Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-12-28
MAYOR FURNESS
DEFENDS PHOEBUS
Full Text Of the Letter Sent to the
Editor Of Newark Evening News
in Reply to Murphy.

The following is the full.text of the
letter sent to the Newark, IN. j. Ev
ening News by Mayor l.. p. Furness
OF Phoebus, in reply to the nasty at.
tack made upon the town by Colonel
Franklin Murphy. president of til,
board of the managers of the Nh
tional Soldiers Home, u synopsis of
which was published In Tuesday.
Daily Press:
IL noticed in the Newark Eyeninr
News of recent issue nm article head
ed, Work For the Canteen,' which I'm
my mind and In that of every fair
minded person who is ut all familiar
with the subject ut issue is one Of the
most unjust, untruthful. uncalled 70,
ana malicious Insults to the PEOPLE o!
the town of Phoebus that any com
mnnity In this country has ever hat
the misfortune to suffer without ca,ls
and | now OH behalf of those people
brand the whole article as absolutel
without foundation and n base fabrcr
ton In so far as 1t refers to Phoebu
and | can't understand how any IN
teltiSent person would resort to the
infamous method of trying to blacken
the character and degrade Christia
people In the eyes Of the world appar
entity for no other purpose than
paltry effort to gain favor at TIL,
hands of high personages by usinI
such story as an inducement to Cor
gress to again allow the establish
ment OF canteens in the army post
and Soldiers Homes. In reality tn,
abolition CT the Fort Monroe canteen
has proved n detriment rather than
benefit financially to the liquor inter-
ests In Phoebus, for in the absence {
the canteen the soldiers now hav,
more money at their disposal and visit
larger places to spend It. SO that now
comparatively speaking, the soldiers
pay day Is very mild event In Phoc
bus and know that the saloon mel
would heartily indorse the return o
the army canteen.
THE statement that Phoebus IL e
miserable huddle of little, squali1
ramshackle stores. saloons and house
ranged along mud streets Is absurd
and no Tatr-minded person could pos
sibly take such view OF It even
when the streets arc at their worse
In the bad weather of the winter sea.
son.
In contradiction of such state.
ment, would say that Phoebus was
incorporated as town in 1900, wit
a population of 1904 and at that tim'
1t had fifty saloons and it must be
admitted that some of these were
n questionable character. but now,
am happy to say, the town authorities
have succeeded in wedding out nj
such. until there remain only thirt
saloons and OF these at least % are
conducted bV nnrspnv of homo, t.,
tegrity and good moral character, whe
pride themselves on keeping first elias
and entirely reputable places, far bet3
ter than the average saloon in othe.
towns
Our stores. shops and various othe
business houses, am sure, will com.
of similar population. Our residence.
range in cost from $1,000 to $4,000
each and are well kept as many visit
ors stopping at Old Point Comfort and
passing through here. will testify. w,
have an excellent brick bank, n $4,000
brick public schoolhouse, six nice
churches, a good town hall and vol
unteer fire department of 100 men
bcrs and modern equipments, which
has succeeded in winning the firs
prize at the state firemen's associa
tons meetings for live consecutive
years. We also have an electric rail
road and steam railroad, two water
works systems, sewer system, ga
plant and an iron foundry Our
streets are not all that we might wish
them at present, but seven squares
are macadamized and beginning In
February we will pave $4,000 squft
yards of streets with Belgian blocks
Now, as for the local resident, who
was so contemplate as to point out
street after street OF disorder,
houses, and to say that there werc
only very few respectable wome,
in the town, knowing In his heart AZ
the time that he was besmirching his
home and the people with whom he
Is not worthy of taking his place as
a dog. | would simply say that who.
ever he may be, the truth is not In
him and he would be a disgrace to
any community. do not DENY that
we have few immoral women in our
town, but their abode is separate and
distinct from the respectable people
and no matter how well our gates
might be guarded, how could we, con.
sidering our surroundings, prevent
some such characters from getting
in?
THE number of respectable women
in this town will compare, according
to tho population, with that of any
other reputable community and no one
but villainous wretch can state 9TH
erwise.
Yours very truly.