e of
promise, destined to be an important railroad-center and a seat of
commerce. This conception of the new city had been accepted as a true one
when it was destroyed by fire, and since its new birth in reconstruction
days the old spirit arose and lighted the new path of Atlanta to a greater
destiny.

The capital of the state was brought here from Milledgeville when the new
city was hardly out of the ashes of war, and this gave a great impetus to
its growth, which was further insured in 1877, when the people of Georgia
voted to make Atlanta their capital. Its rapidly developing business and
manufactures were brought to the attention of the whole country by the
Cotton Exposition of 1881 which was a point of departure for the
tremendous development of the Southeastern States during the decade
between 1880 and 1890. This development found a splendid illustration in
the great Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895.

The rapidity of the growth of Atlanta is illustrated by the fact that,
since it was blotted from the map, the city has spread over twelve square
miles of ground. Starting with no business in 1865, it received in 1903
four-tenths of the freight delivered in Georgia, and its post office
receipts were four-tenths of those of the State. Thirty-nine years ago
there was hardly a dollar to turn a trade; within the year just closed the
bank clearings aggregated $115,000,000. At the beginning of this period
there were only a few stragglers remaining in the wake of fire and sword.
To-day there is a great city of over 105,000 people, the business
headquarters of 125,000, with a floating population of many thousands
more. From bare ground covered with ashes and ruins in 1865, the city has
been built up to a value of $59,595,332, consisting largely of solid
masses of brick and mortar, stone and steel, which go to make up a
magnificent array of handsome business edifices. The number of houses has
increased from 300 to 22,600.

[Illustration: STATE CAPITOL.]

The question, wherefore Atlanta? naturally arises, for communities are not
effects without causes. Atlanta is the result of a combination of
advantages, on a commanding geographical location, turned to the best
account by a spirit of transcendent energy, which surmounts all obstacles
and builds even on disaster the fabric of success. The growth of this
unconquerable spirit has been promoted by a unity of purpose which has
prevented the domination of facti