The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-24

us a great manufacturing place yet the
manufactures come not. Why Is this?
The explanation is very simple. Richmond
Is built on a range OF hills rising up d.
rectly from the river bank around the
outside line OF a horseshoe bend which
the river makes just at this place. on
Richmonds side Of the river there are no
sites for manufactures, and the confor-
nation OF the ground is such that II
| you build there you cannot get railroad
access TO them. All along Richmonds
river front the eligible sites are 50 scarce
and so high that site for a manufae-
tory Will cost as much as the site and
mandatory ought 10 cost Manufactu-
rers are therefore deferred from establish
ing plants In Richmond because oil the
scarcity and, consequently, great cost OF
eligible sites. and because the land so
lays that the railroads cannot get access
10 such as might be started. THIS last
is ali-important II the bulk OF heavy
freights must be broken 10 take them 10
the mandatory from the railroad or
from the mandatory to the railroad
that decides the case against an estao-
Hshment Of the mandatory. Richmond
as she now exists will never therefore,
become an important manufacturing
place. though there is every reason that
she should be one.
But Richmond can easily equip herself
with all that is necessary TO give her the
greatest abundance Of cheap manufactur-
ing sites that the railroads can cross and
recross as they please. on the inside Of
the horseshoe we have referred TO, lies
the city of Manchester which we have
clready shown ought. for other reasons,
to be taken IN as part Of Richmond.
broad street running direct from the west
ern heel of the horseshoe to the eastern
heel Of it would cut Manchester in half
on a dead level. practically. All this |
territory is plane, and it is plane eX-
tending indefinitely out into the country. |
Directly across the river, then, there is |
all the eligible territory necessary to es- !
tablish the manufactures Of the world |
It is an even surface, accessible, with the !
utmost ease. 20 the railroads in every
part. and manufacturers can buy all the |
land they want for from five hundred to |
a thousand dollars an acre, while on the |
Richmond side, sites would cost them |
from one to three hundred dollars foot |
and they could not get cars TO the sites |
after buying at this price. II, therefore |
Richmond and Manchester were united |
under one charter, Richmond would really |
be able 10 offer TO manufacturers the ad- |
vantages Of which she is so fond Of |
boasung, but which the manufacturers |
are unable to find.
We have already shown by full state
ment of Manchester's debt, resources, and |
income. that she would actually pay a |
considerable net revenue into Richmond's /
treasury instead Of being a charge upon |
her. Every consideration, therefore, Of |
interest demands that she |
should seek a union of the two cities un- !
der one government. What member Of |
the City Council or Board Of Aldermen |
has the "go' in him requisite to setting |
the ball in motion? There is the making |
of big reputation In it.
Another improvement which should so |
hand in hand with the annexation is |
bringing deep water to the end Of Mayo's |
island. If our wharves were there in
stead Of at Rockets, they would be in |
the heart of Richmonds business instead |
of at it's furthest extremity and this |
would mean 10 her business what no man |
can compute. Mayos bridge is at the foot t
OF Fourteenth street. A dray would pass |
down Fourteenth street and across the |
bridge TO the island, and then on the |
island to the wharves, always upon al
most a perfect level. on the opposite side
Of the river the wharves would be estab-
lished which manufactures required; and
Richmond would be in as perfect a condi-
ton to do business prOftably as any place
on this continent. We have made in
quiries and we are able to state authori-
tauvely that the river can be so i'm
proved from Rockets to Mayo's Island
as that the Old Dominion steamships can
come to the latter place for a sum inside
Of 100000. 1t is true that Richmond is
In no condition to appropriate that sum
at this time thanks to a Reform" Coun-
ellis wasteful expenditure in building the
new city Han, but the money can be
found in some way, If the whole scheme
IS undertaken as one plan. Let us wake
up and do something instead Of talking
about it all the time.
@--------------------
THE ARMORY MUST WAIT.