Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-23
The Cap,to, SQUARE.

ana KNOW eacu oiHcI "ch ~"
therefore, to be able Tn appreciate escn
others good qualities and pass nightly over
whatever impsrfections we see IN one
another, as 10 the custom OF true iriends'
When our journalistic birth enabled US
first to gladden. our eyes with sighS oi
the Square il was in October and its grassy
slopes were beginning to be sprlnkied
with leaves. which had fallen, faueu anu
blasted, by the summers sun. lheie were
then more forest-trees and fewer eaoaics
ON the grounds than now. The stately ems
And lindens which line the PARADE
ground between the Governors mouse !in
earlier times IL was some times calIeu 'he
Governors Palace") and the "ashing-
ton Monument and between the monu-
ment and Bank street were then Sounk
trees. Forty years have addeh 10 'he
g,rth Of the trunks and to the spread Oh 'us
branches Of those trees which have sur
y,yed. while many have died and been cart
ed away and in their places substitutes nave
been set. Not many OF the tofesI .'ee'
remaln. Whether these monarcns Oh tue
forest resented the eDcroacnmsht Oh
oiv;Iization upon their domain, or were
stifed by the odious smoke ana airs
of the city. or had their roots lnlureu oy
the numerous diggings and filings that
have been made on the grounds from time
70 time. we know not. but they are nearly
all gone. They fingered but few decades
after the disappearance Of the queued ana
knee.buckled gentry who in hot weather
were wont to take OF their three-corhereu
hats and rest under their shade.
In those days the Square-it is the Square,
il ought never to be called PARK "-ieh
towards Bank street in terraces down
which people went by fights OF stone
stems. and there were shady dales out OF
which several springs poured their coonng
waters. For reasons which seemed good
the terraces and stone steps were abolish
ed aud the present sIoping walks and
oreepswards were substituted. Wnether
the change was an Improvement some
have questioned. but doubtless the new
grades nre better suited than those
they superseded to o square which IS IN
the very heart of the city and through
which hundreds hurry to business every
hour of the day.
With this revised topography all of the
springs were put out of sight. The waters
of one were. however, piped to the side
walk at the intersection Of Franklin and
Twelfth streets and TO this day is great
boon TO thirsty man and beast. Other
springs were piped into culyerts and
others covered mp with yard after yard OF
earth and rubbish. One of the latter
springs was struck and proved trouble
some customer" when the excavation was
made for the new State Library building.
In recent years we have lamented over
aud been mystifed by the parsimony OF the
General Assembly towards the Capitol
Square. Saving the convict labor which
it allows to be worked in tho Capitol build
ing and on the grounds it may be said to
make no appropriations at all for the
II aintenance Of the Square. All Of the
present graveled walks should be re-
placed With granolithic or asphaltum or
some other description of paving better
suited to the purposes OF pIbhc square.
With such a pavement properly laid and
some necessary guttering done only small
amounts of money would be needful
thereafter to keep this work in good
order. But meanwhile, though money
IS scarce. convict labor is aoun-
daut. There are several hundred
convicts in the peniteutiary (but
lately returned By contractors on public
works. whose services can be had for the
asking. With all this labor at hand, the
walks whore washed b. rainfalls should
be instantly mended. And the walks should
be rolled frequently especially afte rains,
when the ground is soft and the roller
does it's best work. When the officials
have done these things thoroughly. and
have patched up the old brick walks to
the best of their ability and have kept the
grounds free from trssh-paper and neat
and tidy IN oil other respects, nothing
more can be expected OF them.
There il an opinion prevalent with some
that the new Library building will iniure
the appearance of the Capitol Square.
We do not think So On the contrary. we
believe that it will be the prettiest thing
in the Square not excepting our stately old
Capitol building.
The architect OF the Library WAS not al-
lowed to put the structure precisely where
he wished it to go, but we shall be vastly
mistaken if the public do not find that he
has covered up an ugly corner OF the
Square with a house of excellent appear
ance, planned and built in happy accord
with the other buildingsin the Square and
in consonancs with the architectural de-
mands Of the site.
With this building finished, and with
"the State library" and "the law IL
brary" removed into it, we trust that the
attention of the General Assembly will be
powerfully drawn to the claims OF the
| Capitol Square, and that it will vote
enough money to give it new walks and
cutters. Meanwhile let those in charge OF
the Square make the tidiness OF the
grounds so conspicuous as to atone for all
those defects which they have not the
means TO remove.