The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-03-05
Law and Order Has Sprung
from Ruins of City Once
Ruled by DebauCh.

HoPEWELL, Va, Mar 4.-Hope-
well. the Du Pont magic CITY," Vir-
ginia's war baby" has beaten its
own record In city building.
From a single wooden shanty 10 the
fifth largest city in Virginia in five
months, n wooden city. totally de-
Stroyed in five hours and rebuilt In
brick. concrete. steel and iron in five
weeks. Hopewell is today in It's eff
forts TO secure an adequate and I'm
mediate system of government no less
interesting than when law and order
arose out Of the chaos OF its first
building.
One year ago the land on which
Hopewell is built was 4 neglected
cornfield where, In 1865, Grant had
his headquarters in one weather beat
en- little cottage when his army
marched on Richmond. Then came
the Du Pont plant. manufacturing
guncotton, with It's thousands OF work
ers.
Five months and HopewcII was a
gigantic village. with a city's popula-
ton Of 10000 largely foreigners, 500
acres OF shanties. stores, markets,
theaters. rooming houses, pool halls
and cabarets huddled together, all
built OF wood and highly innammable.
There was no system of government
no real laws and no regular police. A
large element was the floating popu-
laton, who felt no responsibility for
the welfare OF the place. Everybody
had too much money. The town was
wide open. Whiskcy. women and
gamblers were everywhere.
verttable acknowledgement
was openly wicked and unabashed. Its
gay white way extended 10 tho out
skirts OF the town. Graft was the key
note Of much of the business enter
prise.
In August, 1915, an investigation Of
Hopewell was made by n newspaper
and the findings reported to Common
wealth's Attorney Wise. OF Richmond,
who undertook to remedy conditions
In the powder town under the person.
al direction Of Governor Stuart.
On December q fire completed what
the state authorities had commenced.
Starting from small blaze in n
Greek restaurant, the fire leaped from
one wooden structure TO another, while
Its helpless inhabitants looked on, and
in five hours Hopewell was again a
barren waste of ruins, except for an
occasional building that, by=a= freak
Of wind, escaped destruction.
Today Hopewellis a substantial city
in the making. of brick and concrete,
steel and iron, in place Of the former
tiretraps.
While the fire yet ragged men who
had lost thousands In buildings and
supplies telegraphed to the nearest
cities for building materials. The
Norfolk and Western depot was re-
built in forty-eight hours. Before day
break on the day following the fire
the activity of rebuilding began. In
every instance the buildings put up
arc of permanent character.
llopewell Is not city ut present.
Six months ago al effort was made to
prepare petition for Incorporation.
a canvass of residents was made and
only two men were found who could
qualify to sign the petition. The
names OF twenty men who have lived
in the community for twelve months
were necessary to be affixed to the
document before 1t could be presented.
Out of a population of 10000 Hope
well had only two voters. But the
town government will be organized.
FTopewell is now dry. The strongest
foe which soldiers who took charge
OF the town after the fire had to com.
bat were the legions of whiskcy jugs
and barrels which sought entrance
from every direction. Special guards
OF picked patrols were stationed along !
the borders of the town. Every team
or messenger was halted and his per-
son and effects examined. The army
OF jugs being routed. the enemy took
to the river, hoping to enter by way
of City Point. Thousands of gallons
of whlskey were captured and poured
into the Du Point sewers.
Hopewcll's population Is largely
foreign. Its streets echo with a dozen
languages. Greeks and Italians pre-
dominate. 1t is marked pro-ally. 80
Germans or Austrlans are employed In
the works.
A business mems club. chamber OF