The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-03

When the small remnants Of Lees arm,
surrendered at Appomattox Virginia wa
PROSTATE
-Four years OF war had stripped her; he
labor was metemorphased into an incubus
her institutions were overthrow; her debit
and burdens were increased; her property
and taxable values were annihilated; hel
energies were paralyzed her very existence
was suspended.
This was twenty-three years ago. During
large part of this period the problem OF
existence, the paramount question OF simple
being engrossed all her powers. Misunder'
stood and Stunned by all without, threat
ened and burdened by many within, she had
to devote all her facilities to the imperative
demand of the hour, the preservation oil her
being as State and people.
At last she stands upright again in the
yieor of renewed strength, in the joy OF re
stored health, in the full power Of a sovereign
State and the pride Of hale and prosperous
people.
As such her Capital City, her beautiful
Richmond on the james now sets her
house IN order, prepares her feasts, sets out
her wares and stretching out her hands unto
her sister cities, says to them
GONE AND SEE MI"
Richmond, the Capital of Virginia, is the
Queen ofthe South enthroned upon her tree
clad hills. and crowned with the diadem OF
] 4 o,,1 Iaa1th
Situated on the elevated plateau at the
Fails ofJames River once the Powhatan, she
stands at the gateway between the uplands
Of the Piedmond and the lowlands OF the
Tidewater. The breath Of the mountain
fans her brow, the tides Of the Ocean wash
her feet.
Old William Byrd Of Westoyer, whose
historic mansion not many miles Fellow IS
one Of the landmarks Of the continent and
one of the heirlooms Of American history
gentleman Of Virginia. member Of the Kings
Council. Representative Of the Colony, Bur
gess Of his County, was entrusted to run the
much questioned line between Virginia and
her sister North Carolina. Thus occupied
living awake one night in the juniper Tecesses
Of the Dismal Swamp, came TO him thoughts
of his home. and with them one OF those IN
spirations which may be the whisper OF
pas:irg angel, and may be the emanation OF
genius He would found city, nay he
would found'.wo; one should be on the APP
pomattox. but the other should be on yet
fairer spot on a queenher river, his own
majestic James.
He knew the spot for It. There Nature
herself had laid the site-a more skilliul en-
cineer than he had drawn the plan-a OWNER
architect had laid the foundations.
It was already city and wanted but the
buildings and the people. These must in
eyitably come in time. Indeed that most
rash but most brilliant and farseeing young |
man who had been once his fathers neigh |
Dor. had chosen the spot with his rare Wis
dom and had there plantation or quarter,
and when the Indians had come down and |
killed his oyerseer and cattle, had be not |
clamored for revenge until he had started
revolution which came deuced near up etting
His Maiestv's Government, and played the
devil generally. II would be the chlei city
in Virginia, the largest in the Southern
colonies if not on the continent, if the peo-
ple would but recognize its advantages and
build it up. What spot il wasl
An elevated plateau right at the falls OF
The river. above malaria and sgue' with
The fresh air of the mountains, keeping II
cool in summer, and incompatible climate
and purest water from unpopuiateu
,prines, view of the ioaming
waters, glancing and dashing over
immense boulders for nearly two miles
made a landscape whose beauty was I'M
-iyaled as place ofresidence fora beauty-loy-
NC neople. this side of the oak clad reaches OF
he Thames. The river front was easily ac-
,essible. and evenly d stributed and at the
,ame time so immense that il would grind
he grain of a continent, and run the factor
% Of a nation. Behind il was the rich Pied
mont running up 10 the Blue Ridge and yet
urther back behind the azure mountains an
lnexplored region which stretches to the
French territory, Louisiana. Before II was
he
HEAD OF DEEP WATER NAVIGATION
With its diurnal tides which could float any
7essel that His Majesty's marine could send
,cross the seas.
How could II be otherwise than city,
Thus must have thought Colonel VIM.
Byrd lying under the stars reading the future
With prophetic vision, for on the completion
# his mission, he laid out the streets and
ouares of a city, on the fair spot at the Falls
# the James. and the head of deep water
which had haunted his dreams in that then
ar distant shore of the Dismal Swamp, and
S there was no place this side the sea whose q
,eauty was comparable, be named it after I
hat Incompatible spot upon the loved and
winding Thames,
RICHMOND.
This was In 1877 and from that day to the !
resent, Richmond has been the Gem City OF I
ls South. }
For beauty, for salubrity, for convenience, '
,r all hecharms and advantages which can
lake a home delightful, or place of busi-
ess desirable Richmond stands supreme.
Since il was founded the most momentous !,
.a,,,s ~ tho nation, have clustered around il.