Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-12-18

sMe:1ings. which suficed for the
Of the employees. These:
louses We're on Twenty-third street. on
che otherS2stde of the railroad track in;
the district thai is o known as Rock
etts. Later on q row of single enc
ments We're quilt on Twenty-seventh
street They are there Yet. The less
~pretentiouS of the two rows OF buildings
was known as Poverty Row." While
the other bore the pretentious title of
Quality Row" both designations being
applied by the &. x Q. EMPLOYEES. A
goodly proportion Of the men who came
here at that time are here yet. either
above ground or With their toes turned
to the daisies.
Building went on rapidly for a time.
What is now pier 6. Of the G. & O.. was
constructed and adjoining it was the
passenger depot. In the county cleo
iors the depot was used as Il polling
place. Among the men VINO settled here
,bout the time that the railroad began
o stretch itself out in this direction
vas 4 man named Jones. He is the
M that you pay your taxes to tWhen
YOU cant help IT'D over in the office Of
he commissioners of the revenue where
ie is the anaiablc presiding genius.
For many Gears prior to the advent
< the Chesapeake & Ohio this had been
, faSor;te cOaling port Tor ships. but
: was not until after the Q was in
uccessful operation h 4 coal was ship
led from Newport News.
LIKE A MINING CAMP.
1t was a pretty wild town
hen, was this-much IL Il West
:rn mining camp. The popula-
ion. chiefly a floating element. was
nade up almost entirely of men. The
number Of the gentler sex could be
hands. The women We're idoliZed. 1t
was, worth a mans life to show the least
iisrespect toward 4 lady: for every man
n these parts. from the sheriff down.
would resent such conduct as q personal
,ftro4 t to himself. While petty law
eSsness was rampant. fights. cutting
ind shooting scrapes being of FREQUENT
occurrence. arrests We're seldom made.
The men Of the community We're all
rienGs when sober. 1T was only in
heir hours of revelry that trouble ever
.umc to them. The sheriff's long suit
vas diplomacy. He would rather at
NY time make peace between the man
.ho had a knife wound in his shoulder
nc the fellow Who 4 inflicted it than
,rrest the guilty party. Nine tenths
If the c~olony-liNed in houses
he site of the district since known as
Hell's Half Acre.
The first house Of worship the place
afforded. the only place available. was q
ough board structure. clumsllE put up.
which was subsequently, rebuilt and
converted into quarters for the servants
Employed at the Hotel Warwick when
hat building was completed in the fall
y 1882. In the primitive church build
nE Rev. Mr.. Mayo preached the first
sermon heard in Newport News.
Another hotel was built Il few months
alter. the Lafayette, at present used as
/ military academy. 4.
The first %postofice was located in a
general merchandise store. at Twenty
third street and West avenue. The
building was destroyed by fire in 1889
THE ORIGINAL SETTLER
The original settlers of Newport News
were the Gilliams, who came over to
make a map for the English King and
effect treaties With the Indians. What
the Gillia1ns did to the Indians might be
summarized ~vulgarly in the term
enough" Tho big chiefs became so
accustomed to signing away their lands
after dealing With the E%nglishmen a
few months that a chieftain upon meet
Ing Il Gillian would involuntarily
reach out his hand for a quill w~herewith