The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1919-07-24
BY Guy U. Hardy.

BY Guy U. Hardy.
l spent the Fourth of July in Rich
mond, Va. l have looked forward to
this visit for many years. But | was
a little disappointed. 1 was looking
for quaint. quiet. old-fashioned town.
but whatever Richmond may have
been in war times and before or after.
it is now a busy, bustling, hust.ing,
enterprising city of considerable size.
The old has been swallowed up in the
new and is hard to find.
enjoyed the day quietly at the Jeffer-
son hotel, which, when it was built was
one OF the finest and most magnifi-
cent hotels in the country But it
has been out-distanced by modern
hotels with conveniences and archi-
lecture, and is no longer a sight to
see. 1t is a fne, comfortable old
hotel. however, and a very restful
place to stay. 1t is about as restful
as a sanitarium.
The Fourth in Richmond was cele-
brated about as enthusiastica- -ly and
with as much outward exhibitions of
joy and appreciation as is February
% in Garden Park. Most everything
was closed up, just about like Sunday,
but that was the only evidence of the
holiday that observed. And ! never
heard person anywhere refer to the
Fourth Of July or heard any Fourth of
July noises at all.
i would have thought that a Fourth
of July was as quiet in Richmond as
day could be in a great city, If
had not come back to the city on Sun
day. j found how devoid of life big
city can really become IL it really
tries. On Sunday in Richmond every
thing is closed. You can not buy a
cigar, box OF matches, a drink OF
lemonade, a coco-cola, dish of ice
cream, anything whatever, in fact, or
get a shoe shine. About the only
thing you can buy is a newspaper
You can buy somthing to eat at res
taurant and you can ride on street
car.
Provided-and this was funny ex-
ception, but IL shows the broad-minG-
ed policy OF the folks OF Richmond
If a Jew closes his civar store on his
Sabbath-Saturday-he can open his
store on Sunday. So we found a place.
where cigars were sold after ALL
Richmond has some interesting
things to see. There is the old cap
itol-which was the national capital
Of the Confederacy. ! went up TO it
and found sign on every door saying
that it was closed for the Fourth. /
was keenly disappointed, SO / walked
up to back door and started in-that
is l took hold of the door knob as II
starting in. policeman came out of
the back and came up 10 the door.
! said: rs everything closed up?"
He said: "Yes, sir
/ said: "Can get in7"
And he said: "Yes. sir"
He explained that when he saw me
walking up to the capitol he recog-
nized at once that must be a person
who had business in there, and he
came over to let me in.
Thus was the Scripture exemplified,
which says: knock and II shall be
opened unto you" or words to that
effect. saw lot of people go up
and read the signs, but they turned
and went their way without rafting
the door.
we got well acquainted and the po-
iiceman. who had been sRerin in
mountain county, and was and is a
power in the politics OF the state,
showed me all over the old capitol.
l went to the capitol especially to
see the Houdon statue of Gen. George
Washington This Is probably the
finest ptatue of Washington in exis.
tence.
MI Houdon was a French sculptor.
The General Assembly of Virginia
voted to have have a statue of Gen.
washington made. Thomas Jefferson,
who was then ia Paris, recommended
~. Houdon. The sculptor came to
America 10 17s5, visited Gen. Wash |
ington e NJ. Vernon, and this statue |
= tns result II xas delivered ssvsj