The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-06

a,, Ages Stctch Of Its History virgin
standing Army -Gabriei's Rebellion.
x,o,abro Associations Of the Past.
Near the southwestern corner OF the
Oanitol Square In Richmond stands a
.,s,nt lonely. neglecicd-l0oking old
t.i,k tower. In the winter when the
,.oyes are of the trees, the observer
.,a,ding lust above the intersection OF
'.,.rtIin and Laurel streets, viii be sur
.,riscd 10 find he can see the top OF the
,Ynola which surmounts this ancient
mcclure. In the early epring, or in the
midst OF summer. should thc'samc person
move eastward down Franklin street, his
ave will be- equally attracted by the same
t,,r1'nr standing In a setting OF green
,,a cmb0Wcred in foliage. forming the
criminal point of a pleasing perspective;
.,,h objects ada much 20 the variety ana
hesuiy of city when properly located.
f,,, such an effect. for instance, Is pro
t,ocI by the tower of Richmond College
coming up in ;hc distance At the western
.ol of Grace street so also with the gable
ana pedimcnt of the City Almshouse, as
..ou from the intersection of Broad and
InfrU ~iTffkrs III itNNt VI NtA' 80 -
ci,ics when monuments and statues are
erectcd. they are generally located with
-erard To these efIects-especiallY Is this
he case in constructing public fountains,
which not only afford the inhabitants
tbeir necessary supply Of water but are
particularly intended as decorations 10
lie otherwise dismal and Inaitracliye
,rrroundings.
4 GRIM OLD SENTINEL.
But what of our old tower For more
Than eighty years it has stood there, gaz-
ing IN Franklin street, getting older IL
.slf while everything else has been get
ing Younger IL were out OF place here
n, dwell upon the changes which have
occurred since lis foundations were laid.
These foundations unhappiiy axe now too
easily discovered When about the year
sos il was completed. nothing could be
aeon of the ha-a of the structure now
exnoscd o. view The conformation of
Pine grounds surrounding it mas been
changed Insieai of The gradual slope
s-hirh now declines toward, the corners
~ Smith and Bank streets, and ietmi-
.,f.-at the gate. there was quite blum
dropping on suddenly rs a hillside oi
,l4r and gravel ln removing this the
arirksthat were intended 90 lie under
.-onrl forever are nOW exposed 10 the
.s7e of every pass.r by, and this has had
.le elect of altering the architectural
proportions Of the entire building on
the TOD Of the bluff referred 10 stood a
n00dcn structure. i'm which were kept the
,rns of the Fayctte artillery. No en-
h,itled ermOry was then necessary 10 The
security of these august pieces. In those
o-imitiye DAYS of respect for law ard or
Der no one would have thought OF multi
lstnc or interfering with public property.
More than this. g. We shall see further on,
Ihese guns were always under guard At
that time, too. q sort Of involuntary re
snect was considered due from young and
old 10 these "dOgs Of war, whose voices
we've never heard except ou<grcat occa-
,ions Il was the custom at that time to
Gre a salute al daybrcak on the anniyer
,arv of Washingtors birthday AMI on
Inc Fourth Of July. The writer well re-
members how the boys wed with each
other i'm being the first at these celebra-
dOns which also secured for them school
holiday The guns were run out on this
vacant space overlooking the bluff; the
,4lnte startled the drOwsy denizens OF The
geirhborhoOd, while the shouts OF the
bows, plunging into the masses OF
ullinr smoke, added TO the din In
ae cupola hung the town bell,
shose mu.ical education had been
.,dlv neglected from its birth.
All manner of alarms incident 10 a town
OF about twelve or fourteen thousand
inhabitants were expected to come from
,betongue of that disCordant implement
ts CIV of fire, was something inde-
.cr.bahlc When the Legislature was in
session. aud delinquent members were
.0i IN their seats al the crisis Of q vote,
or even during the ordinary routine of
business It's authoritative tones sum
m0ned them 20 their dlty. Solemnly, AS
theday wore on, the hours were struck,
qoi automatically by clock WORK, bat by
ile hand II a parsonage, of whom some
.tinr viii be said hereafter This bell
remained in position until late in the war
between the States, when, from long ser
Fice /, was worn out ari cracked. Dur
ine the war IL sounded many alarms
The most appalling Of these occurred
early IN April, 1861, when the entire
Richmond population became frantic
1aier the Pawnce panic. Curiously
enough. that same people then SO startled
byamcrc rumor, subsequently exhibited
,he most remarkable composure when
iac Uuader, OF an unnumhered artillery
were hourly threatening their desiuc.
do1
rrE AnNoKT or VIRGINIA.
Ta. reader mayguite naturally inquire
nLytii- tower va. ever erected, and 10
sli. use was ., applied, except as above
described TO satisfy so reasonable an
io.r.ry glance at the history Of the
Gn.- preceding its erection will BE- nee
.elry The people of the State Of Viz
r.n.a u-. after she was made politically
independent by the successful termina-
zion OF the Revolutionary var, were
Sled upon to decide, by their repre-
.oia,iyes in convention, whether they
would agree TO go into a cOpartnership
siil the people Of other independent
StNes, and thereby form what We now
SLOW as the Union. They responded to
th.s call. But there was very great
ihIcuhy in coming to satisfactory agree
ment 1t was only after long and tedious