The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-06-01
RICHMONO'S DEVELOPMENT.
Mr.. Lamb Points Out How IL Can Best te
Directed.

uay ana asked now Ills nffh napltntu I'D
come here TO build, and he said:
sour firm for a number of years has been
engaged in the improvement of suburban
real estate in various Western towns and
cities. chiefly Memphis, Tenn. building
homes and selling them on easy terms.
Some eighteen months ago the beautiful and
cheap suburbs of Richmond attracted our
attention during visit 10 your exposition.
and we purchased considerable property
north Of and adjoining the city, which we
are now developing. IL the demand justiies,
we expect 10 build fifty homes in our Brook
land Park subdivision, adjoining Barton
Heights within the next twelve months"
"ilow does Richmond compare As city
with Western citiesv
"she has many advantages over any West
crn or Eastern city know Of, in her mag
niticent climate, excellent drainage, we'll
paved streets. her quaint picturesque
homes and charming social atmosphere. Her
supremacy as manufacturing and CONNER
cial centre seem well established. | have
seen great bOoms and thriving, pushing
cities, where property brought fabulous
prices, spring up in the West with only n
few railroad shops and a mill or two for a
foundation. Two such solid Institutions ~
the Richmond Locomotive Works and rae
Chesapeake aud Ohio Railroad Shops. l0ca-
ted at almost any crossroads in many OF
the Western states, are all those people
would want for nuclous around which to
gather millions Of capital and thousands
of working, city-building people.
'srhere are many enterprislng men here,
but the tendency, l think, is too much to-
wards conservatism. Richmond does not
appreciate and advertise her splendid ad-
yantages, whilst hundreds of little new
towns i'm Virginia and adjoining states are
flooding the country with dazzling tales or
prospective wealth and growth. Property
is selling in many Of these towns at double
Richmond prices. Capital is rushing
madIy towards them, and being placed
hurriedly in good and bad enterprises
unquestioDably 10 the great material ad.
vantage of those towns which prove sub
stantial enough TO survive the speculative
wave. Richmond is a well-built, prosper
Gus and delightful city, already SURPRISING
i'm all desirable features anything that the
best OF these new cities may expect 10 at
tam under the most favorable conditions
within the next twenty-five years.
"There are no capitalists CT sound bu5i
ness men here who doubt that investments
in industrial, mercantile or real estate enter
prises made in Richmond are safer and
surer of profitable returns than IN most OF
the unbuilt. untried paper cities, and yet
we hear daily OF large amounts of Rich
mond money being invested in the stocks
and bonds of other town-companies all
over the country.
.RichmOnd. by all means, should take
immediate steps TO form strong organlza-
tiOn. that should have for its sole object the
upbuilding and development Of Richmond.
Your Chamber Of Commerce, Tobacco EX-
change and like industries are valuable and
necessary, but they do not, and cannot
20 far enough. With the efforts OF few
progressive, influential citizens, l believe
commercial, or improvement association
can be organized here, with thousand
members, which properly oliicered and put
in working order, would accomplish more
towards concentrating and directing the
energies Of the business men, and prom0t-
ingall matters Of public interest, than the
desultOry efforts of half the community.
With paying members, and secre-
terry of capacity, whose entire Time
should be devoted to the business,
such an association would concentrate
a working available force, and capital that
would at once exert potential ana nueh
needed influence. such associations have
been organized in many western towns
and cities. with unqualified success. lndi-
yiduaI effort however well directed, can ac-
complish but little, but the same individuals
organized and acting for one purpose, can
accomplish tremendous results. Rich
mond's advantages in climate, geographl-
cal position and distributing faclli-
ties, in sll that goes TO make splen-
did city, are conceded and under
stood here in Richmond. To classify this
information and disseminate 1t among
hOme-seekers, capitalists and manuiac-
turers everywhere, and TO attract ana To-
l.. l. tt...NA At,lsr arf fls yg1
effort and money can do. | have copies OF
charter and bylaws of the Memphis Com
mercial Association, organized last season.
which may be of service 10 any OF
your enterprising citizens who might
take this matter uD. Memphis. city
no larger than Richmond. maintains
a magnificent Cotton Exchange, with
about five hundred members. which fosters
strictly the cotton business Of the city. \
merchants exchange, with about so MEM
bers, which looks after the wholesale mer-
camille interests, freight rates, and such
matters pertaining TO general commerce,
and a commercial association, with about
800 members, which takes charge OF all al
fair Of public interest looking to the develop
ment of the wealth, population, beauty and
industrial growth Of the city.
"In the Commercial Association, no social
lines are drawn. Every good citizen Is
eligible and desired. Dues are assessed,
a secretary Of marked ability is paid q
handsome salary. and he deyotes himself
assiduOusy to the city's interests. The as
sOciation has inaugurated liberal system
Of advertising the city, and regular eNcur-
sions from the North and East. ltpr0yldes
for the holding OF conventions, entertain
ment OF visiting capitalists, journalists,
manufacturers, and the organization ana
location Of industrial enterprises.
81 will give an instance Of the efficacy OF
such an association. TwO-fifths Of the Mem
phis people live in the suburbs outside the
city limits. which were very contracted.
AS the time for taking the United states
census is in June, the association, alive 10
the importance Of properly showing the
rapid growth in population Of Memphis and
enlarging her territory. determined 10 get
the city limits extended, and III "A week Sc
cured the call Of an extra session OF The
Tennessee Legislature and put the bill
through extending the limits, taking IN
q. 900 people against the violent opposition
of number Of the largest and most power
full non-prOgressiye suburban real estate
owners Of that city. The Association had TO
guarantee $4,000 10 defray the expenses OF
the extra legislative session. The Louis
vile Commercial Association has over
200 active members, bad built a grand
eleyen-story club building, and by It's efforts
and influence has done more for the develop
ment Of Louisville during the past two
wears than she has accomplished In the ten
wears preceding. ] might enumerate many
instances Of the value 70 other cities OF SIM
liar organizations"