The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-17
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WILLIAM ROBERTSON TRIdG.

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II is with great sorrow that wc an
nourct this morning the death OF Mr..
y William r. Trigg. Though his health
h:-d been bad for year and his condi-
Tor for week or more had been alarm
Ing. yet withal the dread summons
comes as n great shock. 1t Is not too
much to say that the death OF no other
man would cause more universal sorrow
In every sphere Of life. In the city Of
4 Richmond than does the death Of Mr..
rrigg. His acquaintance and fellow
workers wore to be found in every class
>; society, and by all was he beloved.
In another column there will be found
n sketch OF his life and we will not re-
peat the facts there stated but the
mere recital of the leading events in
mans life often fails to give a correct
conception of his real character and In
f,uence. Such Is the case in this In
stance.
Mr. Trgg was Virginian through and
through, and never for an instant wished
IL be anything else. Absence from his
native State, no matter what the cir
ru!nstances, was to him only exile. He
was proud OF her-as we'll might he be
md lovcd her with a passionate devotion.
His labors In financial and Industrial
fields were all Inspired by n longing to
10 something for the South, but, above
all, For Vii gnia. He had an abiding
faith in tue ability Of his people to do
what any other people could do under
Ike same circumstances, and. perhaps. to
DO 1t better. This faith not only sus-
tained hun in many severe trials, which
would have cast down a weaker spirit,
but enabled him to encourage and hearten
bthcrs.
It was Mr.. Trgg who first formed the
Idea of converting the Tanner & Delaney
Engine Company into 4 locomotive
works, and who not only equipped them
so that he actually built Lightweight
engines in one year, but by his energy
sent them to all parts of the United
States and to foreign countries. 1t was
Mr.. Trigg who conceived the idea Of
erecting a shipbullding pl9ut in Rich
mond The magnitude OF labors in
accomplishing this must have tended to
shorten his life-but lie has so far de-
veloped the plant that n lasting monu-
ment to his memory will remain. His
name. already known throughout our
country. will be handed down as that
If one of the most progressive and pub
c-sprited citizens Richmond ever had.
To these remarkable business abilities
Mr.. Trigg added the most charming per-
sonality Genial buoyant and bubblins
with hunor, he was withal very sensi-
tive and as a true gentleman was most
considerate of Others He never wounded
snyone's feelings. and had the faculty
Df winning the affection Of all servants.
which can only be done by gracousness
without familiarily-a distinguishing mark
and popularity of the thoroughbred
gentleman
s AS raconteur he had few equals. and
his faculty for seeing the humorous side
of things was source of amusement
TO himself and delight to his friends.
Though he made no display OF piety and
forebore "thc rigid feature" he was of
, deeply religious nature and no one
ever heard from him anything which dis
paraged the faith he was taught by his
mother. With his favorite poet. Burns,
he thought:
IAN atheists laugh is poor exchange
For Deity offended
+. Men make a city. Where can we look
for another to do further for Richmond
what has been done by William r.
Engg?