The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-27

time any cities laid off In the mir Of upper
Broad Street and It's vicinity. But during
the flush times succeeding tho war Of
lSl2-l5, town builders and spectators II,
neW-made towns appear to have chosen In
preference to other suburban possibilities
eligible sites--so- called-as low down the
river as MARKINGS Hill. and MS far up the
Adams Valley as Bowling Green. AS ono
OF the old gentlemen cited by me in a
previous paper remarked, the ultimate
trend Of the city was thought by many to
be eastward, and not westward; or rathor
east by north, up the once lmpid stream
of Shockoe Creek. i
Sugared Promises.
DR.. Adams was the leader Of the adj
venturers, the most of whom, inclusive
OF that p,blic-spirited gentleman, be-
came hopeless bankrupts. An old mer-
chant Of the name Of Jal,ez Parker said
to me one day, II was carried off my
feet by the sugared promises of the
spectators. from one of whom l bought,
on long credit for the most part. lots
In the vicinagc Of tho Valley. paid tho
first insta lnlent, one thousand in cash,
but before paying the others the bubble
burst, and left me in debt nine thousand
dollars" Parker occupied, many years
ago, the tenement situate at the south
east corner Of Main and Nineteenth
Streets. lie was succeeded therein by
Hiram Smith, who continued like bust
ness as that which had boon conducted
by tho former.
The segregation of the people Of upper
Broad Street and tho Brook Avenue
was temporary circumstances; that OF
those In Adams Valley lasting. Seven
teenth Street for the great part of the
way was scant Of shop and dwelling
mousse There were no cross streets
breaking into 1t, if we except that which
turns at nearly a right angle up Ven
Mechanicsvlle Pike.
Owing to the torturous course Of the
creek on one side, and the hill slones on
the other, there was no eligible space suf-
1lcient Tor another street to parallel the
main one. The largest house in the VAL
ley was In the tenancy Of one John Wise.
tall gaunt raw-boncd Scotsman, who
was said to be not only an accomplished
accountant, but the best hand at draughts
in the city. W1se's house stood apart
from all others with none higher up the
Valley, and but one or two between 1t and
Patrlck Nowlan's cottage, subsequently
owned and occupied by John Prddy first
teller, many years ago, of the Farmers
Bank of Virginia. VIII 1t be believed that
the Valley had provided itself tavern ana
possibly other lodging houses not now APP
day by a friend on our way out to the
Bowlng-green. was q sad ruin whose
Topped and Widowed raggedness" gave
little suggestion of its early and better
days.
Butchertown appears to be name of
recent date; at least think So as I
have not been able to trace it back to the
closing years of the eighteenth century, at
which time the Old Market came into use
[ a 81
presence in the Valley of the FIowards,
Browns, Nowlans and other so-called
butchers.
The Creek Nation.
This town. as we shall now designate
Its segregated community, had been made
up Of elements SO distinctive as to Justify
Hagan's John in clubbing 1t "The Creek
Nation" There are persons still living.
whether born or reared in the Valley or
In that section of Shockoe Hill which for
merly went by the nalno Of Brocken-
brough's, who recount with spirit and
enjoyable hlmor the sundry rock bat
ties In which they were mutually engaged
These affrays of the plucky belligerents
were usually fought on the western side
Of the Creek and sometimes so fiercely
as to require tho presence Of CAPTAIN
Clement White and his viligant lieu
tenants.
1t was q, point of honor. 1t should seem,
with the Butcher Cats to hold their own
ground on the left bank of the Creek a.
every hazard 90 limb or life Few I'm
Cats were ever known to Invade that
domain; and shouts resounded from the
former when they drove before them the
latter and stood waving defiance on tho
captured hilltop Among the Juvenile
combatants were expert singers whose
stony missiles were far-reaching, If not OF
striking effects. II 1t SO happened that
all the singers wore arrayed on one side.
victory was pretty sure to be with those
who fired the light artillery, The sling.