The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-09
How a CITY Grows.

| There are laws regulating the growth or
rlnnts and there ID n law regulating the
growth of townsville law Of cntise and
effect. is
FOR the salso of Illustration let us build
an imaginary town and nnnlize 1t us
we 20 along. We Will suppose that the
people Of certain county select n site
for county scat. First, o courthouse Is
built. then clerks Office. then jail;
that done we have the nucleus of town.
There will be several county officers,
each OF whom, let lis suppose, will tHiild
n residence, and tho town will start off
with population Of say nifty SOILS. On
court days, and from time to tifnc. citi-
zens Of the country will come to the
county seat to transact business ana
that will create a demand for n small
Inn, for two or more, stores. for blacks
smith shop, shoe shop and perhaps
other small industries, If they may De
dgnii1ed with such q name. Then there
will be several lawyers, some OF whom
will build residence, and others VIII
board at the inn. There will also be n
doctor, and by and w. ~ there will be q
I churchrand n school house. The preacher
will probably live in the village as Will
also a sschoolmaster and few far
mers from tho. Surrounding country may
move their famiis ito town. This would
make population. all told. OF from ooo
to 1000 persons, and from, year to year
there would be the usual increase from
births and the usual decrease from
deaths.
There nrc many such towns. or VII
lagos, in Virginia. We have such a village
in mind which was started moro than
fifty years ago and whose population has
not varied appreelablyo within the time,
except. during tho war5aperiod. There
we're resources sufficient to maintain q
population of four or five hundred. The
resources remained constant, neither IN
crossing nor diminishing, and there was
accordingly, slight variation In the NUNS
Der of inhabitants from year to year.
There was tho usual growth Of births.
which was offset by deaths and removals,
but there was no influx Of population
because the means Of sustenance were
limited. @ t'i tlio6s a
Bat, returning to the town which we
have built in Imagination, let us suppose
that two practical enterprising men
started up q coach factory and built
carriages, tnggis and wagons and dlo
general repair work. Immediately, there
would be considerable increase In the
population, for this would create de-
mand for workmen In the Woodworking
department, In tho painting department.
IN the trimming department and IN the
smthshop. Then, If company should
be organized and build a cotton factory
there would Immediately be further
increase In the population. according TO
the number of persons employed IN the
factory and their families. In the mean
time, railroad connection would be es-
tablishcd, and this would necessarily add
to the Importance and the welfare Of the
town as we'll as to the population.
And so we might suppose other indus
tries to be added from year to year and
with each new industry there would be
new growth. 1t is needless, however, to
multiply tho examples The lesson is as
plain as A, 3. c. A small town IS
finished and ceases to grow when the
limit OF It's resources for the maintenance
OF lito Is reached. This is not strictly
true of a city Of considerable size, be-
cause tho larger a city grows the greater
is its capacity to grow. just as large
tree will In single year increase more
In volume than the entire fibre Of two
or three sappllngs. The large tree has
a greater capacity for growth, because
II sinks It's roots deeper Into the earth
and spreads them out lateraly over
much broader surface. and 80 takes
from tho earth more Of that which sus-
tans plant life and makes growth. But
after all 1t Is perfectly manifest from the
illustration which we have given that the
surest and greatest means of growth IN
any town is the factory. In our imaginary
town, the courthouse brought In few
county officials, 4 few lawyers, doc
tor, preacher. a school teacher. and SO
on. Tho store brought In merchant
and one or more clerks. The inn brought
In the landlord and few employees. All
these. however. were dependent In a
great part upon the community Itself for
their sustenance, but the factory brought
in from nifty to one hundred PERSONS
and the employees of tho factory were
dependent for their sustcnance, not al
together upon the community, but mainly
upon money brought IN from tho outside
The factory made goods which were
shipped abroad. The money was brought
home and paid out 10 the operatives.
That is the rule with factories. They
are Of the greatest benefit. because they
draw their substance from remote quar-
ters and are az 80 many feeders to
lake.