Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-13

am writing.
The greatest commercial firms ever
before or since known ilourishel in
Richmond then. Brown & Rives were
rs well and as Iavorabiy known in Viz
giria as the Barings or Roth sohilds
we're in Europe. They had branches
and country stores by the scor. Their
vaults were filed with silver aud gold,
thtir warerooms groaue1 unler the bur
den of various merchandise, their cor
rcspondence vas waited by every wind
that blew, tteir custom was sollcitedty
the greatest commercial houses OF Eu-
rope and America. AZ one time This
great firm had in James river, leading
and unloading cargoes, twerty-six
square-<igged vessels.
They were the predecessors or con-
tempo>aries of the Glliats (now OF
London. the Calls, Candies, Haryies,
Mares, Myers, Mordecais, Aliens, AL
lans, AndeTsons, Warwicks, Haxalls,
HAIRLESS. Ellises, Kiyeses, kyles,
Campbclls, Gordons, Carries, Webbs,
O,ises, Dunlops, Moncures, Robinsons,
Ralstons. Pleasantses, Lancasters,
Laoklands, Cooks, Worthams, McGru-
ders, Bohns, Mi;chells. Luckcs, Sizers,
Jamcses. Nelson's, Halls, Taylors,
Trents. Wardlaws, Barclays, McRaes,
Tripletts, SCOTS, Palmers, Parkers.
Endorses, Fosters, and many others
whose names and yocations may be as
certained by perusal of the newspa-
pers of their times.
Who will say after scanning this list
that no yirginian Of. good family ever
engaged in trade in the olden days?
Richmond was a more ambitious city
seventy OF more years ago than 1t is to-
day. If elderly gentlemen are to be
believed, and if documentary evidence
is to be allowed, the aim Of our by-gone
merchants looked TO trade direct. not
only with the West Indies, but with
the East Indies as well. They made q
brave attempt to rid themselves Of the
shackles that bound them with iron
grip to the foreigner they strove with
all the might Of their advantages to be
the competitors Of the merchants Of the
great cities Of the North for the trade
Of the West. Had their projects been
pushed to completion and their hopes
realized, Richmond would to-day be
the greatest emporium in all the south
ern country.
The discovery of the Gulf stream by
Folsom the breaking up Of the African
slave trade; insurrectionary movements
in the French and Spanish colonies en-
forced emancipation in the British colo
nie.; restrictions which Spain contin-
ued against. American bottoms sailing
in her waters the crafty legislation Of |
England, which was designed to de- |
,troy our power to compete with her
IN the production Of the great staples
IF cotton, sugar, and rice; the crafty
legislation Of The United States which
llded all inSldlOuS enemy in an attempt
d overthrow Of our economic institu-
ions all these fell together to form q
hahn IF circumstances. all-powerful
nd all-cOntrolling, which eventually
uILcd the tide Of trade and of immi-
.r2lion from our shores and led it up to
nd clear through the gates of Boston,
>cw York, Philadelphia, and Balti-
lore.
India houses there were in Savannah,
n Charleston, in Norfolk, and in Rich
nond, but their glory had departed
org ago. The elderly gentleman has
ct seen these many years the Spanish
ag flying in our river; he has not
icwed with eye elatc and nostril dis
ended the fragrant puncheons and the
Tcat, round hog heads rolling together
n our wharyes.
These things have come to an end.
I another number ! may find a world
f meaning in this self-same India
louise. The word frequently survives
be mutations OF tide and time long
fter the thing it signifies has persisted
ON the face Of the earth.
Max Muller reconstructed the polty
prehistoric race from the vcstiges
their language. He describes the
eople of Iran as though he had lived
mongst them; tells how they dwelt,
neither in houses or in tents; how
nd whom they worshipped; leads you
Ito their cities, their households, their
orkshops, their fields gives You a
ear account of their everyday life =
I'd all by means Of few Sanscrit =
that were as sealed book
} scholars less than century ago. a,
May We not in humber sort make !
nown the ambition and the enterprise I
+ our merchants of the first quarter of ,
re present century by means of the
NO little words which elderly gentle
en spelled in the grand old house on
lie corner Of Cary and Nineteenth p,
reets-wcrds which might have been ;
ellnish lost but for the allusion of
ordccai, already cited in this paper =,
4 NJ ~