Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-10-13
What Richmond Wants Badly.

To The Editor Of d.e DISPATCH:


To The Editor Of he Dispatch:
In reading your daily progressive paper,
printed on presses of latest pattern and
power, / find food for reflection IN para
graphs unpretendlng that may not strike
all readers alike, hence with your permis-
sion pen them.
First find the Richmond Chamber OF
Commerce, composed of your best mer-
chants, professional men, and citizens, as
sembling in rented rooms, and even such
would appear difficult 20 obtain. II COM
merce. manufactures, and business of tho
CITY is Oh a iustifiable solid basis 10 con-
tinue and increase. what more OppOrtune
moment than the present to pass upon tho
question Of building n chamber of COM
merce edifice which the tourist. visitor,
pleasure-seeker. the merchant and busi-
ness-man coming within your city could be
chOWn as evidence of your enterprise and
prosperity? 1t is needless to point by COM
parisOu to -ther cities less poor and less
populous even than yours. where public
buildings Of this kind are among the chief
attractions TO strangers. no less the PRIDE
OF its citizens. Why speak. then, OF the
business il produces and facilitates! The
impression at q glance Is lasting one, and
adverliscs city for better or worse. &C
cOrding TO appearances.
Richmond mas pretty parks, many hand
some private dwellings, a most advantage
Gus and picturesque natural location, fine
City Han, depot that delights the travel
ler's eye. Furthermore, II Is noted as the
oldest and one Of the leading tobacco mar
kets of the country. with multiplied. -four
ishing cigarette, cigar, and plug factories,
and vet we are told that the Tobacco Tx
change runs on the rented-room plan, and
so the Corn Exchange at another corner.
(fannAf 4Haea fnfnragfg niVqrsp and vet
identical as commercial factors, be so united
as to build and own their own common
place of meeting for daily buslnes5-In
other words. Commercial Exchangef
The oldest fOgy could not call such I'M
desirable while it would not be true, but a
shameful reflection on the businessmen of
this city to say, amid the evidences Of such
prosperity one sees around you, you could
not afford it or did not need ii.
If read Alright. with $4,000 TO your most
excellent Governor of the State of Virginia
as salary, with all the responsibilities of
Office and 5000 to your Tobacco Inspec-
tor, it seems to me that there is evidence
tnat the money could be spared by the To-
OaccO Trade 10 erect a handsome Exchange
alone. But Why not all join in together
IL il pays the renter, whether individual OF
corporate. it will pay the Exchange men,
bers TO build an Exchange.
Inc whole ana united traces Interest,"
combined could make a handsome building
of three or more stories. which could ue
made a handsome income, Us such lnstitu-
tions do elsewhere.
Crudcly suggested: First Aoor for Tobac-
co Exchange: second for Corn Exchange
third, Chamber Of Commerce and assembly
room for entertainment oi commercial
bodies, etc. With convenient modern offices
all around and annexed and within such
a structure, its revenues would put 1t on a
paving basis ct once, and the money TO
build would not be lacking ut lowest rates.
Your city advertising cards call atten-
ton 10 the Tobacco Exchange now as one
Of your city's attractions. What impress
sion does one get there, not being to-
baccOuist? What invites one there. Sam
pies bright. brown. and dark on benches
and long table and whitfield black boxes.
This is the outside impression only. If
YOU can, why not do better? | have heard
intelligent and well-nformed gentlemen
say the matter only lacks agitation and
leadership, which latter | hope to see
forthcoming, and not share the fate Of the
hotel scheme | have read much about.
But the Exchange once built would I'M
prove greatly the prospects OF that hotel
scheme OF yours. Strangers would then
see the evidences Of enterprise and pro-
gress in your public buildings, often their
only guide by which to judge Of you.
Yours truly, BYE-BYK.