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

the line from Radford to Bluefleld down
the New River was under construction
The coal mines were being opened, and
1t was seen that there would be a town
here. Streets and lots were laid of, and
the buyers came in rapidly. Lots were
bringing good prices when the locomotive
whistle aroused the echoes In these
mountain gorges In 1883. and thereafter
prices have been very high. Pocahontas
real estate brings big prices to-day.
1t was hard to feed the town in the
early days before the arrival of the rail-
road A citizen tells me he has seen 1t
the case several times when there was
not enough flour in the town to make
a biscuit. All supplies had to be hauled
across the mountains from Abingdon. or
. Dublin, or Hinton. These roads from
such constant use In winter weather, be-
came SO nearly impossible that four bar
rels of flour made heavy load for
team Of four horses. It may be imagined
that the prices demanded and received for
necessities brought to the town under
such conditions were very high. Flour
at $40 a barrel was thought cheap. But
the men had the money with which to
buy 1t was nothing uncommon for a
laborer in the mines, or engaged In out
side work, to draw as much as $3.50 or
SITE a month.
There was not woman in Pocahontas
until we'll along into 1883, excepting those
of the family which lived In the tobacco
barn near town. Tho first baby born in
the town was girl to Mr.. and Mrs. Will
liam Butt. They called her Mnrshaha.
and she speedily became the daughter Of
the town. the property of all.
TIE RAILROAD DID IT.
OF course, the size Of the town In
creased rapidly with tho coming of tho
railroad. Foreigners began to flock In to
work In the mines. All were given en-
ployment and the word went back to
Europe that there was work and money
at Pocahontas for whatsoever came. To
the Hungarian peasant tho wages paid
We're enormous, and they came In great
numbers. Pocthontas is to-day the ia
vorite objective Of the Hungarian, who
comes seeking work in the Virginia coal
fields. About one-half of the 1900 men
employed by. the Pocahontas Galleries
Company are negroes. A majority Of
tho whites arc foreigners.
The foreign population OF Pocahontas
I, consists of Hungaritns Magyars) Poles,
Swedes, Germans, Italians. Russians.
Irshmen and few Scotchmen. The for
eigners are probably in the majority cer-
tainly If the negro be excepted.
The citizens of Pocahontas are not in.
cllned to deeply dislike the Hungarians.
IL let alone, they are said to be harm
less and unoffensive. as a rule. Some Of
them have become naturalzcd citizens
and make good ones They are very clan
nish. They insist upo nworking in gangs.
1t is almost impossible to induce only
two or tllree TO work together. And 1t Is
next to impossible to Induce Hungarian
to work above ground, He comes to
America with the intention of working In
Il coal mine, and no othen work Will
| satisfy him. He can make more money
| In the mine, Although Huns take so read
| lily to the Mines they are in nearly every
case farm laborers at home
A CITY CHARTER.
| 1t is probable that an effort will he
| made at the session of the next Gen
| earl Assembly to secure city charter
| for Pocahontes, 1t unquestionably has
as many people as the city of Buena
| Vista, The county seat Is at Tazewell,
to reach which the citizen of Pocahontas
| has to go to Graham and there change
| to the Clinch Valley division of the Nor
| folk and Western, The total distance
| is twenty-nlne miles, 1t is said that
| more business criminal and otherwise,
! is furnished the Tazewell courts by
Pocahontas than By all the rest of the