The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-31
battles Ct modern warfare was fought on her

| When the small remnants OF Lee army
surrendered at Appomattox Virginia was
Ipros.rate.
Four years Of war had stripped her her
Labor was metemorphased into an incubus
her institutions we're overthrow; her debts
and burdens were increased; her property
land taxable values were annihi ated; her
energies were Iaralyzed; her very existence
was suspended.
THIS was twenty.thYee years ago. During
A 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
eued and bnrdened by many within, sh- had
70 devote all Der facilities 20 the imperative
demand Of Ice hour, the preservation OF her
being as a State and Ieople.
At last she stands upright again in the
yigor of renewed strength, IN the JOY Of re-
stored health, in the full power of sovereign
state and the p.ide Of q hale and prosperous
people.
As such her CAPITAL City, her beautiful
Richmond on the james now sets her
house N order, prepares her feasts, sets out
her wares and stretching on! her hands unto
her sister cites. says 20 them
CONE Avp SEE MI"
Richmond the Capital Of Virginia i the
Queen ofthe South enthroned upon her tree
clad hills. and crowned with the diadem OF
beauty and health.
Situated on the elevated plateau at the
Falls ofJames River once the Powha;an, she
staods nj tie gateway between the upiands
of the P;cdmoad and the lowlands OF the
T;Jovater The breath Of the mountain
Ca3s her brow, The tides Of the Ocean wash
her ieet.
Old william Byrd Of Westover, whose
historic mansion not msny miles tetow Is
one Of the landmarks Of the continent, and
one of the he'rlooms Of American history
gentleman Of Virginia. member Of the King
Council. Rerresentative Ct the Colony Bur
CESS of bis Clun Y, was entrusted TO run 'he
much Quest cned line between Virginia ana
her sister North Carolina. Thus occupied
living awake one night in the juniper recesseS
of the Dismal swamp came 10 him thoughts
of his home and with them one OF those IN
spira,ions which may be the whisper OF
pas.i-e angel. and may be the emanation OF
genius. lie would found a city, nay he
would found two; one shoult be On the Ap
poma,tox, but the other should be on yet
fairer spot on a Queeaiier river, his owl
majestic James.
He knew the spot for IT, There Nature
herself had laid the site-a more skillful en-
gineer than lie had drawn the plan-a dlvlner
architect had laid the foundations.
1t was already city and waned but the
buildings and the people. These must IN
eyitably come in time. Indeed that most
rash bu. most brilliant and farseeing young |
man who had been once his fathers neigh
Dor had chosen the spot with his rare Wis
dom and rad there a plantation or quarter,
and when the Indians Lad come down and
killed his oyerseer and cattle, had he not |
clamored for revenge until he had started a
revolution which came deGced near up citing |
His Maiesty's Government, and played the
devil generally. II would be the chief city
in Virginia, the largest in the Southern
colonies If not on tie continent, If the peo-
pie would bat recognize It's advantages and
build it Up. What spot !; was
An elevated plateau right at the falls of
the river. above malaria and ague, with
the fresh sr Of the mountains, keeping 1t
cool in summer, and incompatible climate
and purest water from unpopulated
springs; view Of the foaming
waters, elancing and dashing over
immense boa.ders for nearly two miles,
made a LANDSCAPE whose beauty was I'M
rivaIed as place ofresidence for beauty-lov-
ing people. this side Of the ok clad reaches OF
the Thames. The river front was easily &C
cessible, and evenly d s.ributed and at the
same time so immense that ii would gr1nd
the grain of a continent, AID run the factor
les OF nation. Behind il was tne rich Pied
mont running up 10 the Blae Ridge and yet
further back behind the azure mountains an
unexplored region which stretches 10 the
French territory, Louisiana. Before i was
the
HEAD OF DEP WATER NAVIGATION
with its diurnal tides which could float any
vessel that His Majesty's marine could send
across the seas.
How could il be otherwise than city?
Thus must have thought Colonel VIM.
Byrd lying under ihes reading the future
with prophetic vision for on the completion
of his mission, he laid ont the streets and
squares of city, on the fair spot at the Falls
of the James, and the head Of deep water
which had haunted his dreams IN that then
far distant hore Of the Dismal Swamp, and
as there was no place this side the sea whose
beauty was comparable, be named it after
that Incompatible spot upon the loved and
winding Thames,
HICENoED.
This was in 1887 and from that day 10 the
present Richmond las been the Gem City of
the South.
For beauty for salpbrity, for convenience,
for all the charms and advantages which can
make a home delightful, or place of bust
ness desirable Richmond stands supreme.