Show LETTER FROM RODNEY B ASHBY prince rupert D B C feb 16 1329 1929 I 1 editor the progress fillmore utah dear sir this tl ais city of 0 people mostly ol of english canadian and scandinavians is reached through an all inland channel front from vancouver 11 C only by boat as there Is no highway yet constructed through the very rough and thickly timbered intervening ter distance ot of miles quilt built at powell ulver river and ocean falls are two very large paper mills which are located on oil the channel traversed by two different companies several boats plying the rout to accommodate the last fast increasing public travel hundreds of tourists are finding a very interesting summer trip here and do not usually stop until they go as tar far north along the alaska shore as the boats go the season regulating the distance this section has a very heavy rain tall fall at certain seasons ot of the year the month of 0 january this year the I 1 station here reported precipitation of 0 77 inches in december there is only about 6 hours daylight now there is twice that number and in july fitere etero is only about 2 hours darkness in each 21 24 strange as it may seem being in meridian 54 north latitude or 10 degrees farther north than salt lake city some 00 to 1000 miles yet the thermometer this winter lias has not been driven down by the cold only to 8 degrees above zero and this city 13 within 35 miles of alaska located here is a large grain elevator capacity bushels equipped to store the product of 0 tile the alberta prairies and load onto boats bound lor for foreign shores ten tan ship loads ot of which has been loaded here since december 1 1928 eight separate wharves are maintained in this completely landlocked deep water harbor tor for handling tra vel and traffic one ot of tile the best harbors on oil this coast for several excellent reasons the canadian national steam ship company ope operates rates here one of 0 the largest dry docks in america capacity tons fully equipped tor for ship building or repairs fishing is the chief industry and built on this harbor is the very largest fish cold storage and freezing plant in the world it ope operates the year round with an annual pay roll of 0 and handles pounds of 0 fish ot of a dozen different dit terent vari parities ties and sizes the largest on exhibition hibi tion of 0 which is a halibut with its head off and weighing pounds many freak fish are shown here tile the city prince rupert lupei t Is built on the north west side of kalen island near the mouth ol of the skeena river on oil a very rough elevation M much u 11 of it solid rock ledges running down to and skirting skirling the water ot of the harbor the houses sidewalks and stairways climbing up or going down clown to the buildings are of lumber and plank some cement walks tn in bustness business district near a dozen dominant domi nent churches are established here supported by a more or less interested drawn to them by various means A well equipped hospital cares for or the afflicted and injured the cities water light sewage and other utilities are well regulated by an alert municipality supported by a single tax system all improvements exempt good accommodations are provided the traveling public in line fine hotels and apartment houses five elementary and ono one high school provides well for the education ot of the numerous robust healthy children found here who are not averse to playing marbles in a rain storm clad in rubber suits or coasting down the steep crooked streets on long coasters on scant supply of 0 snow in many respects school laws and methods are in sharp contrast to ours this port la is several hundred miles nearer the orient than van couver or any pacific port south of 0 here and I 1 felt quite near burns finlinson while reading his letter written from china aboard tile the floating university iver sity I 1 like this country and expect my trip to be profitable to myself and others success to you and my many acquaintances respectfully Respect ully lully rodney D B ashby |