The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-19

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To tile Editor of Tile Times-Dispatch;
Sir,-It Is TO be hoped that the more
thoughtful element among the young
and old lovers of Richmond Will not let
themselves be disturbed BY suGn eN-
pressIons as the letter headed "Eseyer.
ence in Progress in your Issue OF May
9. Persons like the writer OF that let
ter do not really mean any harm; 1t Is
they haven't stopped to think. They
would not really murder their own
grandmothers, though TO hear them
talk one might fear they would.
The dieniicd old homestead and pub
lie buildings, with their sacred assoc
Citations, the venerable trees. whose
benefits generations have enjoyed, antt
even the old relics like the Capitol
fence. are to cities what the grant
parents, with their beautiful, time
SCARED faces. looking serencly ana
lovingly from under their crowns OF
silvered hair upon the astonishihP
The happiest homes are those in whlcn
are to be found both the grandparents
and the babies-each receiving loving
care and consideration.
AS to sentiment. that is n kind Of
extra sense You can no more explain
it to a man not born with it.@thdn
you can. explain a tune to a man Win
no ear for music, or a joke TO a man
without a sense of humor.
But even persons who frankly laugh
al sentiment MAJ be impressed by
facts. ! believe If The Times-pispatch
would publish a brief and apprecia-
tive sketch OF the life n services to
this nation of Chief Justice John Mar
shall some of the rash young persons
who speak of the home of this great
and good man as "eumnethg ~
their minds. They would BIO still more
impressed il it We're possible for You
to tell them how many hundreds OF
thousands OF dollars the antiquities OF
\ E,,,r,rpo ri ra w from he n0cketS OF pro-
greSsive, unSentimental Americans
yearly.
TO put the matter upon a business
footing, Richmond cannot afford to
lose a historic relic: not even one like
the Capitol fence, which gives an in
teresting ANTIQUE touch to the town.
1t is these things that a large percent
age of the wealthy and cultured per
sons who pass through Richmond on
their way to and from the Southern
resorts stop over to see-leaving a
share Of their wealth with our mer-
chants, hotel-keepers, etc.
a. few years ago a Richmond gentle
man was travelling in England with
his wife and baby, and an old colored
"mammy,' who went With them every
where n frankly expressed her con-
tempt for many of the things. that in
'Iterested her white folks" Finally. at
stratford, they visited the room in
which Shakespeare was hord nam
why said she, "dis ain near as
fine as my mistis's chamber, in Rich
mon, an she ain nuver charge no.
"A body a cent to look at it!'
There are a few things In Richmond
that visitors here will always care
more to see than the fine" things
given ns by modern progress,
SO, let us preserve both the old and the
\ new, and not make of Richmond either
o, home without a grandmother or a
; picture without n background,
! 1nsteadSof tearing down the Capitol
Square fence, let us restore to it ita
swinging iron gates.
!, And, by all means, let us preserve
the home of John Marshall! But 1t
: Is not tireproofu' / hear some one say.
True. NeitharAt is your home freproof--
nor mine, NJ. Editor.
, In fact, there are, at least 100, 900
: precious human lives housed IN homes
n which, are not freproof in old Ricll-
:, mond.. to say nothing OF "NNashington
Ward,',, Yet few OF us lose any sleep
I over the idea that these homes are Il
I menace to ourselves or our n~eighbors,
t even though we so to bed we'll aware
! that before we are up the cook will
I probably have started the kitchen fire
with coal at. X