The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-09-13

soil
When the small remnants Of Lees army
surrendered at Appomattox Virginia was
PROSTATE.
-Four years Of wsr had stripped her her
labor was metemorphased into an incubus :
her institutions were overhrown her debts
and burdens were increased, her property
and taxable values were anDihi'ated, her
energies were paralyzed; her very existence
was suspended.
This was twenty-three years ago. during
n large part Of this period The problem OF
existence. the paramount question OF simple
bcinr engrossed all her powers. Misunoer
s,ood and Stunned by all without, threat
ened and burdened by many within she had
10 devote all her facilities to the imperative
demand Of the hour, the preservation oil her
being as a State and PEOPLE.
Al last she stands upright again IN the
vicor 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. ac.,
A such her Capital City, her beautiful
Richmond on the James now sets her
house IN order. prepares her ieas's SETS ou'
her wares and stretching out her hands unto
her sister cities, says to them
COME AND srE MI.
Richmond. the Capital Of Virginia u the
Queen ofthe South enthroned upon heI Tree
clad hills and crowned with the diadem oil
beauty and health.
Situated on the elevated plateau at the
Falls ofJames River once the Powhaian' she
stands at the gateway between the upiana7
of the piedmond and the lowlands Of the
T;acwater. The breath Of the mountain
fans her brow. the tides Of the Ocean wash
her feet
Old William Byrd Of Wes'oyer' whose
historic mansion not many miles fellow is
ono If the landmarks of Tie continent ana
o,e Of the he.rlooms Of American history
gentleman of Virginia, member OF the hinf s
Council Representative Of the colony '.'-
cess of bis County. was entrusted tofun me
much questioned line between Virginia ana
her sister North Carolina. Thus OCCUPIED
living awake one night in the Juniper recesses
oftbe Dismal swamp came ohim Thoughts
otl.f. home and with them one oi those in-
spjrations which may be- the whisper o' d
uas.irg angel. and may bee the emanai'" ''
eenirs. lie would found city, nay De-
would found two one SHOULD be on The Ap
no,nottox but the other should be on yet
flirer spot on q queelicr river his OVID
majestic james
He knew the spot for it. There Nature
herself had laid the site-a more skillul en-
ineerthan he had drawn the plan-a OWNER
architec, had laid the foundations.
1t was already city and wanted but the
buildings and the people. These must ID
eyitablv come in time. Indeed that most
rash but most brilliant and farseeing young
man who had been once his fathers neish-
bor had chosen the spot with his rare WIS
dom and had there plantation OF quarter
and when the Indians had come down ana
killed his overseer and cattle had ne not
clamored for revenge until he had started
revolution which came deuced near up. citing
His Majesty Government, and played the
devil generally. II would be the chiel cit!
in Virginia, the largest in the Southern
colonies if not on the continent. If the PEG
ple would but recognize its advantages ana
build up. What a spot it wasl
An elevated plateau right at the falls OF
the river. above malaria and ague' win
the fresh air Of the mountains, keeping IL
cool in Summer. and Incompatible climate
and purest water from unpopulaied
snrin,-s view Of the foaming
waters glancing and dashing over
immense bou.ders for nearly two miles
made a Landscape whose beauty was I'M
riyaled as place ofresdence fora bealiy-lo'-
ing people. this side ofthe oak clad reaches OF
the Thames. The riyer front was easily ac-
cessible. and evenly strbuted and al the
same time So immense that il would gnnd
the grain of a continent, and run the factor
ie, of a nation. Behind il was TIE nch Pied
mont running up 10 the Blue Ridge and yet
further back behind the azure mountains an
unexplored region which stretches 70 the
French territory, Louisiana Before It was
the
HEAD OF DEP WATER NAVIGATION
with lis diurnal tides which could float any
vessel that His Majestys marine could send
across the seas.
How could il be otherwise than a city,
Thus must have thought Colonel VIM.
Byrd lying under the stars reading the future
with prophetic vision. for on the completion
Of his mission. be laid out the streets and
squares Of a city. on the fa'rsPot at the Falls
Of the James. and the head Of deep water
which had haunted bis dreams IN that then
far distant shore of the Dismal swamp, and
as there was 10 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 l737 and from that day to III,
rre>ent Richmond has brfu the Gem City I'd.