The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-02-18
The Dedication of
BarrGck Square
at Nome
Hy u. =. Rodcy

wy I
900 the year pf grace. 1911. At least /
J think % was o year OF grace, be-
cause o. Was q year before the stand
pattets quit ofnoeholding say 4
not now why the good people Of
Nomo. Alaska, selected nae 60 make
the dodicatory speech. that was to
,ousccratc ~ guess hat rs the prop
60 way to put So, this great Arctic
Park 60 public use. They no doubt
selected this great day. because no
other day would do half so we'll First
because BE- was the only time Of year
when the Park would be thawud
out long enough To- make the speech.
and second bccnusc two shiploads OF
Chccchukos CTendcrfceu had Just
come in from the states. and IL WAS
thought uuspicious tina they should
grace thc ceremony with their pres-
one They were an there. and 80
wan The entire population Of Nome
The sun was shining brightly. ms 70
docs iu july in the Arctics. smooth
U,hrinr sca was shimmering. ana
gently apiiating the icecakcs on It's
bosom pprrack square faces the
sea, ana spreads It's broad onc hun
drcd wards square or eXpansc back
iuto the town. Tho grandsiand sent
out its udor OF freshly sawed pine
from beneath its wilderness Of flags.
and the uniformed band, as well as
the luTid clad fire company added
dignity and pomp 60 the occasion rho
chairman OF the committee introduce
ID me in true %SourdouRh cola Tim
err Arctic style. lie told the assem-
FL 49,. a.AH.4NF.-a aa...a A..F.u
tasted the delights ri q congressiOn-
40 Falafc-. while pretending 10 repre-
sent New Mexico in the house Of
misreprcscntatives, how I had brok-
on the federal bench ~ Porto Rico
hy sitting ON Il for four years, whore
my principal duty was drawing "a
stipend. but modified the statemen;
d. laying that ] have stuutcd for the
lnllcrirs hy refusing 20 wear the
FLOWING black robe" provided for
Huch 20 functionary ana then disp0s-
- uf the garment py waiting until
he ianitor died, and using II for a
shroud 90 bury him IN Finally he
told them / was q Chccchako from
tho states. sent up hy a tyranical add
ministrstiou to teach Alaskans how
10 obey The law. Groans greeted this
announcement. and ! bowed my ac-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. hut Tor tlIs inttcr act
] received some cheers and hand
clipping applause 6from n Chee-
ohakosl.
Fol three weeks previous to this
occasion, O. committee, working UNI
der the Inspiring spur Of y fat public
subscription had been preparing the
'park' for the eytni. They had Gu,
Of the tundra9 and leveled the
muck that always underlies 10
They had thenr lsld a~unuEsicks over
tho entire gurface. ana covered the
sacks with 90 fcw inches OF sun-dried
sand from thc sea. Next they had
! hordcred iho whole four sides. with
/ fresh tgudra-snd that had grass and
noVers rr &c. G~rccnbe~g the Third
Ecnch" millionaire placer mining
King had donHted o concrete foun'
'aln-that would not fount-for thu
b ,cutc~ - tho magnificent PLAY
% ground. and Bily Rowe, tho lumber
. and paint man had painted ne fence
green. to add % hucolic aspect 60 th'
grsat touic ensemble. on II surcl,
was great and 'Bclgium's capita
7 had gathered thcre.''
I opened my speech with som'
stammcriug remarks abon my iacl
of fitncss to appear before such NJ
audience, and my total inability 70
/. do even h~alf-iuaticc To such % mag
d. ninccui Peoples JOY Field. tGrca.
D applpuscl. This gave me courage
: ana / got ms second oratoricai wind
. and aallgd iu compared Barracl
, SPARE. "Ai4ska's greatest Pla,
/, Ground with every similar place
I ana Runuymcdc ON earth. that
knew ut o. could think Of the name
J.. of. and al 90 The great disparago.
I mcnt of ever other place. and th'
D glory oi HJTrIck Square. wound
& up with a. vehement and somewhat
grundilouuCnt reference TO such sec
. oud- class pleasure parks as the Col
den Gate at san Francisco, FaiI
mount in phludelphia. Central u
{ Sew York. Phoenix IN Dublin. Undci
] dcm t.lnler iu Berlin. the Bots d'
EoulouRnc .u Paris. etc. H-fe ml
r. peruration vH- cut short by an en-
q thusinstic hut travelled C%hcechaki
k lady. from ono uf the steamers. VII,
e. was ln the crowd she had applaud
' cd my rsmlrEa Utmost from the be
shining hy prHIs and squcals q
laughter hut 20 seems that at thi
point tho faul,d last straw tof elo
auenccl. had broken he back of ne
power or endurance. 20 she a
90 into q nt Of hysterioal merrimenl
so aston.shiuely violent, that the
I, had 20 c3ll all 'hc doctors present q
nor assistance So ! could not pro
coed and had fo leave the remainde
Of the culoEy tn the intelligent i'm
BE- agin1iion of thr great audience.
never received such applause In M
llfe Then ihe mayor dropped
sod az the foot 81 the Greenhcr
o. fountain ana his daughter swung
b bottle at S.uash "Hootch" againf
~ The flag pole GATHERED its aromail
A. contents over the fountain. that %
not fount ANA o%hrlstened Il Barrar
Square.
So. there. forever amidst b goi
n fields Of the Northland with six thou
~ rand miles of ioo and the Nnrth Pol
behind iL. Alaska's great picasur
r. field. sleeps cirht months of ever
q year under the shimmering crack
H.a. aa.vH ..HLwLa 80. .NnNHuNUsn .T IA