The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-01-28
BOULDER CITY, NEVADA,
OUR SECOND FEDERAL CITY
Where Is Being Constructed
Comfortable Homes for Work
ers Engaged In Building the
Hoover Dam on the Colorado
NOT A TREE IN SIGHT NOW
(By Captain Charles E. Hoye)


From the pen of Captain Charles
E. Hoye, native Garrett countian, a
soldier and later an educator in the
Philippines for a number of years,
now resident of the west, has con-
tributed the following article descrip'
tive of Boulder City, Nevade, site of
the Hoover Dam, now in course Of
construction on the Colorado River:
Construction of Boulder City on the
Nevada desert, six miles from the
Hoover Dam site, is rapidly nearing
completion. It is our second Federal
City, designed to provide comfortable
homes for from four thousand to five
thousand men, women and children,
as we'll as the business of huge con-
struction project-the Hoover Dam on
the Colorado.
Washington is our first National
City. The Constitution of 1887, hav-
ing specifically authorized Congress to
acquire from the States and to admin
lister a district in which to locate the
capital of our country, Congress di-
rected President Washington to select
site on the Potomac, and in 1890
he chose the site of the District of
Columbia, Maryland and Virginia
ceding to the central government ten
miles square of territory for the pur-
pose. On the "Potomac of the South
west" in 1880, the Department of the
Interior set aside a reservation, also
ten miles square, for new town
named Boulder City. Circumstances
surrounding the two municipal pro-
jects differ exceedingly. In the case
of Washington, the Government pur-
chased land from private owners for
streets, parks, the Federal buildings
paying about SGT per acre; some Of
this land was divided into city lots and
sold, the original idea of the founders
being thai the proceeds from the sale
of lots would provide a fund to pay
for sites and construction of the Fed
eral buildings: in brief, a real estate
deal of considerable magnitude, which
was only partially successful. The
Boulder City reservation was already
public land, and no lots are sold,
though the Government leases lots for
business and residence purposes.
Major L'Enfant, French engineer,
drew the Washington City plan, which
has proven ample for the growth Of
the Capital and all the changes of
transportation of one hundred forty
years. Boulder City also has its plan,
modest but definite. An administra-
ton building, hospital, Union Pacific
railroad station, residences Of Of
ficiais, crown the slope, while recre-
alton center, mess hall, theatre (under
construction), limited number Of
business houses, ten dormitories and
neat workmen's residences cluster
around a central plaza. Avenues
named alphabetically and streets
bearing the names of the far western
States, are graded and paving has be-
gun. Water is to be pumped from the
Colorado; gas and water mains and
sewers are under construction. Most
of the population is already here;
some of the people living in tents on
the reservation, others in Las Vegas,
"The Gateway City" to Hoover Dam.
Roads, streets and most of the pub
lie buildings are being built by the
Government, many of them of per-
manent construction, while dormitor-
les and laborers' cottages are OF wood
framing with composition roofing and
walls, all of rather temporary dura-
ton, but we'll suited to the desert eli
mate. They are built and owned by
the Six Companies, Inc, which has
the $48, 89O,999 Hoover Dam contract
Cottages of two rooms with bath, I'M
furnished, are rented by the construc-
ton company to employees for $19 per
month. Single men in the dormitor-
les pay $1.6O per day for room and
board. Minimum wages are $500 per
day of eight hours. Within eight
wears the Six Companies expect to
pay cost of construction and upkeep
from rent collected.
An outstanding feature of the city
is the company mess hall, which can
feed fifteen hundred men, serving
eight meals daily to the laborers as
they come and go on the work shifts.
Food is set on the table, family style,
except lunches, which the men carry
to their work. Men who have been
unemployed for months and on short
rations, frequently overeat at first.
The kitchen is a modern culinary
wonder and the food served is excel
lent: meats, all vegetables in sea-
son, pie and pudding, milk, tea and
coffee. Visitors cheerfully pay sixty
five cents per meal.
The site of Washington was COW
cred by a forest and few pioneer
farms, but in Boulder City there is
not a tree or even one in sight on
the surrounding desert and noun