Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-02
ALASKA MAKES PLANS
TO OBSERVE JULY 4
Sports Feature Celebrations, Which
Sometimes Continue for
Several Days.
INDIANS ENJOY TUG-oF-wAI
Prizes Are offered for Many Events.
Baseball Popular, and Towns AL
Have Fields In Which Game Is
u Played.
ny FRANZ G.. CAnpENrEn.

=
ready preparing :cE ::s Fourth OF Jul!
celebration Flags s-e hoA;inE from
the public hCilSi-ss >aD& s7eSt stream
ers hang across TIE streets. Excursion:
are eNpectc: !-c-i White Horse anc
elsewhere. s-;3 ;As i;.a!s"S viii come ir
from miles Sro-r.d- NGere wiIl he
1tenris tG@.aS--.a-; ....3 baseball games
Last Fourth >as =: -. events was =
tug of-wa- Ss;wss- -:vSl LATHAM tribes
The contest tc1k r;Ace or Ihs street cai
tracks IN the hss.; - me town. AMI ;hs
men pulled and ;2sseG 81 rope iwo
inches thick.
Juneau will have = sreS; Fourth this
year, and the day Will re celebrated in
every town OF -Alaska. There is no
doubt about the patriotism OF this part
of the world. saw more American
flags on my trip from Ketchikan TO
Anchorage than in the whole journey
from Washington 10 San Francisco and
northward 10 Seattle. Every town had
American flags floating from the
houses, and village of twenty log
cabins Is sure to have two or three
flags hung out TO the breeze. These
people celebrate the Fourth and
Christmas as the two great days of the
year. Every town collects money for
the Fourth by popular subscription.
and the sports often last for two or
three days.
Last year Fairbanks. in the very
heart of the territory, had two-day
program. a copy of II lies before me.
The first day began with literary cXcr-
cises, including speech and the read
ing of the Declaration Of lndcpend-
encc. This was followed by baseball
game at Exposition Park. In the after
noon there were competitive sports,
hoo
and swimming race. In the evening
there was a dance, with music by the
town band. On the second day there
was another baseball game. and sports
afternoon and evening. Among the
features of the latter was a chariot
race, in which the best teams of the
city took part Each chariot consisted
of the front wheels of wagon on
which a platform had been laid. The
horses went on the gallon.
1T is interesting to look at the list
of sports in which prizes are given.
The official program. bearing the
American flag on It's cover. shows races
by boys and men. and even by girls.
Tho first prize for tho ffty-yard dash
for boys of from twelve to fourteen
was SO and the second 81. Boys OF ten
and twelve ran fifty yards for a prize
OF 50, and boys under eight years for
prize Of $3.50. The 1o0yard dash
for men and boys had prizes from $3.50
to $1,000. There was fftyyard dash
for girls of from twelve 20 fourteen
and another for younger girls ranging
down TO those under eight years, the
prizes being from $3.50 to SO. The rope
climbing contest was open to all, as
was also the pole-vauit The wheel
barrow race was limited TO men of over
$50 pounds weight, and the first man
In received prize of $40. There were
four entries for the angleworm race.
and its prize was $40.
And then there were bicycle races
of various distances for men, boys.
and girls. and swimming races OF 100
yards with prizes OF from $40 TO 500
OBSTACLE, EGG AND
SPOON RACES HELD
On the second day the women were
among the runners. There were OBJ
stacles races for boys and girls, egg
and spoon races for girls under four
teen, and potato race for boys under
twelve. There was pic-catinG con-
rest for boys. and a doughnut-cating
contest for girls. the prize in each case
being $3.50 for the one twho ate fastest
and most Anhthhf feature VA. s.nL
race for bows under twe,y. ava
other thrcc-lcEGed race In which
each contestant consisted Of two bows
with one leg of each tied TO n leg TO
the other
Among the evening oyo,,,, g. =.
light as day IN TO n,idn,rb, ,,o Eo,,r,h
of July evervwhcre in Alasl,a,h.-o
were womon's racos LADIES. .u
driving contest and a ,ur-o>-w.- r,,o
amount Of prizes given IN this vav
WAS more than 3, onn ana !, ,,.
tributed hv Tho ci,j,o,, ~
went ont in force IN ~. .o.,
Tho Fourth OF Ju,v c,,ro nv
last year. II was celebrated =, ,,,,,aa,,
that dav nv bas.h..n
the Juneau ana Trc,dxo,I ,.a,,. ~"
Juneau Recreation park. Tn. d;,,,,,
there has bcen en-, on, o. ,,,,,
gravel which was formerly, ,..
,,,ina ,,,, 7 s,,,A, -