The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-01-20
Boulder Dam: No. a.
BOULDER CITY
THROWING OFF
PAPER MACHE
First Signs of PermanenCe
Crop Up at Site of
Dam Building.
BY ARTHUR MOORE
Times stan Correspondent


In its evolution from construction
camp to model city, Boulder City is
just leaving a PAPER mache stage
to enter an era of brick and plaster
The Six Companies, Inc, contrac-
tor for Boulder dam, still exerts a
dominating influence on the town
-and will continue to do so. It's
buildings were built to last during
the six years Of dam construction
no longer. But along the top fringe
of the town site, small homes IF
brick and stucco are being COM
pleted to house United States en-
ployes
After eight months work on the
dam, Boulder City is still in It's
building stage. Street grading has
just been completed and there are
few structures in the area set aside
Tor independent concessions.
Protest Exploitation
The reason, explains Walker r.
Young, in charge of Boulder City as
reclamation bureau construction
engineer, is that the government
called for leases from it's conces-
sionaires only on Nov. "a. About
thirty have been signed so far, and
Young believes most of the $50
concessions granted for business will
be acted upon.
Las Vegas business men, compet
ing for a share of profits from the
dam workers, predict most of the
concessions will go untitled, due to
Six Companies competition.
A strong element of Las Vegas
business is firm in a stand that
the Six Companies has revealed it.
self as an exploiter of its own
workmen and as a potential mo-
nopolist of Boulder City trade. It
issues scrip to workmen on their
pay and to men arriving on the
project broke-as most of them do
who arrive.
The Six Companies explains its
activities as workers welfare
There is no other place for men
to spend their money. We have to
furnish them necessities and amuse-
ment," officials say.
Gaming Rule Shattered
Much of the same language is
used by Glenn E. (Bud) Bodell,
Boulder City police chief, to explain
why he sponsors and controls a
poker game in the company club
house, in defiance of laws for the
reservation as aid down by Ray
Lyman Wilbur, secretary of the in
terror.
Bodell rules the morals and man
ners of the dam workers with
breezy confidence that he knows
what is good for his wards. He
works on double theory-give the
men something TO do; crush out
radicalism at the first whisper. The
result is one of the most unusual
police forces in the world. 1t is COM
posed of ten uniformed United
States marshals and thirty under
cover men mingling as laborers on
the job.
1t considers its business to see
the gambling laws are broken in
the proper manner; that liquor is
kept from the workers; that
wobblies who talk too much are run
off the reservation.
You can't stop gambling among
these men, Bodell said. Until
the games moved into the open,
card sharps were active. In a raid
on one dormitory I found eleven
decks of marked cards. Then the
company built its clubhouse and we
moved the games there where we
can watch them"
Liquor Present Problem
In the clubhouse we're half
dozen tables with about eight men
at each one. Before every man
was his company badge-insignia
that he belongs in Boulder City.
Beside his chips lay written pass
to the eservation-identifica
ready if any marshal should ques-
ton his participation in the game.
For only men with proof that they
are Six Companies employees may
play. Any man can bank the game
so long as he can show sufficient
reserve funds.
Liquor presents a bigger problem
to Bodell and the marShals.
They'll drink anything-that's
what makes the job so tough" He
exhibited samples of confiscated
liquor-patent medicines, tonics,
rubbing alcohol, canned heat, even
a face lotion.
Bodelrs pride is his espionage
system. He calls it lone of the most
efficient I ever saw" He considers
his constant war on radicals as the
most important part of his job and
boasts that he knows of every agi-
tator on the job.
We've got em spotted. Give
'em rope until they blab too much
then off the reservation they 60"
THE END