The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-09-15
tiles of modern warfare was fought on her

SOIL.
When the small remnants Of Lees army
surrendered at Appomattox Virginia was
PROSTATE.
Four years OF wsr had stripped her. her
labor was rletemorphased into an incubus
her institutions were overthrow; her debts
and burdens were increased; her property
and taxable values were annihi. ated; her
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, sh7 had
10 devote all her facilities to the imperative
demand Of he hour, the preservation OF her
being as a S.ate and people.
AT last she stands upright again in the
v;gor Of renewed strength, in the JOY oil re-
stored health, in the full power Of sovereign
State and the pride Of hale and prosperous
people. .,.,
AS such her Capital City, her beautiful
Richmond on the James now sets hef
house IN order, prepares her feasts, sets out
her wares ard stretching out her hands unto
her sister cities, says to them
"coME ASD sEE ME-
Richmond. the Capital Of Virginia is the
oueen 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 Powhatan' she
stands at tie gateway between heupanos
If the Piedmont AMI the lowlands Of the
Ti5ewater. The breath of the mountain
aas her brow, the tides Of the Ocean wash
her feet.
Old William Byrd Of Westoyer' whose
historic mansion not many miles teiow is
one Of the landmarks f the continent ana
ono of the herlooms Of American history
Gentleman of Virginia member Of the Kings
Council. Representative Of the colony bur
oess Of bis County. was entrusted 90 run the
much questioned line between Virginia ana
her sister North Carolina Thus occupied
living awake one night in The Juniper recesse'
ofthe Dismal swamp, came 20 him Thoughts
Of his home. and with them one of those IN
sp;rations which may be the whisper OF q
pas.i z ange and may be The emanation oil
genius. lie would found city nay ne
would found two; one shouli be On the APP
pomattox. but the other should be on yet
fajrer SPOT on a queeaNer river, his OWL
majestic James.
He knew .he spot for it. There Nature
herself had la d the ste-a more skilliul en-
rineer than he had drawn the plaza diyiner
architect had laid the foundations.
It was already a city and wanted but the
buildings and the people These must ~
evi,ably 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 had there plantation or quarter.
and when the Indians had come down ana
killed his overseer and cattle. had be not
clamored for revenge until he had started
revolution which came deuced rear up citing
His Maiesty's Government and played the
devil generally. 1t would be the chief city
in Virginia, the largest in the southern
colonies if not on the continent, if the peo-
pie would but recognize its advantages and
build it up. Whata spot it wasl
An elevated plateau right at the falls OF
the fresh air Of the mountains keeping II
cool in summer, and Incompatible climate
and purest water from unpopulated
springs: view Of the foaming
waters, glancing and dashing over
immense bou.ders for nearly two miles
made a landscape whose beauty was I'M
rivaled as place of residence fora beauty-ioV-
ing people. this site of the oak clad reaches oil
the Thames. The river front was easily ac-
cessible and evenly q stributed and at the
same time 50 immense that it would grind
the grain of a continent, and run the factor
les Of a nation. Behind il was tie nch Pied
mont running mp b the Blue Ridge and yet
further back behind the azure mountains am
unexplored region which stretches TO the
French terr.torv, Louisiana. Before 1t was
the
HEAD or DEEP WATER NAvidArtoN
with its diurnal tides which could float any
vessel that His Majestys marine could send
acros, the seas.
How could il be otherwise than a city,
Thus must have thought Colonel VIM.
u, ri lying under the stars reading the future
With prophetic VISION for on the completion
al his mission. he laid out the streets and
,quarr Of a city. OH the "a pot at the Falls
az the James. ard the head of deep water
which had haunted his drains ~ that then
far distant shOr Il the Dismal swamp and
~ there was no place tins side the sea whose
healay was comparable, he name Vt after
that inc npa allie sist ulNn the loved and
winding Thsme.
| RICHMOND.
! This VA in i7a7 aid from that day IN the
p-er-ui Richmond las been the Gem City Of
th South.
! r hcsuiy. for ssluhrity for ca vsrieuce,