Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-10-06

built on the former swamp ana tnlS
is made up of what might be termed
the civic center. On AncOn hill, be-
hind the handsome new administration
building, is really the best and pret-
dences clustered about the governors
house around which the social life of
the community in time to come will re-
volve. Across the former swamp to-
ward the west In SOSa hill on which
many of the new concrete two and
four-family houses have been built. At
the foot of Sosa hill and facing the ad-
ministration building are the huge Y.
NJ. c. A.. the new cOmmissary and its
companion refrigerating plant.
When the town was planned it was
the intention to so construct the build
ings that all would harmOnize in archi-
lecture. This has been carried out
with so rigid q resolve that perhaps
the uniformity in a measure spOils the
effect of the whole. There Is moth
ing along the PradO, for instance, to re-
lieve the eye of the sameness of the
eight concrete houses that face the
central parkway. They are all alike,
in design, in size and interior furnish
ing. They were cast In the same con-
crete mold. There is a stilted formal
ity about them that Jars. but which
undoubtedly prevents the jealousy
which would be aroused were there q
possibility of choice.
Balboa Heights Attractive.
The town of Balboa is virtually di-
vided into four sections. East of the
new administration building, which
naturally dominates the business life
of the town, on the slOping side of An
con hill. is the official residence quar-
ter. This section is frequently referred
to as Balboa Heights. 1t is here that
the real beauty of the village is to be
seen. In time, no doubt when nature
has completed its work, the other sec
tons will equal and, perhaps. surpass
it in attractiveness. Its present ad-
vantages are due to having been
planned and constructed first and its
natural advantages regarding location.
South of Balboa Heights is another
fiat hilltop which.ha in recent months
become known as Quarry Heights, or
sometimes Military Heights. The lat
| ter is used because 1t is the site Of
the large and handsome home of the
commanding general of the United
| States troops. and his staff officers.
Farther south still is the permanent
camp Of the provost guard or military
police.
At the foot of the hill on which the
new administration building stands.
and also near the bottom. of the hill
on which is the governors house, which
OverlOoks the tract, there is large fiat
bottom land that, too, formerly was a
huge swamp. 1t comprises about 1000
acres and was filed in by the spoil
from the dredges excavating the inner
harbor of Balboa. The salt water has
killed all the vegetation, which, how
ever, was neither plentiful nor valu-
able. A top dressing of rich soil will
eventually be given this tract and then
it will grow anything. When m6pey, is
available it is planned to transform
this bottom land into a large, hand
some park.
Between AncOn hill and SOsa hill is
Balboa Flats, so called from the fact
that it was built on the only level part
of the new town. A part Of the flats.
however, is on the slope of Sosa hill
and overloOks the PradO and fats
proper from the west. The central fea-
ture of the flats is the Prado, which
forms a wide double roadway down
the center. On 1t are the commissary,
the Y. NJ. G. A., the dispensary. fire
and police stations and the high school.
Also there are eight four-family houses.
A large part Of the fats is to be util-
lied for the magnificent new athletic
field now under construction.