The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-07-24
THE NEW PRESCOTT.
interesting Aspect of the Arizona
city Since the Great Fire

4
city Since the Great Fire
PRESCOTT. Ariz., July 24-since The
] great fire of week ago. which nearly de-
stroyed the city, Prescott has taken on
much of the appearance Of a new Alaskan
mining camp. barring the climate. OF
I course. So far has the metamorphcsis
! gone, in fact, that new part OF the town
has already assumed the name Of DAVIS on
/ City" This is in the heart OF the place, in
/ the Plaza. a fenced enclosure embracing
/ two ordinary city blocks. In the centre is
the county court house, and around it is a
mushroom village OF tents
Every available space on the Plaza has
| been pra-empted, under allotment OF the
| county supervisors. who jealousy refuse u
/ accommodate the stranger OF falir. bur
! welcome every business man from a flare
! swept district about For the heart cf
! Prescott has been destroyed by FIRE.
! careless miner with a candle in a himsy
/ in three hours s1.Oo0.oGo worth Of business
! buildings were in ruins
/ In he city Of Prescott, before the FIRE
! thirty five licenses had been issued 10 re-
tail liquor dealers. Every sa Don save two
F. was wiped our, and the thirty thee suffer
Z NAo a. : al Ef|lA6 4lLO NelLpCE&f. 4-4INSIS II
/ tents and shUKs on the Plaza In Tot
single Or nk nf place Is there a regular TAR.
Tough boar-S answering the purpose, wet
ankets enclosing the beer kegs IL an at
tempt TO compensate for the loss Of every
largS refrigerator il town. By night the
scene is unique. The tents are brilliantly
Illuminated by electric light-for no oil
lamps ere permitted BY the authorities. The
licensed gambling games run wide op n
3 a vie and oh o.
= Mexican fiesta
The town is even unusually fun Of peo-
pie, for the buriy miners have come IN
from the hills by the hundreds 10 view the
last sad remains Of Whisky Row" The
crowd is not, assuredly, that which would
be found at q Christian Endeavor Coaven-
ton. yet IS good natured and kindly. despite
an Oye-zeal in contributing 10 the reha-
bllitatiGn Of the bank accounts OF the dram
shop Keepers - Everywhere are knots Of
men repeating the tale OF the FIRE. with evi-
dent pride in the fact that their town OF
only $500 people could pass through such
an ordeal and suffer such a loss without
wilcing-
The main barber shop has moved into
the bandstand on the Plaza. and atteals
10 business as though its lofty location
were the most ordinary thing in the world
The sheriff acts as treasurer OF the inhabi-
tants. and his Office is piled high with
and his big safe is hlIed with buCkskin
bags or gold and silver the property OF
men now in business IN Dawson City or
about 70 take up work there
There is not q genuine case Of destitu-
ton IN the town A clergyman appoint
ed a committee with fun power 70 act for
the relief Of all uufOrtunates Senator
Clark has sent a check OF $500 as the nest
egg Of a relief fund, but the money viii
not be needed.
The first thought Ct all the business men
burned out seems 10 be 10 get into bust
ness again as soon as possible While the
side Of the Plaza facing what was once
Whisky Row Is given up almost wholly
to establishments founded for the alIevia-
ton % the drought, on two ether sides are
rapidly rising rough frame buildings,
wherein are to be found drugs and groce-
sies and merchandise Of every SORT
This rough and tumble existence VIII not
last long. Though the dusty breezes. still
fan afresh the unc0nsUmed .mbers. only a
scarcity Of labor and the necessity for The
presence OF insurance GdiusJers prevent a
gene al clearing away OF the thousands Of
tons Of rubbish. Then will come a gen
er&l rebuilding. The FIRE ordinances VIII be
strictly enforced and modern brick and
stone structures viii replace the Shanties
that FOR thirty years have been a disgrace
10 the town. II is a hard time for incivid-
Cal losers, but there is no doubt the mu-
nicipality is far better OF because Of the
destruction OF the buildings burned. Pres
colt has been purified by fire and viii rise
again from TIE ashes modern city, 10
longer 3 frontier mining camp.
The first newspaper g appear after the
confagration which had destroyed all the
printing plants. was The Howler" q
semi occasional production Of several ty-
biographical artists temporarily unattached
10 any Of the regular journals. L was
printed on a mimeograph aid was eagerly
welcomed, the first copy bringing So The
leading article was in usmorian OF Lit
tie WILLIE the Office GROWER broken
and lost by an explosion Of dynamite that
had wrecked the Office
Several historic landmarks have gone
with the FIRE. One was the first Terrific
rial Capitol. where the first LEGISLATURE Of
Arizona met in 1866. Though with a mod
ern front, its thick log walls stood in the
centre Of the GUrley Street business row
and were uncovered as the lighter front
fell Several hours passed before the logs
were reduced 70 ashes
The use Of dynamite 20 destroy buildings
before the sweep Of the flames appears 10
have been done much az haphazard One
ma1 was found. in mistaken zeal. in the
eel OF exploding several dynamite car
tridges under \ merchants powder maya
zine, where several thousand pounds OF
powder were deposited The fellow man
aged 20 pull his fuse before the shark
reached the decorating cap. Then the
powder was hurried TO q Mace Of safety