Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-29
OLD CITY AND NEW.
RICHMOND or TO-DAY coNTRAsTeo
WITH TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO.
Evidences ON Every Hand Why the People
Of the ConfederAcy's Capital Should
Be Grateful.



never forget the scene OF desolation and
the appalling sense OF ruin which came
over me. All lost, save honor and
life. Did I say life? Alas! great
as our losses were-slaves, money, stock.
everything but the bare soil. and this
encountered with all the indebtedness OF
the citizen-the destruction of our best
and bravest In the pride of their man
hood immeasurably outweighed our ma
terial losses. And. as IL this was not
enough. to crown our disaster. large num-
bers of our young men who survived.
discouraged by the gloomy outlook. left
their homes to seek their fortunes in
more promising fields.
The noble remnant, undsmayed, set
themselves resolutely to the task Of re-
building and restoration; without money,
without credit, our commerce diverted to
other channels, our railroads bare wrecks.
with unfriendly legislation, heavily-taxed
to pension those who had aided In our
overthrow; with courageous faith In
our destiny. a perseverance which no OBJ
stacle could divert from its purpose. they
moved steadily onward, and the new
Richmond began to arise from the ashes
OF the old. which. in beauty and grand
eur, Il far surpassed, and to-day,
instead of the vlllage-like city II was,
we have a compact city, our streets sys-
tematically laid out and graded, bordered
by stately and elegant buildings for
traffic and commerce. and beautiful
homes adorned with all the comforts and
elegancies of our modern civilizations;
with a City Hall which will compare
with any similar building In the country
in so,idity of construction and architec-
tural beauty; Chamber Of Commerce,
a Masonic Temple. and many other pub
lie buildings of which any city might be
justly proud.
THE CITYS ADVANTAGES.
Our numerous factories are musical
with the hum OF industry; our excellent
systems of railroads. bringing US traffic
from all quarters of the globe; our street.
cars, affording our citizens rapid transit
to all parts OF the city; our streets, alive
with the noise and hustle Of a busy ana
nourishing mercantile centre-marvellous!
And misunderstanding the earnestness
with which we have been compelled TO
devote ourselves to the advancement OF
our material interests, we have found
time for identifying and adjoining our
city. Our public parks I'm size, number,
and beauty will compare favorably with
those Of any city In our land. Some OF
them, in the very heart of our city, Sc
cured 10 us by the wisdom and foresight
of those who have gone before US, tne!r
money value almost beyond computatioH'
a source of perpetual enjoyment and re-
creation to our citizens. The silent cities
OF our dead, where sleep our loved ana
lost are scarcely inferior 10 the city Oh
the living In beauty and adornment.
our monuments-the pyramid In Holly
wood, silently and eloquently teaching
that we honor and love those who gave
their lives for us, and will cherish their
memory until we pass to the SKIES u
which il points; the Pickett monument
little gem of beauty, its inscriptions con-
tanning in epitome the history or that
gallant division, the only one In the army
COMPOSED entirely OF Virginians; the Ote'
BATTERY monument; the Howitzer monu-
ment: the Wickham monument III 'he
East-End, the monument to our oeao !"
lakewood; and. on Libby Hill, the ihonu-
ment to the private soldiers ana saiio,s
~ the Confederacy-a beautiful SHAFT
crowned by a solitary figure upon VIII"
falls the first rays of the rising sum-
In the west, solitary horseman, upon
who's. figure the last rays of the settins
sun linger lovingly. as II loath 10 ieave
to darkness and solitude the nopie GU
hero we all delight TO honor, leaving IL III
doubt whether our people delight most "
honor the noble heroes who leu, OF 'ne
gallant men who followed In our ia'e
struggle for freedom, and showing 10 inc
world that. I'm our estimation, the present
generation has produced men WORTHY "
he honored with our immortal ancestors,
whose monument in our Capitol SQUARE
Is said to equal any group or Sta'ud-y d"
the known world.
OUR SUBURBS.
In Fulton, East Richmond. Chestnu.
Hill. Barton Heights, and the west Emu
we see private enterprise experimenting
nubllc Improvement In every possible d.
raction-improveme which must ere
long lead to the extension OF our limits
and greatly Increase our population ana
wealth. And just here. though no.
strictly germain to my subject, wouiu
like to say a word In reference TO the I'M
provement of our northern SUBURBS py
one Of our public-spirited citizens, whose
great wealth, guided by practical wisdom
and refined taste, has converted large
land into a paradise of productiveness
and beauty, making not two, but
hundred, blades of grass grow where one
grew before. There fiocks and herds
roam. finding abundant and iuxuriant
pasturage. and acres Of choice fruit
trees flourish and yield abundant re-
turns; where rich harvestS reward the
hand OF the husbandman, intersected ny
beautiful roads, bordered by lovely now
ering hedges, trees, and shrubs; 10 that
In driving through this section one IA
mlliar with what 1t was a few years ago
Is tempted to believe that Aladdin's won
derful lamp or the hand of enchan:ment
alone could have wrought SO wonderful a
transformation in so short a time. giving
to the farmer what our City Hall Is 10
the architect-a perpetual object lesson.
One other matter and l have done.
One OF Virginia's greatest men. one
whom the outside world delighted 10
honor for the great benefits he CONFER
red on Observation-Disclosures +. Maury-has
said that owing to our fortunate s:tua-
ton In reference to the storm centres
we would always be comparatively free
from those commissions OF nature which
menace and sometimes destroy other sec
tons. SO In our social and political Ire
we have ever been free from tho1e tale
ful iSmS wnlcn nave OiteH tnTcitTich thc
very existence of other communities. So
cialism, Nihilism, ct Id omnia, have never
taken root I'm our SOIL but through our
entire history, In prosperity or adversely.
In peace or in war, we have been an emil
nently conservative, law-loving, and law
abiding community. Let us. then, cease
to murmur and complain, and eEdeavor
TO have realizing sense OF our many
blessings.
Let us, mindful Of the mandate Of our
Chief Magistrate. suspend for one day our
usual avocations, repair to our temples,
and with hearts glowing with gratitude
give thanks 10 God. who has crowned cur
past with so many and great blessings.
And as In the past, allowing for the
errors and imperfections Of all human
efforts, our city has lived as nearly up to
her noble motto as any community ever
did, let us. with gratitude for our past.
with faith in our future. with faith in
ourselves, and faith In our God, go cheer
fully and hopefully forward, so perform
ing our part that "Esta Perpetua" may
he written above our motto "SfC Itur ad