The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-18

the valley is given up to the railroad and
the Pocahontas Galleries Company.
THE MINES.
The mines are to the west Of the town,
and railway tracks, coke ovens. machine
shops, electric light plant and coal tip
Piles take up all the space.
After close observation have reached
the conclusion that there is not a clean
collar nor an unsoiled pair Of cuffs in
Pccahontas after o'clock In the morn
Ing Extra care may keep linen approx
imately immaculate until 10 O'Clock, but
In many cases O'clock finds 1T ready
for the laundry, and the average of nine
ie thus maintained. I shall not soon for
get this Pocahontas dust, covering street
and sidewalk, blotting out the paint on
the houses, making window panes as
opaque as china, lodging In eyelashes.
forcing Its way into ones nostrils and
swirlnc down ones throat until one
feels ready to gulp at anything wet save
water. For the visitor to Pocahontas can
not drink Pocahontas water. And there
is no real reason why he should, consld-
ering his opportunities A bath Is de-
light beyond the dream OF the denlzen
o. less dusty locality.
am not too hard on Pocahontas. or
do not mean to be. 1t Is the perfect type
OF coal mining town. Everybody who
lives here would live somewhere else were
1t not that he can mako more money
here. He calls Pocahontas his homeland
laughs. It is probable that every man
In the place contemplates going back
some day to his old home and enjoying
the fruits of his toll here. Pocahontas
is the fixed abiding place of few OF Its
citizens.
A NEW TOWN.
The liquor, the foreigners, the negroes,
all explain conditions which exist In Po-
cahontas-these and the towns newness.
Police Justice Owen came to this place
April 5, 1892 There was not then sim
gle house here. There were some tents
pitched on the banks Of the creek, occu-
pied by men who wanted work IN the coal
mines about to be- opened. About TINS
time Billy Butt built a small log house
less than two blocks from where the
chief hotel of Pocahontas now STANDS
Mr.. Owen tried camping while, and II
was rather more strenuous than he could
stand, He heard that a family from
Wythe or Pulaski had moved into to-
bacco barn a milo or SO down the valley
and he determined to board with them
He went to CALL and found the newcom'
! ers pretty snugly fixed up In the barn
Tho entire family Of husband ana WIG
and several children, including two gro~i
QauBnlGrS, IVeQ IN Llle DHo 'op''A' ti'SAN
was no floor in the building save mothe!
earth, and the tier poles on which the
tobacco was hung before the barn pc
came residence were stu IN place, MT
owen spent some time In "raklng UP Ole
acquaintance" with the occupants OF the
barn. and then asked to be allowed tc
board with the family, The refusal was
| emphatic. but he would take no denlal
| He pleaded and argued, put OF no aVall
| He was determined, however. ana wheI
! he left he told the head OF the mouse
| he would be back in a short time WIN M
belongings, prepared to stay indefinitely
| One of the daughters called to him whel
he was gone that he could not boar'
with them in their home In the barn
But he came and lived several month:
In tho tobacco barn with the family sncl
a boarding house suggests California u
| the early hfties.
MANY STORIES.
Dozens of stories like this might b'
told, all illustrative of tho newness .
Pocahontas. Tho Police Court record
speak eloquently of the towns rawness
Pocahontas is only twenty years OF ago
In 1882 all the land in this valley, prac
tically, was bought up by the SouthWes
! Virginia Improvement Company. Iher
was no railroad into tho valley theh' pu'