The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-15
Started From Ashes Of
War and Days OF
Reconstruction.
GREW GRADUALLY;
LATER BY LEAPS
Published Statements Of Condi-
ton Of Banking Institutions
Show How Increase and
Enlargement Have 5 INV
Been Accom-
plished.

Everything In the way OF commercial
growth in the South dates from the
close OF the war between the states in 1855.
At that time the South was merely a.
milo Of ashes and every thing hnd to begin Z
at, the bottom. Worse still, the beginners 4
had to take time to ncuualnt themselves \
with entirely new conditions and make q
new foundations upon which TO bullu.5;
And worse yet; the South was handlchp-.a3
ped In thc}hrst year Of this new beg inning
BY what Is we'll remembered rs recon
fstructlon tines" a period that was be-
cause OF the thick veil Of uncertainty ana \
apprehension 1t threw over everything.
worse so far as Its effect upon business
was concerned, than war itself. In var
times people knew there was but one &
thing to do and that was to smut y ~
shop and lot business 30 to the dogs
In reconstruction times people felt l.n< ~
duty to home, family and native land de- B
%n1anded some sort Of business activity
and yet In those uncertain days ltgsrei-s
5quired brave men to try to build 8llp The \
commerce OF All ashpe.
These unfavorab BILE cond tons were espe-ss
fcially severe In Virginia and In Rich
smond Hero the battles OF that cruel war
were fought and here the cloud OF recon-
structlon hung over the people longer
+ than anywhere else In the South VII
Capital is always and ever las been 81 e.
timid .G!ng. For reasons that u child can
readily understand, banking capital Is
and should be especially tilnid. Is It any
wonder that it shrunk from tho conditions
that the war left and that reco struct ton
perpetuated? Il II 53 a.s 38
Richmond.s commercial and banking
rehabilitation really commenced late 8in 4
tho seventies, and her growth In tho
banking business should really date from
about 1876. Is is5 $ 55533
u hott n 10
Of tho banks OF Virginia, and especially
of Richmond, reads almost like romance,
and proves the truth of the old saying
that truth s Is stronger than fiction:
But to 50 into the detailed history Of
Richmond banking from, say SIG % a te,33.
would be to take up more space In THIS
pa per than can be allotted 60 tho sub
iect In one issue, and besides, to thu
average reader 1t would n be very dr.
mat tor, for In the nature of the case IT
would have to be largely Of figures. Ss
/! would be sufficient to say that with
the close Of the war between the sta tes
Richmond commenced Mt theIvery bottom
rs a banking centre and In spite Of t l,''5$
evils OF the unsettled conditions OF res
construction times, grew gradually, very
gradually year by year, until abou t, is 6.$
when it commenced to grow by Leaps
It's banking business has grown RAPIDLY
since then and last year the clear1ngss
Of the Richmond banks reached tho
enormous sum Of $3.50 ,eos,23a, which was
an increase Of sco3s7,1o3 over the pres
vious year. In like ratio Richmond has
been growing year by year since the.
real beginning In the seventies.
An Experts Figures. IN.
In November last, Mr. w. M. Hablis-&
| ton. president OF the National Bank OF
! Virginia, and n leader among Virginia
| flnanclers. prepared nm article that was
,,published In this paper at the time
! Some OF tho facts and figures then
brought out should be reproduced now.
! for they are as interesting now as they they
! were then. u