The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1915-12-02
HOPEWELL, TIE MUSH-
ROOM CITY, AS IT IS TO-

(By W. H. Dugdale, Special Correspondent
of The Review)
Editors note-The Review realizing TIT
Importance of HopewelI, the famous Virgini;
city of which so much has been said ant
written, for and against, decided to send {
well-balanced newspaper man there in person
10 see with his own eyes and write with his
own pen, conditions as they really ate anc
tie following article is the result in a genera
way. Mr.. Dugdale will write more for the
next issue, side lights and personal impress
sions, etc. Watdh out for it.
THE WIZARD CITY
So much has been written and
said about Hopewell that The Review
sent a special correspondent to this
land of promise" to get the facts
in the case, as they really are. So
many have gone and returned and
SO many and varied were the re-
ports circulated concerning condi-
tions. opportunities and big wages.
that it was indeed a difficult matter
to reach any conclusion with any
degree of safety. The trip was
made by way of Richmond, then to
Petersburg, and auto to Hopewell.
This trip takes two hours time.
Hopewell is IL miles from Peters
burg. On entering Hopewell it re-
minds one of a mining camp. in a
western town, foreigners of all
nations are very much in evidence,
drawn there by the lure of easy
money. Many of these people are
hard working, industrious folks and
really deserve any success they can
get. AS is always the case with peo-
pie of this class they are easily salts
fed, can and do live anywhere and
in any old way. Sanitary environ
ments has not as yet become vir
tue with them and as might be ex-
pected, they are not very particular
about conditions. There are some
pretense to rules and regulations
and some things they are bound to
respect, but they 90 to the limit to
their own inclinations. There are
no open saloons here, nor is liquor
allowed to be sold here by any one.
Open gambling is not permitted and
indeed the law abiding citizens of
HopeWell have abolished this form
of vice and if it is done at all it is
in private, and even at that if they
were found out, it would be seri-
Gus matter for the offenders. There
is a good deal of moral influence
at work in Hopewell. At first it
was up hill work, but today the
better element in 1opewell have the
place well in hand, with every evil
dence of success. All these reports
about murders robberies and assaults
are mostly a creation of the ina
ginative minds of people, who either
from choice or iguorane were look
ing for trouble. AS is usually the
case they can find it, and this does
not apply to Hopewell only, but to
any other locality one may select.
In justice to Iiopewell be it said,
while she had troubles of her own,
she has done well to master the
situation in the face of odds against
her. Your correspondent read an al
ticle sometime ago under the caption
"A trip to He'll and Back" in which
the writer referred to Hopewell as his
inference. | had no good reason to
doubt this gentleman's assertions,
but as | have never been to he'll my
self am not even now able to make
a comparison, to substantiate his
statement, although I have been to
>Hopewell and back and I imagine
it is the same place. 1t is not a
wise thing to rush at conclusions nor
is it ALWAYS prudent to ventilate
your impressions until after you are
duly and truly prepared to give a
Just and unbiased op!nion-look the
facts square in the face and be
governed accordingly.
Now as matter of fact Hopewell