immense power? Shall it be used in Fredericksburg or transmitted to neighboring cities to increase their facilities for manufactures? Capitalists and manufacturers must answer this question. It will thus be seen that Fredericksburg, with its quiet ways and want of bustling activity, is a manufacturing center of considerable importance, and lying, as it does, on the line of travel from north to south, there is no good reason, as we have intimated, why it may not be a manufacturing center of much greater importance. It is true that those who estimate a place solely by the number of industrial enterprises which it encourages, or the amount of traffic which comes to it, would not rank Fredericksburg as highly as some of the more busy or bustling towns of other parts of the country, but those who recognize other agencies besides water wheels and steam engines, and other earthly products, besides dry goods, groceries and general merchandise, will find much here to admire and interest them. It is also true that with the manufacturing facilities that we possess we would gladly see them greatly enlarged and more fully developed, also new ones erected and operated, but with this accomplished we would not forget that there are better fabrics than those that are manufactured by mechanical appliances. With a climate unsurpassed, an immunity from epidemics, a situation enviable because of its surroundings, water as pure as ever came from mountain springs, with all the advantages as we have before said of tidewater, without its malaria, with all the benefits of the mountains, without the mountain fevers, together with a refined and elevated society--if these, with the additions of home virtues and home joys, be regarded as valuable in life, then Fredericksburg must rank much higher than many a place that has more outward show of prosperity. The pursuit of gain and the exacting cares of business have not engaged altogether the thoughts and attentions of our people, to the exclusion of those things which tend to the _pleasure_, _comfort_ and _health_ of the community, and to its intellectual development. For the benefit of the first mentioned of these classes, Hurkamp Park has been located, Washington Avenue and the National Boulevard have been laid out, completed and adorned, and the Free Bridge has been constructed, while "Lovers' Lane" remains the same that it was in the century past. For those who would derive comfort from inhaling the pure, fresh air of the morning or evening in a drive, on horse-back or on a bicycle, can find on the avenue and boulevard beautifully graded drives, and a variety of scenes which are ever pleasing to the eye, while the beautiful sun risings and settings, and the deep blue sky above rival in grandeur and sublimity those of far-off Italy.