Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-09
was too rapid an. dangerous.

CharieE Wallace was one of our
noted swimmers. AS bathing suits
were then unknown. the boys bathed
Ill puris ~naturalibus. and would have
scorned any disguise that concealed
their shining bodies. Thus, alto
se'her' the boys then had as good Il
Time as do the boys of the present
day
When noting. in Il former communi-
cation. the excessive infant mortality
Oh old-tfme Richmond. ] omitted to
state that the same adverse influences
mat carried of children also affected
ADULTS. Seventy years was accounted
Ola age. and an octoEenarian was
Almost. If not quite. unknown. For
example,. my father and three OF his
sons Joined their fathers at from sixty
SIN to siNty-eight years of age. The
women did not deign to hide advancing
years by youthful ways or youthful
dressing, as In these days. but donned
caps. Richmond now. if not n new
heaven. is almost Il new earth as COM
pared with old-time Richmond.
In those days society was almost
"hoiiy planter and professional. except
that some branches OF manufacturing
especially making iour-were recog-
nized and, therefore, aristocratic. Trade
"h' OSNSu uoNh upon, OF II
any engaged therein were recognized.
1t was through condescension Thus,
for example: Il daughter OF Robert y.
Mayo, a gentleman of wealth and posi-
ton, residing at "Powhatan" 9th re-
puted royal seat of tho father Of Poca-
hontas. Il couple of miles below Rich
mond, on James Rivcr). was considered
10 nave made Il miSalliauce in MARRYING
n Mr.. West. who. though exemplary in
every respect. was bookkeeper for tho
shoe house Of Putney e Watts. The
wedding was n big affair. and was
memorable to me. in a small way, as
being the occasion of my owning my
first dress suit. On account of the
social disrepute of trade, J., though
nothing OF a society man, did noi
always feel comfortable i'm my then
new position of assistant ~bookkccper
for Binford. Mayo & Blair.
Then. and for long afterwards. tho
most fashionable part of Richmond was
the northeast corner of Shockoe Hin,
from he Capitol Square to what is now
the Confederate Museum and thence
west five squares. including Leigh
Street TO Sixth street. franklin from
Eighth Street west was desirable. but
not until long after tho war did it
attain It's social prc-crnincnce Mrs.
huilocks residence. the site of the
present commonwealth Club. was in
the country, and in 1861 Monroe Park
was the principal Confederate camp.
Grace Street from Seventh to Fifth
streets and Fifth Street from Grace
to Cary were also fashionable.
ALMOST WHOLLY
ON MAIN AND CARY STREETS
Business. both Wholesale and retail.
of the better class was almost wholly
on Main and Cary Streets. between
Twelfth and Fifteenth. the busincss
or Broad street. except Valentine ~
Breeden's retail dry goods house. cor
ner OF Fourth. being confined TO petty
shops. Thomas r. Prices, the fashion
able retail dry goods store, was a good
deal below Fourteenth street on Main.
and Binford. Mayo e Blair's was two
doors above Prices. Fourteenth street
was the tobbinC dry goods center until
Kent. Paine & Kent built their fire
warerooms whore the State and CITY
Bank now stands.
In all directions Richmond was
studded with great square double man
sions. and these, in the midst of great
lots and surrounded by trees, shrubs
and flowers, gave the city a very at
tractivc appearance; but IT could lay
no claim TO architectural beauty, be-
cause architects being unknown here.
builders filled their role; consequent
new buildings were merely scrvile
copies of older buildings. for let one
builder introduce a new and popular
feature, and all other builders initiated
Il. The first architectural efforts were.
Edwin RobinSon'S dwelling (on tho