The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-16
BUSY B ! {! RICHMOND
AS NOW AND Then
Recent Events Remind One Of
Wonderful Changes That Have.
Taken Place.
FIFTY YEARS AGO AND TO-DAY
.Bird's-Eye View Of Industrial
Daily Display Being Made by
Gateway Of South.

In his speech to the two hardware
associations which met hore last week
Mayor MCCARTHY said Richmond had
always boon busy manufacturing
centre. and that no industry. Ia here
now that was cot in some smaller de-
gree represented In Richmond fifty
years ago.
That Is true. perhaps. but the Rich.
mond Of to day and that of forty or
fifty years ago Is so dissimilar that
the visitor here o half-centuryt back, or
the ardent young Southerner who hur-
ried to the defense OF the capital o the
Southern Confederacy would not
recognize the growing, progressive,
twentieth century city that adorns the
loft shore Of the James. So great have
been the changes, indeed. that one
familiar with Richmond in war times
would have to hunt for familiar scenes
and landmarks by which no could get
his bearings.
Not only has the physical aspect OF
the city changed. but 1t has undergone
metamorphosis in every way. From
ayllttle municipality OF 4O,o00to $4,000
people. tho State capital has lenped up
ward to community of moro than
10000. and possibly l25.o0O, people,
and from the trading centre Of q small
radius to. the tributing point for a
large portion OF the entire South. Its
commercial progress has oven out
striped Its growth In population, and
It's manufacturing interests have been
enlarged and diversified as ono would
hardly have dreamed when the war
clouds hOvered over It. It's transpor.
tat!on facilities have boon moro than
doubled. and it's means of transit have
been reyolutionlzed. Tho bus and the
horse car have long ago boon displaced
by the unseen power of the electric
current, enabling Its busy residents
to reach quickly the remotest -lImttt
Of Its amplined area. It's provincial
streets and its Pickering gas lamps
and all the relics OF what now seems
remote past. are numbered among the
things that We're Visitors to the for.
mer Confederate capital Will be whirled
swiftly over smoothly paved and we'll.
drained avenues and Streets by means
OF the electric motor. tho automobile
or the rubber-tlred vehicle now In
common use.
Beyond the city. to the northeast
tho north, the northwest and tho west.
ward, thriving Villages and towns
press close upon the city, and really
form an inseparalle portion of 1t. The
present slte Of the Commonwealth Clut
VAS baut the western limits OF thu
hnbltable city OF 1860; Broad Street. a,
la thoroughfnre, ended at Brook Ave
nue., ard cast of that point was fol
blocks little moro than n Struggling
thoroughfare. The beautiful Monro,
Park OF to-day was tho State Fat,
Grounds of war times. and Oregon Hi
was a pine thlcket. where the youth
shot rabbits or flushed stray covey
q: birds The business and the resi-
Dental life OF Richmond was the1
largely limited to tho section east o
FIRST Street, and Main. Cary and thu
downtown numbered streots were tn,
busy centres of commercial activity.
4 In 1860 Belle Isle was, as now, til,
scene Of important iron industries, an,
i tho Tredegnr Works, not far away
wore even then turning out their irol