Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-09-19


Out memory of the past. ! could
mot suppress feeling of depression.
which the abandoned homes gave me.
When we arrived at "B" village
the presence Of habitation and we'll
kept lawns, with here and there a
brilliant bed of flowers to relieve the
monotony OF the implanted dwell
ings. 1 discovered my feeling OF de-
preston had gradually disappeared
and that ! was imbibing some OF the
spirit OF optimism that I soon learned
permeated the entire community.
We stopped at the little Red Cross
chapter headquarters. which Is stu
ated on First Street in Prince George
County. y single car track wrigglcs
down this thorouGhfare. the other
side of which Is Woodlawn Avenue.
situated in Hopewell City. AS the
Du Points have adopted the daylight
saving system it was 10 a. NJ. In the
county and y. NJ. in the city. At
the chapter house 1 was greeted by
Mrs. Carrie Chase Davis, NJ. D.. who
has charge of the nursing center. and
Miss Cora Turner. who acts as her
fathers secretary.
The Red Cross Plays It's Pnrt.
Outside the building was n big
signboard used by the Red Cross In
recruiting labor for the various in
dustries now operating In the dis
trict. The chapter. through Turner,
has opened an employment agency
for the new manufacturers. and he
Is In a position TO furnish skilled
or unskilled labor at short notice
as subsequent to his departure from
the Du Pont Company he began col
lccting the personal employment
records OF thousands of mechanics.
who were engaged at the plant
among them many specialists In their
lines. He receives daily the wants
of each firm as to labor and as he
invariably has from twenty to thirty
applicants day for work he has
little difficulty in regulating the
labor market. This is one of his
important duties and as the new
businesses will employ from 5000 to
10000 men, women and girls, he has
some task ahead OF him.
While ] was in the Red Cross house
servation of the service 1t is giving
The people. The first was a mother,
who tearfully pleaded TO be sent TO
her home in South Carolina with her
five children in order TO tighten the
burden of her husband wage Garner
in the plant Turner investigated the
womans plea and found she was
worthy of help. He bought railroad
tickets for her, the Norfolk and West
ern giving the Red Cross half rates
in such cares. The next applicant, FIR
assistance was a negro. He wanted
money to :'ury his child. lie received
SIS. .ea,nc: that he wac the first
man among his color to double his
assessment in the Red Cross drive,
so it was like casting bread upon the
waters for him.
Turner now drove me through the
business section of Hopewell. Many
of the stores were still boarded up.
but there was sufficient number
open TO show that the town was ac-
tive. y year ago any OF the places
could have been bought for song.
This district was wiped out by fire
December Q, 1915. but was rebuilt in
three months along substantial lines,
brick being used in almost all cases.
Two motion picture theaters were
running, which i took as n favorable
indication Of the city's come back
/ spent four days Mt HopewelI, dur
ing which time 1 met practically
every citizen Of worth and most of
the du Pont department chiefs. No
one can enter the plant without a
PASS. just as In war days. There are
about 1000 men engaged there now
in salyaging the buildings and equip
ment. The results OF their Iabors
were everywhere apparent The firing
Of the buildings, after they had been
shot" or blown up by dynamite, was
under the charge of Fire Superinten-
dent Fillmore Tyson. former fire
chief OF Louisville. KY. n man whom
! learned was a fearless fighter in his
profession. Oil was poured on the
Eitratcd wood, which had been rem
dercd valucless by the acid, the sur
rounding structures were dampened
by many lines of hose and other pre-
cautions taken to confine the huge
bonfire to the site covered by the
debris. Then the torch was applied
in several places. Buildings that had
cost hundreds Of thousands of dollars
wero strapped in this way in re-
m rkably quick time and then the
salvage corps saved whatever ma
teriai was serviceable.
Millions Going Up In Smoke.
Although the du Pont Company has
been at this work for tho past eigh-
teen months there Ia still vast
amount Of material to DO thus re-
sumed. 1t Is n massive task. TO the
layman 1t Is absolutely astounding