Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1921-06-03
POCAHONTAS IN THE OLDEN
DAYS.
by j. NJ. Newtnnl

Our article last week fnadyer-
tently omitted the name of one of
the best known of the Abb's Valley
citizens at that time: "Uncle" Billy
Moore ms most of the people in this
section called him, n man of much
strength of character. He was often
heard to say that he had never told
but one lie, had never cursed but one
oath and never stole but one sheen.
Ills home was quite n favorite place
for the young people in those DAYS.
many of those now living recall with
tender memories the pleasant times
spent under his roof.
Pocahontas as town MIGHT he
said to date from the location of the
site for mining operation md this
was in the early eighties, 81 and 1872.
for with the beginning of develop
ment here there was an influx from
everywhere; or soon otter the be-
ginning. Of course it was necessary
Tor carpenters. engineers, saw mill
men, brick and rock masons and 9TH
or workmen to do the preliminary
work. Then the influx began. And
such diversity of nationaiities. and
such mingling of the good and the
bad, And it is but natural that thew
did not agree at all times. / believe
it was John w. Moore, n North Car
DINA historian, who said that God
had so created men that they must.
OF necessity, disagree on all import
ant subjects. And with such COM
ing together of all kinds and classes
OF people in small compass it could
hardly have been otherwise than n
wild and wicked town." and for n
time Mt least life was cheap.
If one We're going to write his
tory of the town there is more than
one way that the history might be
divided. One way would be to take
the administrations of the different
superintendent or general managers
OF the coal company. Another way and
one that would be more familiar to a
large class of the population would
be to divide it into the periods of
the several town sergeants. was
about to say the administration of
the different mayors, but the ma
Jority of the population of the early
days the sergeant was the one who
came most into their lives. He was
the most hated or loved (?) as the
case might be. And as rule the
more efficient the officer the more he
was hated and "laid for" (until the
next election). A case in point at
the. present writing is an incident
during he term of Mike Rupert as
town sergeant. A certain burly for
eigner had it in for Rupert and know.
ing that Mike did not speak but one
language, while the foreigner was
proficient in at least FIVE, he pro-
ceeded to "cuss him out" using first
the various languages as a means of
emptying the walls of his wrath. He
was on the inside of a saloon at the
time and surrounded by his friends.
who were evidently much in sympa-
thy with him. Mike was standing
around the front door of the saloon
and thought the foreigner was rath-
or chstreperous or pugnacious in his
re,mar's. Judging by the tone of
voice. Vt decided not to arrest him
IN the absence of proof, not knowing
the language he spoke. But Mike
worked a ruse. He disappeared an
parently, and thinking he was eon.
the foreigner proceeded to give him
good "eussin" in English. just then
Mike appeared on the scene and all
enced his cusser, taking him to the
calaboose, where he eXacted fine
n Tor being disorderly, Mayor P. r.
pii,9n BENG the mayor ut the time.
ifose: who have observed must
have taken note that the town of
Pocahontas was laid out by an en-
r'neer who knew his business. 1t was
y ". Blakey who was chief enpin-
eer IN laying out the town, and there