Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-09-19
.PHOEN|X-LIKE, IS
RISING FROM THE
ASHES OF PEACE
Armistice Delivered Stun
ming Blow to City That
Throve on War Work.
LIKE AUBURN WHEN
M0SK0WlTZ SOUGHT PLANT
Now It Has % New Industries
and Population Has Jumped
From 5000 to $500.
nY Il. EDWARD MUnrAUGu.

IY Il. EDWARD MURTAUGH,
Peace hath it's disasters no lesa
profound than war. The truth of
this paraphrasc has been brought
home to practically every boom town
that was built in the United States
AS the result of the late world war.
No section Of the country, which har-
borru u..t!Ju an T.
been the result OF war emergency
cose birth was spared the disastrous
effects Of the armistice upon produce
ton and population. The plants had
and IT,.
capitulate the law OF supply and de-
mand accomplished their oblivion.
Millions OF dollars had been spent
in their construction and operation.
Money was never an object: time
hlon" was master and to conquer
time was the sole ambition Of a de-
tcTmincd government To keep ahead
OF tn schedule seemed the only
thought OF the contractor and with
this end In view vcritable cities grew
up over night like magic. Many of
the sites. due TO the character of the
commodity manufactured, were re-
mote from centcrs OF habitation and
therefore. 1t was essential that homes
for the workmen be built, as well as
the factories In which they were TO
labor.
Thus, It was that November /, 1918,
marked the height OF the nations ac-
tivities In turning out the sinews of
war. Day and night made little Diff
ference I'm the life of these communi-
ties. The pulse of industry beat as
regularly in darkness as II did In
light.
when the Crash Came.
Ten days later. November II, came
the crash. modulatcd It's true by the
false alarm forty-cight hours before.
but nevertheless. gigantic in It's in
tcnsity and Significance. Within n
short time the greatest. even as the
smallest plant had become as mac
tive as cemetery and the surround
ing workmen's villages had become
n graveyard Of homes. Despair and
desolation stalkcd hand In hand In
the wake OF nations Joy. soaring
the deserted fields Of industry and
domestic happiness with the acid OF
living death.
Whas n.u taken months, aye years
10 rear had taken hours TO destroy.
Those. who remained behind TO guard
dying hope, looked round them with
dazcd senses anu breaking hearts.
The sioutest men gave way to dis
enlargement and sorrow. Hundreds
OF families were left to await n sum-
mons from the breadwinner to Join
him In another city or town, hun
dreds more were abandoned and de-
serted by husband or father In the
mad rush to escape from what seemed
land Of pestilence
Month by month matters grew
steadily worse. Operating forces
gave way to salvage corps. Dyna-
mite and torch replaced the hammer
and saw and chaos in it's gloomiest
form slowlye but surely descended
upon the little band Of faithful citi-
Zens. who still chung TO their be-
longings. real or personal. with the
patience OF Job.
1t was at this decadent period in
the history OF Hopeweii. Va. one of
these boom towns. that a marvellous
transformation In the metamorphosis
of its industrial activity gradually
took place with the transition from
suspended animation to quickened
pulsation accomplished by a most
commonplace incident.
1t had become the custom OF the
few people left in the city to spend
| their time sitting on the curbstone
playing checkers on the bottom of an
upturned ash can or soap box or to
watch the progress Of a watermelon
vine that had wormed its way through
Il crack in the concrete OF the main
street and was beginning to bear
fruit. When these pastimes palled
upon them they would hunt up an
old negro and induce him to laugh,
said laugh being so infectious and
comical that the troubles Of his
hearers were temporarily forgotten.
Moskowitz Comes to Town.
Into this sphere OF Micawbers there
entered. one day in the summer of
1919. stranger. His presence at
once aroused the curiosity OF the
score of hopeful Hopewellcrs, com
prising the soul of the community.
and ii did not take them long to
learn that he was manufacturer
and was looking for n plant site. He
added that his name was Jake Mos
kowitz. and that he was president of
a trunk and bag factory in New
York.
III an Instant the pI3Ce DCCamo q
secthing caulron OF activity A
Chamber of Commerce was immedi-
ately born. site was secured from
the Du Points and in less time than It
tnkcs to write 1t Moskowitz walked
out of town. the pioneer manufacturer
OF the Hopewell Industrial District.
Within few days the citizens as
sisted by the Du Pont corporation and
the Chamber of Commerce OF Peters
burg. the nearest city, raised $135.0o
TO advertise the advantages Of Hope
well as manufacturing center.
In the peak OF It's prosperity 1t shell
tered n population OF $4,000. This
number dwindled to less than 600
|nfter the armistice. Today there are
1900 people in the district and by
january l. 1921. this figure will be
toub;ed. rs twenty-three new indus
tries have now located there, many OF
them already being in operation. This
In brief Is the rapid rise made within
the past twelve months Ola city that
at one time was practically co nsigned
"a oblivion, Throughout it's history