Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-09
The GOOD OF SUBURBAN TOWNS.
Ii Il Through These That the Great cisiss
Arc Largely Built

Il Il Through These That the Great citiss
Arc Largely Built
| To he Editor Of ne Dispatch:
| III parks are the breathing space" OF
| city. suburban towns conveniently 10
Gated, with proper TRANSPORTATION con-
yeniences, may be called its bowers. su,
| burban towns that have been guaranteed
| facilities for ingress and egress 10 ana
| from the cities have built Cnlcago, %.
| Iouis. ST. Paul. and other cities IN the
| West and have added to the growth OF the
| older cities of New York and Philadel-
| phia. In the busy. closely-built parts
Of these cities can be found relics
| OF old buildings that less than half
n century ago were on plantatioDs
| in the country surrounding the city. Inc
southern cities seem TO have been unable
| or unwilling to take advantage, OF TINS
process of extension. What is called de-
| yelopment companies not infreqnentiy
prevent building. Cheap lots around
city attract the humber classes with cheap
buildings, and these give way IN time 10
| finer structures or business-houses AZ a
profit TO the original owner, and the
poorer people sell out and move on. Inc
| trade and business OF CITY IS III
| creased by working or hardy population
! that does it's work. spends It's money, ana
4
| in the city, but hives, spends ITS nights
and Sundays and holidays with ITS faIni-
| lies in the cottages and on tae little farms
owned by it in the suburban village, sur
rounded by the comforts which attach 70
| the country homestead, and both the CITY
and the village grow apace. lne ran
roads built nearly all of the western cities
| by giving every possible facility to coun-
| try and village people to WORK ana Iauo
| in the CITY and live close by.
CHICAGO FOR INSTANCE.
When Chicago was rapidly building
gentleman doing large business III tne
| city told the writer that he llved twenty
miles from his buSiness-houSe. but ate
| three meals a dav with his family-a local
| accommodation train running one way IN
| every hour. There are six railroad lines
coming INTO Richmond, and. with the ex-
ceptlon of two. the accommodation TO the
| people along the lines for over ten mlie3
| out is iuconvenlent and really amounts 10
nothing, and the'two that profess 10 nave
accommodation trains" restrict their
accommodations and increase cost so that,
| except to special points, 1t amounts 10
| little.
| Doubtless the accommodation trains
| from Ashland to Richmond did not at
| first pay, but now, having made very large
| lv their custom, they pay more per Iniie
than any other. part OF the ROAD. propapiS,
more than all the rest OF the local
| traffic. So the Bon Air accommoda-
ton was stopped. which was siui-
ply O mistake against the interest OF
| the country and city, and ultimately
against the road Railroads need all the
| local funds they can get, for reasons not
necessary here to mention, and the eood
book saws: He that would have frlenus
must show himself friendly" 1t Is not 10
the advantage of the railroads to cause
suburban towns 10 secure connection WIN
the city by electric lines. as they Will ma
when passengers and light freights are
carried by sucn lines every hour or Few
hours day.
KIND WORDS FOR ASHLAND.
Now there are two such suburbs towns
adjacent to Richmond, and there ought
to be one or moro on every rallroau llne'
and there should be such reasonable &C
commodations to and from the CITY as tne
population asked for, and at such rates as
thew could afford. Ashland and Bon AR
prove that success could be made for the
railroads IN this matter and with wonder
ful advantage 10 the counties and the
State in the increase Of taxable values
and 10 the city IN trade, both in furnish
ing Its market supplies and IN the con-
sumption of city goods.
Ashland has become an educational
centre. II has in full operation one OF
the best male colleges in the State. and
lust outside the corporation limits, In the
beautiful and fast-growing village OF
Gwathneys. frst-class female institute.
1t has one of the finest graded public
schools in the State and is in cheap and
easy reach of the splendid private schools
of Richmond. II has supply stores, post
Office, money order. and telegraph feclll-
ties, finance and insurance agencies. law
yers. doctors. dentists, jewellers, drug
stores. and livery stables, and every con-
yenience for residence. 1t has churches
of every denomination. Young Mems
Christian Association. and lodges OF ha-
sons, Knights of Pythlas. &C., IN active
work. Trains stop or start going south
three tunes in the morning between and
9 o'clock, again about o'clock, then two
trains from TO and coming to
Ashland from Richmond ~, So A.
NJ. and 4, z. and p. NJ. Yearly tickets
or monthly, or family books and return
tickets can be had and the cost Will not
nearly equal the difference in rent IN the
CITY. TO say nothing OF the advantages OF
good and cheap market for fresh meats,
fresh milk butter. vegetables, fruit. &C.,
and competition from the Richmond mar
kets, from which supplies in reasonable
packages can be brought without cost.
The best water can be had and Ice IS FUR,
nlshed at lowest rates, or Gun De secufeu
in houses. If people choose they. can
have bad water and no ice anywhere.
With proper effort on the part OF tho
railroad, landowners and others interested
there might and could be q connected
village Of residences from Richmond to
Ashland.
BON AIRS POSSIBILITIES.
Bon Air is nice village, with beautiful
homes on high, rolling lands. fine trees,
elegant water. garden fruits, &c, many
sites for extensive villa all around.
Elegant local railroad accommoda-
lions. crceDt trains. A regular health
resort which might be made one of the
most attractive suburban villages of the
South. u is only eight miles from Rich
mond and all around it fine farming land
can be bought for a trife. compared with
lands without its advantages. 1t has one
accommodation end one regular train into
Richmond in the morning and the same
going out of the city in the evening. The
railroad and men of wealth already own
ing property there could make it thing
of beauty. How long will it be before our
railroads, our capitalists, our people take
earnestly hold of the way TO build our
cities We must have some towns with
ont furnaces. large works, out of the sight
of the fires and smoke and dust of manu.
featuring. PRoGBEss.