper-box fac
tory In the place said to employ 800 hands.
The Tredegar Works are belching fire and
smoke, and across the bridge is q nail
works in full blast, Richmond is now
sol,dly built up over the fire space. and has
delightful aerial parks at both ends OF the
town-one called Libby Hill, close by the
ominous prison OF that name. which is still
standing. Another park overlooks the
TreGegar Works, and HOLLYWOOD cemetery
has been extended over the surrounding
plain. / found JEFF. Davis's MANSION
once the Confederate White House-tO be
public school, and children's voices were
ringing through those halls where for years
the only conversation was how TO destroy
what so many patient years and sacrifices
had established.
| was interested in the Richmond book
stores, several OF which contain the frag-
mentary libraries OF the old Virginia states
men, and clerk explained to me that his
collection had been the purchase Of the
past eighteen years, the old planters giving
up their books in many cases to get bread.
There you see the works OF John Taylor,
Of Caroline; and such queer old rumina-
tors on the Constitution. He lived at Port
Royal, which has been revived in modern
interest by Booth skirting its edges TO be
killed near at hand. Among the curiosi-
ties unroled there saw the trial OF Ritchie
for killing Peasants, his fellow-editor,
with printed diagram Of the duelling-
ground.
The Confederate statutes, which are
rare, were shown to me in paper covers,
printed during the war, and they COM
mand $50 for the set, OF about four or five
volumes. Confederate publications Of all
kinds were priced high among the book
fanciers, such as few novels, set up on
brown paper with occasional leaves OF
tf..n hafN 4 oAA fhot hn
trial OF Guiteau for killing General Gar
field commands S2j in Washington; it is
in three volumes and only about 300 copies
were printed and the few remaining the
public libraries in the country are scram-
bling for.
STATUARY.
Strolling out IN the early morning |
came upon the two monuments OF Rich
mond-Foley's statue OF Stonewall Jack
son, and Crawiord's group OF colossal
statues assembled around the equestrian
statue OF Washington. The latter is per-
haps the most ambitious monument in our
country, even outranking the war monu-
ment in Boston, which is noted for its nu-
merous portraits in the bronze relefs.
Crawford led the way in American sculp-
ture, and, though he was seldom inspired,
he was generally pleasing and graceful.
The horse ridden by the young General
has almost too much action, and might
be horse in the clouds ridden by some
fallen spirit. The General is quite subor-
dinate to this horse, and seems to be a very
young man. AS / looked at this statue /
thought should like TO see some OF our now
numerous sculptors grapple with a figure
OF Washington in his youth, when be fired
the gun on the Monongahela which
changed, the destinies Of the world, drove
France from both America and Asia, and
made Prussia and Russia. A Washington
as the old Chief Magistrate. or retired sage,
Is also to be desired.
The six statues underneath the eques-
trian Washington at Richmond are so
placed that either three or four can be seen
from any point OF view. Exception might
be taken to the subjects In some cases.
For instance. Madison might have replaced
Mason, and Lafayette, who did so much to
relieve Virginia from the foreign enemy,
might have replaced Nelson. the State Gov
ernor; OF one OF the Lees. OF whom there
were at least three in the RevolutiOn-all
Virginians-might have stood in the place
OF either Mason or Nelson. The figures
actually chosen are Lewis, the hunter and
pioneer; John Marshall. whose old resi-
dence still stands in Richmond; and Jefier-
son, Patrick Henry, and the three already
named. In the faces OF Jefferson and
Marshall the sculptor has put his best re-
Election, and these men were the true rivals
of Virginia politics. Jefferson had an al
most feminine fear OF the influence OF John
Marshall, and when the latter's Life Of
Washington was about to come forth, JEFF
ierson's correspondence shows his appre-
bension that in describing Washington
the great judge would not hesitate to deal
with the men who never came fully forth
till Washington was dead.
1t seemed to me rs looked in the morn
ing at the subtle and troubled face OF JEFF
ferson, relieved against the dawn, that he
was mere athletic Rosseau, the very lines
OF the likeness being preserved as II the
SCULPTOR knew the source OF the politicians
In John Marshall, on the
other hand, there seemed to be the wrinkles
of a more aged Washington. The statue
OF Henry, though somewhat staggering our
Of his slender, almost boy
,sh body. exhibits q boldness OF treatment
worthy OF imitation in our present art,
which seems disposed to put man and
horse at rest and to hesitate at defining ac-
ton. The orator. whose greatest speech
was made in Richmond in an old church
VET standing, isrepreseDted with both hands
and i'm one Is sword. during
Inc same morning picked upin Richmond
bookstore one OF the early editions, per-
hans the earliest, OF Wirfs Life OF Henry, |!
ON the fIy-leaf OF which found in Wirts
"The author with his love
10 Mrs. A. 8. B. Cabell. Richmond, Decem-
ber, 1871" The plaster models we once
possessed in New York OF these SIX statues,
the masterpieces Of Crawford, were de-
,troyed when Mount st. Vincent restau-
rant burned up.