Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-01

-NI!"rhcnl"S and miners clad in blue
jeans or khaki. Wcll-blackcd shoes 90
along side by side with rough boots
that lace almost 10 the knees. and on
their heels tramp white rubber boots
that reach TO the hips There are
crowds Of men in their shirt sleeves
on the street corners They wear scf,
hats or somhrcros. There are very few
plugs.
Now turn your eyes TO the rondways.
See those great dra%s hauling hay and
oats to the steamers. Each has Il load
worth two or three hundred dollars.
for hay brings 500 a ton and other
feed is propor;iona,ely high Soc the
automobiles Of various mates and the
motor trucks carrying heavy articles
of one Kind or another. There arc
scores of motor vehicles away up here
in this heart OF Alaska, and jitncy-
buses 20 regularly each day to the
gold bearing creeks. There Is an over
land stage that makes the ,rip from
Fairbanks 10 Chitiua, tn. terminus OF
tn" Copper River Railroad By IL one
can motor more than 800 miles through
the ,wilds. and then have 20G-mile
RAILROAD ride down TO the sea. in tho
winter there are many dog sleds with
long teams OF dogs. and there arc slcds
drawn by horses that take tho place of
out Of the country
Isti.A1 IN RESTAURANT
ENTEItrAINS DINERS
Fairbanks mas several good hotels.
am stopping with Tony Nordale. on
Front Street. where have a sitting
room and bedroom at about 50 per
day. ] Get my meals at a restaurant
kept by young lady, whose rosy
checks and tow hair have caused her
TO be nicknnincd by the miners The
Little Pink Swcde" Her charge is
from so cents TO 80 cents n meal and
the food is delicious. Like many OF
tho restaurants. hers has II pct brown
bear accompaniment. 1t is cub fas-
tened TO q chain outside the front door.
1t will do tricks for YOU II YOU give
i; sugar humps or sweet cakes
had my hair cut to-day 1t cost me
rs cents. and the shave which follow
ed ran the bill Ia 81 AS left the bar
her shop stepped into the chair of
Il hootblack outside. and tho shine cost
mo % cents. The day was hot, and
when in the parlance Of the cam.
miner asked me If would wash my
neck" knew what he meant. and
said yes. He treated me to glass OF
lemonade ut a cost Of - cents. \ lit
tie farther on ncwsboy offered me
the Alaska Citizen. for which handed
- cents, tho regular price for the pa
per The money here is the same rs
in the KlondiIsc. There is no coin OF
a quarter here nrcansf about the same
as q nickel at home.
Fairbanks is governed by Mayor
and Town Council 1t has much civic
spirit There are mems clubs and
womcns clubs and fratcrnal orders.
such as the odd Fellows and Masons.
the Arctic brotherhood. the Pioneers
and others. The town has three or
four ucwspa pcrs. including two dailies
irh c
lishcd on Mondays. It has good pub
lie schools. and Catholic, Presbyterian
Episcopal. Methodist and Christian
Science Churches 1t has public Ii
brary, ii picturesque structure Dulit Oh
logs which is fairly we'll equipped
with books and periodicals, and two
modern hospitals. 1t has good fire
department, II telephone system and an
electric light plant large part OF
il has water works throughout the
summer. and in some cases throughout
the winter as well. The pipes are
kept from freezing in winter by run
ming steam pipcrs alongside
\ curious feature iS & main heating
plant that supplies steam heat for the
business center and some OF the houses.
Eight or nine blocks are kept warm by
this plant, and there are many homes
that get their heat by turning Il screw,
just as in the flats Of an apartment
building. The fuel that runs the cen
trail plant is wood, which is cut from
the neiEhborhood and sells at from Si2
to sl5 Il cord. The plant is a success.
and IL keeps the houses perfectly com
Portable. although the temperature
drops at times 40 or so degrees below
zero. The houses outside this heating
arrangement are warmed Ivy large
stoves. and their fuel is wood. When
the railroad is completed the people
expect to have coal at n cost of about
So ton.
MAJORITY OF PEOPLE
LIVE IN LOG CABINS
The most picturesque feature of
Fairbanks is the homes OF the people.
The residences are chiefly log cabins.
ranging in size from those OF two rooms
to some of Il dozen or more. The cab
ms are built OF cyprus and birch logs.
with the bark on or off. at the taste of
the builder. The logs arc chincked with
Arctic moss. and their corners are
joined. now in notchcd shape, now dove
tailed and now with the legs extending
out like dollhouse built of corn cobs
nearly every home has its porch: and
| on the smaller ones the low ridge roofs
extend far out at the front. covering
the lounging place Of the family, dur
ing the hot summer days, Some of the