The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-09-21
apply to chief J. D. Rainey, Tacoma,

was being held by the northwestern fire.
mems association, and that Rainey's ac-
ton was mutiny and selfish. They
claimed that the tournament was opened
under association rules and could not be
conducted or continued legally other
wise. Chief Rainey stood with his SIX
feet of blue uniform on the curbstone
overlooking the surging, agitated mass
of firemen and spectators, and declared
that the races should not go on except
under his general tournament rules
He had the money for the prizes in the
bank in his own name. and he wanted it
understood that copper of it could not
be obtained without his order, unless
everybody had a fair show and all were
satisfied.
''The newly elected president of the
northwestern association is b. 5. Wors-
ley, of Astoria. President Worsley was
all over the track, sometimes at the same
instant. He vowed the races should pro-
ceed under association rules, and that if
Rainey would not pay over the prize
money, the officers of the association
would be personally responsible for the
payment of the prizes to the successful
teams. He ordered the track to be
cleared, and the Corvallis team to get
ready for the first run in the association
championship race.
''This order appeared likely to cause
some muscular trouble. Rainey turned
few shades paler. The Astoria boys
grabbed their hose wrenches, nozzles,
straps and clubs with tighter grip, and
stood at the back of the president from
Astoria. Both sides looked threatening,
and personal encounter seemed immi-
nent. .Rainey walked over to the police
and ordered them to let no one run on
the track unless he said so. The police
knew hardly what to do. They were In
structed on the one side by the presi-
dent of the association to clear the track
for the races, and on the other by
Rainey not to let them proceed. The
band played "Come and Kiss Me, Mother
Dear" and the police paused and listened
appealingly to the music, while Council
man Uhlman and several ladies among
the spectators were affected to tears.
CATER this order went out from the
chief the Astoria contingent, the Astoria
president, the board of directors and the
Astoria judges, held a seance down at
the finishing. end of the race course.
They sat down on the bank and gazed
refectively and undecisively on the
beautiful mud flats and the dirty snow
on Mt. Tacoma. Then they rose up as
one man, and proceeded up the race
course. President Worsley shouted:
The tournament is off. Chief Rainey
refuses to allow the races to proceed, and
has instructed the police to arrest racers
who attempt to use the trackp
This announcement was not made in
one breath. President Worsley paused
and spat it out in sections.
"The spectators on the grand stand
looked disappointed. They had assem-
bled and paid 90 cents to see either
first class rough and tumble fight, with
few races on the side. and at appeared
that they were not going to see either,
although there did appear to be little
prospect for fight yet.
RAINKY wEAKENs AT LAST.
"To have the tournament break up in
a row in the middle of the programme
was a result which even the Astorians
did not desire, and the announcement of
the president caused many to pause and
reflect. Another meeting was called in
the hose house, and it was held with
closed doors, while the crowd waited
breathlessly on the outside, as though
expecting to hear pistol shots or crash
of furniture within. After about fifteen
minutes conference the doors of the
chamber of secrecy and deliberation
were thrown open, and it was announced
that the races would proceed under the
rules of the Northwestern Firemen's as
sociation. Mr.. Rainey came down off
the ourbstone, all took harmony and
good will into consideration, and the re-
suit was a unanimous vote to proceed
with the races under association rules"
This tells part of the story-frOm a
Tacoma standpoint, and is, in the main,
correct, except that Astoria had no lob
by, and no pull on the judges or any
body else.
Astoria's advantage lay in the fact
that it had the best team on the ground,
and its offense consisted in refusing to
allow itself to be beaten,
Chief of police Chesney is a good Of
fcer and well meaning man, but he has
lot of hounds under him calling them
selves policemen, whom he can't con-
troll, and who get their pull from the
city council.
One of them said to the writer that no
betting or gambling could be allowed,
it wasn't right.
Without questioning the social ethics
or moral principle involved in the police
mans statement the writer offers to
police officer, OF anyone else
in Tacoma, where six gambling games
are running wide open, within stene's
throw of where he put up while here (the
Hotel Fife).
How surprised chief Chesney, or his
underlings will be to learn this!
TO BE REGRETTED.
To one interested in the efficiency of
the fire departments of the northwest, it
is matter of regret that the northwest
ern fremen's association is a manifest
failure.
The original idea was splendid one
to get together and discuss topics of in
terest and concern as to the best way of
battling with the common enemy; then
to meet in friendly rivalry and have
contests of skill and award trophies and
prizes to the victors.
But that is lost sight of. There is no
discussion of topics, no resultant good;
few crack teams meet, run, win what
they can, and go home none the better,
If not some the worse for the strain of
physical contest and the unavoidable
surroundings.
Probably the best thing to do is to
separate the convention and the tourna-
ment; hold them at different times and
places wide apart: either that or quit.
Nobody is any better fireman because of
this tournament, now closing; some are
not SO coed,
Ever since the tournament at Salem in
1886 the intention and the results of
these annual meetings have been directly
oppsite.
Meanwhile, let Astoria, as usual, crown
| the victors with laurels on Saturday
morning; the bows deserve IL: nothing