The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-28
THE CITY OF THE SEVEN HILLS
From Personality Of American Cities"
ny Edward Manser1..a rnhI.hea 3 Co

You can compare Richmond with
Rome II you Viii. with an allusion upoi
the side TO her seven hills; but, IL YOU
have even q remote desire for oriei-
nality. you viii not Rather compar,
the old Southern capital with bit OF
raro lace OF :. stout bit of mahogany
OF the two we would prefer the ma
hogany. for Richmond is substantial
rather than dinphanous And like
some OF tho fine old tables in the
dining rooms OF her great houses she
has taken some hard knocks and IN
the long run come ont Of them rather
we'll She is SCARED but still beau
tiful And she wears her scars. visible
and invisible. both hravcly and we'll.
But If man como down from the
North with any idea % the histories OF
that war. which is now nfty years old
and almost ready to bc forgotten, too
sharply in lis memory, and 40 ina
gines that he is 10 see Richmond OF
{ s65 with grass growing in the streets,
,uins everywhere, mules AND ne
Sroes IN the streets, he is
doomed Do an awakening There
Gre stii plenty Of mules and negroes
IN the streets and probably will DO
until The emo az time, but tho Rich
fnnnd Of to-day boasts miles and miles
Of as fine modern smooth pavements
as bis motor car might ever wish 70
ind. And as for ruins. bless you.
2ichmoud has begun 70 tear down some
OF the buildings which She built after
the war SO a. 10 Eet building sites for
ner newest skyscrapcrs.
DO not forget that there is a new
spirit abroad In the Southland Wiz
Fln!a, ia many ways the most poetic
and dramatic OF all our States, has not
lRgged IN H.. There are boards OF trade
81 Roanoke and Lynohburg that are
not averse 20 sounding the praises o..
those lively notwithstanding: towns Of
Vie up-cour'ry. aud az for Norfolk
Jet any Sorfolk man re; hold OF you
@nd IN two hours he viii have almost
convinced you that his town IS going
20 be the greatest seaport along tho
North AuantiC--and that Within two
decades. -i- Eut this chapter IS not
written Of Roanoke or Lvnchhurg or
%ortolh. This is Richmund's chapto,
and IN Il to he writ the fact that the
capital OF Virginia has not Jagged in
enterprise or progress behind any 81,
The other cities OF the State. IN the
transformation shc has sacrificed fev
Of her landmarks. none of that de.
lightful personality that makes Itself
apparent 10 those who tarry FOR a
attic time within her gates That
makes II all the better
Il IS the spirit of Tho new South
that IS not only bringing such wonder
ful towns az Birmingham, TO make a
single instance. to the front, but IS
working the transformation O: ruch
starch old settlements as Memphis
or AtlanIa--or Richmond. Not that
Richmord is willing TO forget the past
There Is something about the Virginia
rpiTit that seems incapable OF death.
There Is something Rbou; tho Nir-
ginian's loyalty TO his native state his
blindness 10 her imperfcctions. almost
every one Of them the result OF decades
of civic poverty. that cannot escape
The most callouscd commercial soul
ihnt ever walked out Of North or
South. And there Is something about
this bringing up Of spirit and OF 10y
salty with the spirit OF the new Ameri-
"a that makes a combination well-nigh
irresistible
Here, then. is tho new south The
generation that liked To discuss the de
inii OF Picketts charge ami the nor
lors of those days IN the Wilderness
is gone. Tho new generations are
rather bored with such detail. Tho
new generations nre not less spirited.
not less loyal than the old But they
IRE new That, Of itself. almost ex-
plains the difference Now see IL in r.
little closer light
volumes have been written OF the
loyalty of the old South. Richmond
herself to-day presents more volumes
although unwritten. or that loyalty.
You can read II In her streets in. her
nne old square houses In that stately
huildinE atop Of Shockoe Hin, which
generations have known ~ the Capitol
and which was Tor a little time tho
seat OF government OF Il new nation
within that capitol stands a statue
II is tho marble ergy OF a great Wiz
sinian, who was. himself the first
head OF n new government The guide .
hooks cali II tho Houdon statue Of
Washington and keen critics nave long
since asserted that u is not only tho
finest statue IN the. united States. bu,
one OF the most h2tqbl-' art works OF
tte world II was known as euch In
France AZ tho time o., the Civil War.
AND hardly had TINT very dark page
ia our history been turned before the
YOU'RE made ovcrtureS 10 Vircirte for