The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-18
battles of modern warfare was fought on her


-Four years OF war had stripped her; her
labor was metemorphased into an incubus
her institutions were overthrown; her deb"
and burdens were increased; her property
end taxable values were annihi ated; her
energies we're 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 mao
10 devote all her facilities TO the imperative
demand of the hour, the preservation oil ner
being as State and people.
At last she stands upright again IN the
vigor of renewed strength, in the joy OF re-
stored health, in the full power OF sovereign
state and the pride Of hale and prosperous
people. .s,,
Az ucb her Capital City, her beautiful
Richmond on the james now sets nei
house IN order, prepares her feasts se's OUT
her wares and stretching ont her hands unto
her sister cities, says TO them
GONE AND sEE NE.
Richmond, the Capital of Virginia. is the
Opeen oftbe South enthroned upon her tree
clad hills. and crowned with the diadem oil
beauty and health.
e,nated On the elevated plateau at the
Falls ofJsmes River once the Powhatah' sile
stands at the gateway between the upianus
Of the Pjedmond and the lowlands oil the
Tsdewater. The breath Of the mountain
fans her brow, the tides Of the Ocean WASH
her feet.
Old William Byrd Of Westover, whose
historic mansion not many miles teio" u
one of the landmarks Of the continent ana
one of the heirlooms Of American history
gentleman Of Virginia, member OF the hing ;
Council, Representative OF the Colony Dur
oess Of his County, was entrusted TO run the
much questioned line between Virginia ana
no, sister North Carolina. Thus occupied
wing awake one night in the juniper recesses
Of the Dismal Swamp, came TO him Thoughts
Of his home, and with them one o.. those IN
sniratiops which may be the whisper Of =.
passirg angel. and may be the emanauoh OF
sen;us He would found city, nay ne
would found'two; one should be on the Ap-
r.o,oattox but the other should be on a.yet
fairer spot on a queenher river his own
majtstic james.
He knew the spot for it. There Nature
herself had laid the site-a more skliilu en-
,,;neer than he had drawn the plaza OWNER
architect had laid the foundations.
II was already a city and wanted but the
buildings and the people These must IN
evitably come in time. Indeed that most
rash bu, most brilliant and farseeing young
man who had been once his fathers neigh
bor had chosen the spot with his rare WIS
dom and had there o plantation or quarter,
and when the Indians had come down ana
killed his oyerseer and cattle, had he not
clamored for revenge until he had started a
revolution which came deuced near up:etting
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 the continent, if the peo-
ple would but recognize its advantages and
build it up. What spot il was.
An elevated plateau right at the falls OF
the river. above malaria and ague' with
the fresh air of the mountains, keeping IT
cool in summer, and Incompatible climate
and unrest water from unpopulated
snrinrs view Of the ioamlng
waters. glancing and dashing over
immense bou!ders for nearly two miles,
made Landscape whose beauty was IN
rivaled as a place ofresidence fora beauty-lov-
ing people. this side ofthe oak clad reaches Of
tbe Thames. The river front was easily ac-
cessible. and evenly distributed and at the
same time so immense that il would grind
the grain of a continent, and run the factor
los Of nation. Behind it was the rich Pied
mont running up to the Blue Ridge and yet
further back behind the azure mountalnsan
unexplored region which stretches to the
French territory, Louisiana. Before 1t was
the
HEAD OF DEEP 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 the stars reading the future
with prophetic vision, for Oh the completion
of his mission, he laid out the streets and
squares ~ city, on the 'rspot at the Falls
of the James, and the head of deep water
which had haunted his dreams in that then
far distant shore of the Dismal Swamp, and
as there was no place this side the sea whose
beauty was comparable, he named 1t after
that Incompatible spot upon the loved and
winding Thames,
RICHMOND.
This was in 1877 and from that day 10 the
present. Richmond has been the Gem City OF
the South.
For beauty, for saIubrity, for convenience
for all the charms and advantages which can
make a homie delightful, or a place Of bust
ness desirable Richmond stands supreme.
Since il was founded the most momentous
events of the nation have clustered around IT,