Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-30
Ater Visits Prince Rupert, Gateway Of Alaska
Within Hours
BoundaSteet Carved From RoMcpa Base Ball Grounds and
Miles of Plank RoavayA Talk With the Mayor
Wokshe Prince Rupert FuueThe Great Dry Dock

took an automobile ride through the
town. We had two-ton sevenpas-
Senger car which seemed to me I'M
usually wide, and I expected collision
every time another car passed. The
plank road was SO narrow that turn
ing-out places have had to be built a
the cross-streets and curves, and the
inclines are such that flew up and
down as though we were going over
the track of a giant roller-coa ster. Now
we would shoot around A curve where
a slight skidding of the car might have
hurled us into a ravine: and now climb
hill with the posts and the treStle-
work trembling beneath US. At one
time. We rode. for some distance through
Lovers lane. part of the ninety
acres of forest that forms the public
park of the city, and at another we
climbed the steep slope of Acropolis
Hill. although MIR. Holm suggested we
had better walk. for the road was a bit
old. and the posts might be too weak to
support the automobile.
1t was on top of Acropolis Hill that
we Inspected the water works of the
city. The supply comes from Lake
Woodworth. on a little mountain five
miles away and it is brought in an
eight-inch pipe across country to this
reservoir. The reservoir has been dug
out of the bedrock, and it contains
more than million gallons of water
in addition to the usual needs of the
city.
On another part of this same hill are
the municipal tennis courts and base
ball park. These have been made al
the expense of the citizens, it having
cost $4,000 to blast out the rock and
level the space for the base ball dia-
mond. 1t will take $1,000 more before
the ball ground is as the mayor says it
should be. The park is so situated
that the hills about it form the grand
stand. and consequently there is free
admission. The pay of the players is
collected by passing the hat. The mu-
nicipal tennis courts have been made
by laying a level plank floor upon the
uneven surface of the rocks, and erect
ing about it fences of wire netting so
nigh that the balls cannot possibly fly
over it and roll down the steep slopes
of the mountain
Standing upon Acropolis Hill. one has
a good view of Prince Rupert. OFF to
the front is the harbor. sparkling in
the sunlight and backed by mountain
Gus islands of green. At the back are
forest-clad hills, lost in the clouds, and
between is the city. its business sec
ton made up of two and three story
frame buildings, painted in modest col
ors. with roofs red, brown and black.
Here and there the spfre of church
rises above the roofs; and should you
take your glass you might pick out the
signs of banks. stores, real estate Of
fees. and, I regret to say. of saloons
AS to the morality of the city. the
mayor tells me that it is just medium,
not too good and not too bad. He as
serts. moreover, that during his three
years of administration, although vast
sums-a million dollars last year-have
been spent in public improvements,
there has not been one nickel of graft.
I wonder!
Returning to the view, let us take
look at more of the buildings. The
city hall is a three-story structure of
frame. the biggest hotel has five stories
and 1t is made of brick, while near it
YOU can pick out a hole in the rocks
that has cost the Grand Trunk Pacific
railway $4,000 to make and is to form
the site of a million dollar hotel
when the present financial stringency
has passed.
The private residences of Prince Ru-
pert include many comfortable homes.
They are one and two story frame cot
tages rising out of the uneven green
of the muskeg. Many have blasted out
the stumps in making the foundations
and some of the people have built up
level yards about their houses and have
lawns as green and smooth as those of
old England. All kinds of vegetation
grow luxuriantly. The town has many