The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-01
HAPPY HOMES IN
SWEET RURAL AIR
And Yet the Business Man Is in
Close Touch With Office
Affairs--Suburban Develop
ment Goes Great Way to
Make Greater Richmond
Even Greater.
ny FRANK s. woopsos,
IndustrinI ELiinr.

In oldcn times there were CITY folks
and country folks. and they didn't mix
much. All OF tho city folks lived with
In the corporate limits OF the city and
the country folks anywhere beyond
those corporate limits. ana they were
as distinct as II they had been OF diff.
fcrcnt races Fitiy years ago every
man who did business In city-any
city In this broad land-had his homo
within the corporate limits of that
city. TO live beyond those corporate
limits barred him from the business
sphere, not that his hnysecd excluded
him. but that conditions made IL neces-
sary for him TO live within tile city In
order 10 be on time for business every
morning.
The steam ears came along In time
and busy men found that by getting on
the commuters line they could live
few miles away from the counting
house, and BY getting UP at the first
crack Of day In the morning reach the
office In time for early opening. OF
course this rule applied only to such
people as could ind n steam line to
suit conditions.
Getting Together.
Next came the mule car lines and
they brought the country folks closer
10 town a. long as the breath of tho
mule hcid out. but that breath did not
hold out for more than 4 mile. Then
came the electric trolley lines. and they
had more breath and made more mics
In shorter space of time.
Richmond was among the early cities
to catch on TO the suburban trolley
line. and. luckily for Richmond, /, also
caught on TO one OF the best Of street
car systems. Tho folks who came here
TO run the electric lines soon saw that
the big money was In tho suburban
lines. and they were not slow to run
their wires and their tracks far beyond
tho city limits. And then the suburbs
commenced TO grow in a popular senee
Up TO this time the only man who
could live in the suburbs and do bust
ness in the city was tho fellow who
was burdencd With capital and had all
kinds OF horses and rdables With
The extension OF the trolley lines IL
the north and TO the cast and to tho
west and to the south the suburbs
Nature Helped out.
Geographically speaking. no city on
earth has better showing for tho
making of magnificent suburbs than
has Richmond Nature has done every
thing to make all OF the surrounding
country lovely and healthful. The peo-
pie who love the country air. the real
estate agents and spectators and in
vestors who love 10 make a profit. the
street car people who love 10 collect
fares. the architects who love to fur
nish designs, the contractors and the
builders who love to contract and to
build. and the original owners who love
TO sell farm acres for town front foot
figures, have all combined to build up
around the good and growing city of
Richmond some of the lovcliest suburbs
that surround any city within the
limits OF this great and glorious coun-
try And these suburbs are inhabited
by people who do business and make
their living In one way and another in
the business heart of Greater Rich
mond. All OF this suburban develop
ment has been a big thing for grow
ing Richmond, and but for it the census
figures recently published would not
have shown up near so we'll. AS a
matter of fact, Richmond city proper
was getting too much congcsted, and
IT required suburban development TO
keep It's wide awake folks at home and
furnish home lie for the busy men
who arc doing so much to make Rich
mond greater and greater as the days
and the weeks and the months go by.
Suburban Limits.
This suburban development has been
going on not much over a decade, and
to-day the suburbantes flock into the
city every morning from every point of
the compass; from the norts as far Is
Ashland and Fredericksburg; from the
south as far as Petersburg and Chcs-
ter; from the west rs far out as Gordons-
vile. and from the east away beyond
Fulton and down the line nearly 10
williamsburg. The time may come in
the near future when williamsburg
and Newport News TO the east. Char
lottesvillc and Gordonsvilic to the west
Chester. Petersburg. Emporia and
Waverly to the south. and Fredericks-
burg and Alexandria to the north and
all of the interim cdiato territory, will
be regarded rs suburban Richmond
don't mean that 1t will come this
year, perhaps I hardly look for 1t this
century, but in the last century, which
for automobiles and airships and some
other things that arc right with MS at
the beginning of this good year 1911.
Heaven only knows what may happen
next.
Plenty OF Room.
Be all OF this speculation as II may.
the fact rema ins that there is no city
in the South that Is blessed with love
y Her and more convenient suburbs, and
as intimated above, this fact Is due to
the generosity of nature. to tile energy
and business foresight of tho electric
railway people, the real estate men and
possibly to certain extent to the
farsightedness and the booming pro-
clivities and the enthusiasm of tho
newspaper men.
No matter TO whom credit is due the
fact remains. and It can be Dragged
about. that the suburbs OF Richmond
arc all lovely and inviting and the
prospective business man who lis look
Ing for location to establish cot
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