The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-06-01
WALKS ABOUT RICHMOND.
RECALLING SOME OF THE AN
GENT LANDMARKS.


Peicc-old- Fashioned Gardens-Nota-
bies Who Passed In and Out the Door
ways.
OF Richmond antiquities and such
such like. much yet remains unsung.
4 few more old-time dwelling houses
here and there call upon us TO save
them aud those they once held from
oblivion. Ii they be thus worthy, how
shall they be prese rived in memory?
some, not many, Will recall what we
now describe, aud may be'able to walk
with US westward. OGtbeyond the new
commonwealth Club House lot, once
a country road Of uncertain and tickle
location bore a little 30 the left Of
where now the Richmond. Frcdecicks-
burg and Potomac Railway crosses
Franklin street. lis bed changed at
90. will of every heavy rain.
whose waters revclled among its
shifting sands. and then left them
fc shapes Just where they never should
have been. This road also cut into and
traversed sundry gullies Of iucOuven-
i.ut depth, until some hundreds Of
wards further out Is reached the omen
pain upon which the attractions Of
Monroe Park and modern Richmond
have so recently appeared. Upon more
elevated ground. To the northward of
rne road, was a footpath, along the
sides - which stood at intervals tall
I1nhlrdy poplars. the stately repre-
s.nanYes of "a patrician age In ar0ori-
cu. lfe.
BUILT IL 1915.
Both road aud path thus kept to-
,.a.rer for nearly mile. At tins point
f,.v n.rlci. one ending at the gate in
fro.tofa lrse. squate, brick building.
,,t.Iethe ether led TO a gceat highway
l.r... tat State to the Ono river. This
vasa flvorI,e evening walk for the
,olr- people of the town. being rivaled
only by that along the picturesque and
scQuesteiei bank Of the cid canal. The
old brick house here referred 10 had not
long fallen into the hands of an emerge
tic AMI tasteful owner. IL had been
blIt by Mr. Watkins, about the year
ltlj. tut was left an unfinished. IN.
-ichty pile by that gentleman at his
death. The location and neighboThood
90 that time was SO uusalubri0us that
nearly all of Mr.. Watkins family died
of ma.arial fever. The property after
wards passed through many hands. IN
oil at last it was purchased by Nr. Peter
Cotton. the person referred TO above.
Peter and Samuel Cotton were two
brothers from near Waterford, in Ire
land. aud were Of a higher type than
many Of their coUntrymen who some
times immigratc to America.
LOVER OF FLOWERS
Peter was e. tall, stalwart, blonde Of o
man with strong face. an energetic
Will. soitenod By The cethetc tastes so
Often found c)mmiugied with the
steTner qualities OF the sous Of Etin.
lie loved flowers. green fields and rural
shades. Having acquired "a competency
By keeping % small. select book store on
the south side OF Main street. ab0ut the
middle of the square, between Twelfth
aud Thirteenth, ne determined TO seek
% h0meaway from the place of bis daily
TOLL His store was supplied with the
choicest impOr.ati9n5.
There WIS very lntie America iitera-
lure and scarcely publishing house in
ibis country at that time. SO that Cot
tom counters were filed with i'm
ported editions, from the most baauti-
fully illustrated child's picture books
% DID,, finest specimens of English
cll--ics. Merchants and trades people
q a. - - 90
ol Richmond. Nr. Cotton got tired OF
this. and moved Out to ms new home as
soon as il was made habitable.
LMACs AND LILIES.
Iii. taste was soon made marifesf by
the changed appearance of things. New
varieties Il trees were planted, ard
flowers sprung up as ii by magic. where
weeds ana brier- had just held pos
session. The ppppey, The gorgeous
tulip. hydrangeas capc-jasmines, il
lacs and lilies. gerdniums aud golden
climbers delighted the senses at every
mfn. Arches and bowers were built.
owes whose ireill-ed dome the blush
cluster. tAe mu'Ullora land greVille
roses mingled t6cir sweet eXuberance
with ti1t of lle coral houevsucEle and
the yellow jasmine: walks White with
the burcst gravel. and boTdeIed with
box and blooming sprouts divided
border from border. and mcaudeled
alluriugiy through the h3wery maze.
- attractive did Nr. Cotton make his
home that % became prominent OBJ
iect of interest to Che evening slrOiicrs;
ID sight oi his garden being fuh con-
peu-alion for tse faligues Of the longer
walk in tr4t direction.
He was liberal iu h.s floral b0untits.
buJ would pursue with almost yiudic-
tive energy thc footsteps Ola irespasser.
On this account hc was terror TO mis-
cLieVous boys. 90 whom he Wasiamiilar-
Is Known us Old Peter Cotton To
this class of tfcspasseTs the abundance
of FRUIT on has premises was ihe irrosls'
tiJle attraction. They regarded gra.
tuiiv from his over-iaden trees, in the
light of bribr; and preferred to risk
Che chances of "a forage upon bis OF
chards rather than forceo the pleasures
oi stolen fruit.
A WELL KNOWN FIGURE.
Cir. Cotton and BIS wife, a Miss
Fleming of GOcchiand county, Occu-
pied their quiet and beautiful home for
many years. Tney were without chill
dren. IL was his habit t. walk down TO
ms store on Main street and return late
in the day, Barely did his sturdy form
fail 10 PASS asa certain hour down what
is low Franklin street. On his aim
was generally seen a basket filled with
flower and fruit to be dispensed along
the way. IN addition 10 the cares OF
hi- special business Mr. Cotton COM
piled an almanac. which he pub
lished annually as Tong as ne lived,
and which has come down to the
present time under the firm OF War
rock and Richardson, and published by
james T.. GO0de aud has been in exis-
tence seveniy-iiye years Mr.. Cotton
hually sold cut his business aud al
manac 10 Mr.. j. ". Randolph, then
quite young man.
THEN on THE SUBURBS.
Unlike most of the suburban resi-
= 4 a. n