The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-21
RICHMoND'S DEVELOPMENT
IAHC,I-ST


People who visit a city at infre-
oueHt intervals and note its progress
are among the surest judges of the
true growth Of that city They are in
position to compare the present
with the past and to measure the
standards of Yesterday with those Of
to-day. This class Of observers is
able TO distinguish the spurious claims
OF the boom" town from the just as
sertions of the city OF genuine growth,
traVele! in this class is z. D. worth
inston, Of Philadelphia, whose first oh.
servat!on OF Richmond goes Rack two
decades To the versatile interviewer
OF the Birmingham Age-Herald he
stated his opinion OF Richmond. as
follows:
Within the past two years Rich.
mond has shown the largest develop
rlent OF any Southern city. II he.
gan great forward movement. / am
to!o' ABOUT five or six years ago. but
nave had occasion to visit thar city
several times within the past two
years and whenever am there 7
marvel at the splendid buildings which
are going up.
was in Richmond for the first
time In 1890. and that broad, level
stfetoh Of land west of the college was
then IN the country 1t was all old
Held Now that section is not only
IN the city limits, but IT is elegantly
hnilt up / saw many palatial houses
there and no house that looked moor
OF cheap. did not learn what the
rules and regulations of Richmond
We're as to building, but it is evil
cent that no one IS granted per
nit to build house in the fashion
able West End except OF brick, stone
or concrete construction Twenty
years ago architects of artistic taste
and large ideas might have starved
70 death in Richmond and other
Southern cities. but now e" ry house
costing from $4,000 10 $1,000 Is de-
signed by competent architect. and
consequently esthetic treatment is in
evidence to charm the beholder
Tn Rlchmond's business district the
First National Bank is erecting a
twenty-story building, and the busi-
ness streets in that city are as mod
err and handsome as those one ex-
poets 10 fnd in great Northern cities"
That Richmonds is really the lnre-
est development OF any Southern city
Is a contention borne out by the facts
The an-around Increase here In popu-
lation, in building. in Industrial enter
prises. in .trs!ness Of every sort has
been steady;- sure. genulne-character
is;lcs which have marked the growth
OF very few Southern cities There has
been no tendency here to create false
values or TO deceive or mislead IN any
way. In other words, Riohmond's de.
velopment is the largest in the South
because fl is based upon principles
that assure IL OF ever Increasing
growth-the sound growth tina, goe.
right or. not Jumping a league for.
ward In one decade and falling ia eli
half league IN the next
Ii is no small asset Of Richmond t,
have such reputation for sound. sub
stantial progress instead Of Tor padded
prosperity Such a situation rs ex.
lists in Tacoma, for example coult
never have arisen here That br1r cit,
of Washington has heen convicted o,
the greatest census grab in history
simply because those who vera push
ing Il were so determined 70 MAX,
The city grow tina; they tempered ,yitl
the census and gave Tacoma a5.oo,
who existed only in the !mag!na,ion
Widespread adver+!siur of the mo-.
disgraceful character has beer va
ceved by Tacoma to the extent of blo,
ting OUT entirely all the good resui.
and good work Of It's ent3usis.,,
boomers before they resor,ed to bad
ding and prevaricatinc Watch tn
coma Grow" urged the boosters o.
that city and now Tacoma is IN
laughing stock If american eit,es
raeoma's nrs; census returns show
cd ll7o0o persons which would hav
put that city within 10000 of Rieo
nond Census Director purand re
fused TO accept this enumerat.on. VIII
the result thai on 2 second count
was found that Tacoma only harbo;
ed $4,000 people. In fact. the lat,e
tabulation afforded much amusemen
1t was discovered that single not,
with $50 beds was credited with j ga
guests, which would pu; seven,
guests in each bed The hrst reno,
credited one vacant lot as being II
residence OF los persons Other Va
cant lots aid almost as well \ lea,
ing society woman was pu, down
the iandlady OF hve laborers. Tn
Chinese population vas doubled. az
II is even alleged that dogs were coun
Cd as human beings, which must ma,
been gratifying to The dogs, as scien