El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-07-01

200 pounds. The old mems race was
restricted to runners over 50 years
OF age
Alter the races there were three teams
OF gold miners who played two games
OF baseball and in the evening there
was grand open air dance. a balloon
ascension and a confetti carnival that
lasted until long after midnight Dur
ing these events trained nurses were
kept in constant attendance to minister
10 the children. and the committee on
transportation arranged free autOmo-
bile service for all the women and
children OF the small towns nearby.
AnchornEe'S First Celebration
The town OF Anchorage was born
only last summer with the coming of
the railroad. and the baby municipality
was hardly month old before IL cele-
brated its first Fourth OF July A place
was cleared OF stumps in the center Of
the city Of tents for a baseball
grounds. and this served as the scene
of the other sports OF the occasion
There were ball teams OF men and ball
teams OF women, and races Of every
description. American flags flew from
many OF the tents and a streamer bear
ing me words Welcome to Our Fourth
Celebration" was hung from two pine
trees across the main street The street
was a dirt road, but that made no dif-
ference.
The fat mems race was held on that
road. IS were also the races OF the girls
and boys. I have a photograph Of the
Anchorage girls baseball team. The
members are lusty maids and matrous
dressed IN boomers that come 10 the
knee. with white MILDLY blOuses and
white caps or hats. They wear tennis
shoes
before the People Had Homes.
The Fourth Of July came six days be-
fore The first government sale of lots
No one then had a fixed habitatiOn or a
home The most Of the people lived
arnr~ tor q h.
goverrm to lay out the town There
were perhaps a thousand tents and I
three or four times that many inhabi-
tants. All were selecting good lots
the auction occurred the first lot
brought SS25 and the total sales OF that !
day -an up to more than 100000
Since hen the people have shown much |
pubic spirit and patriotism The town
was laid out with large public parks,
and tlere are to be tennis courts ana
grounds
an Have Baseball
So far I have to visit any town OF Z
size IN Alaska that has not its base
ball field. owing to the topography OF 3
the town. which is built upon hills Z
rising almost straight up from the !
water. the diamond at ketchikan IS I
necessarily confined to the beach It 4
is situated in a cove or bay which is /.
flooded when the tide comes in and IL I
is possible 70 play ball only between I
tides. The Wharves on great piles 4
come close TO the ball ground. and /
hanging and watch the game going on [
below.
The baseball ground at Prince Ru- /
pert over the way. could not be lad /
out On the beach. The water there IS /
deep and there is no space clear at 4
low ,lde. Nevertheless the town has I
its diamond. It is on the top OF a I
cone-like hill, which was sliced or Tor ,
D
to bIast the rocks and level the ground I
The field is now smooth and has an I
Of hills IS its grand i
srand Prince Rupert has a tennis d
courf floored with boards and its peO- /
ple are fond OF sports of all kinds
One II the Fourth Of July events at 7
Ketchil-an consists Of fishing matches
in which the halibut fishermen contend !
as to who can cast his line the most 4
quickly and draw IL in again without [
tangiing. The men are wonderfully eX-
Dert The lines are several miles in /
length and there are hundreds Of hooks
on one line The lines must be dropped
so that the hooks rest on the bed Of the
sea. ..ast Fourth of July the men caught
IS worth OF halibut while throwing
their lines. and that Notwithstanding
the contest was not to see who could I
catch fish, but who could cast the line
quickest
sports in the Evening.
Many OF the sports OF Alaska are
held IA the evening. This is so in
every part of the country. and espe-
cially IN the interior. 1t is so also
in tns Klondike. where, the 21st Of
June. a baseball game is held at mid
night 10 celebrate the time when Daw-
son has "a hours OF daylight Pho
tographs are taken by the light OF the
sun. and the playing con-
tinues until the wee hours OF the morn
ing.
The Dawson baseball park was made
at a cost Of $4,000 1t is the scene Of
many international contests. Teams