The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-06-24
WHAT MAKES A CITY?


The old sunday-school hymn. Little
drops of water, little grains OF sand' MAKE
the mighty ocean and the beauteous
land" is singularly applicable to the MAX
Ing of cities.
After all said and done, men make cities,
n tr11ison as old as mankind, but then 1t
is equally true though often overlooked
that the surroundings make men. Grant
Allen SAYS that if the negroes now in Cen
tral Africa had at the division OF the NJ
lions gone to Northern Europe they Woulo
no white and the Northern Europeans, II
thew had gone TO Central Africa, would be
black.
This is a wide statement, but 1t IS GER
tainly true, that the stall-fed OK is larger
than the steer that has to hunt Tor ms
food on bleak hilIsides, and the weli-ieo
man to be prize fighter or student STANDS
4 better show than his hungry competitor.
And all history shows that civilization and
power have been with the nations VINO
We're neither struggling against bitter cold
and dirt, nor enervated by tropical warmth.
It is an interesting fact that Rome.
which has been pre-eminently the city OF
the world was one of the first TO make
extensive efforts for the physical well be-
ing OF its citizens Five hundred years be-
fore the Christian era Rome began con-
structing aqueducts to furnish the Romans
with pure and wholesome water. Each
succeeding generation or century saw that
undertaking added to and increased.
B. c. III the Appian Aqueduct was built.
Forty wears later the Anio Vetus was built,
bringing i-s&zits[ supply from the valley Of
the Anio :orty-three miles from Rome.
Within the nexts three centuries nine
great systems were built to supply pure
water One of these, built by Calijula and
Claudius. was forty-six miles III length
and ran for ten miles on arches above the
surface Another aqueduct, also built by
Claudius, was siXty-eight miles long. These
sources gave Rome a supply Of pure and
sparkling water, estimated at 33l, 900, 600
gallons daily. To-day Rome receives daily
from four aqueducts 160,00o,Oo0 gallons OF
water whici, has its origin in the volcanic
districts, and is freed from all danger of
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES pCIlSAito VI pGi
water, fresh air and proper sewerage were
thoroughly understood by Rome and put
into practice not only in the Imperial city,
but also in the conquered provinces.
1t is hard to estimate the value of these
material comforts among the many forces
that went to make up that pride of birth
which every Roman felt. Nor can any one
hat fha ,ly1l
have been had they lived in
suualor and discomfort. There ability to
fight is not enough. Man for man, the
Soudanese AIanomedans are far superior to
any British troops that ever We're, but they
lack the stimulus of civilization, Of clean
illness and of creativeness necessary to
compete with a race which has those ele-
nrents.
Rome was on the shores of the red and
muddy Tiber, 80 Tibery Father Tiber, to
whom the Romans pray said brave
Horatius as he plunged in, but we observe
that the Romans did not drink its waters
Praying to it was all very well, but for
drinking and bathing water they built
themselves aqueducts and drank pure
water and bathed in baths that are still the
admiration Of the world.
Richmond is also on the shores Of red
and muddy stream. but it differs from
Rome in one respect at least. It remains to
be seen whether Richmond vii! not yet
equal Rome In the respect of water. Civ
ing the city pure water viii be a work which
will glorify the memory, of the Council
and Aldermen that carry it out