The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-09-03

jefferson ave- ID JEFFERSON 70
c st. and north on c to the re-
viewing stand at Ninth st, where
it disDsnds1.
The parade was the biggest
turnout in Tacoma up to that
time. II was headed by Harry
Morxan's Theater Comique band.
The printers and plumbers were
a little bit snooty because they
had Just received their beautiful
new banners. the finest in the
parade. There were about 200
persons in the line of march.
Longshoremen. with 135. had the
biggest turnout. The plumbers
came next with ITO. The num-
Der of these two groups was ac-
counted for by q fine of SIS on
every member who did not turn
out.
Besides the union groups. the
parade included national guard
units and representatives OF
business firms. The brewing
company took honors in the in
dustrial section with gaily
decorated wagon drawn by six
dapple gray horses.
Immediately after the parade,
cars Of the Point Defiance Mo-
tor company began carrying the
crowd to American lake. Others
Travelled by horse and buggy
and bicycle. The hitchracks
were full and horses were tied
to the scrub oak on the prairie.
There was a fine picnic din
ner followed by a sports pro-
gram which lasted until 3 o'clock
when the heaviest rain of the
season started. Those who could
crowded into the dance pavilion
and other shelters. Others took
a soaking.
To make matters worse,
there was a breakdown ON the
American Lake railway line
and IL was late at night before
the last of the celebrators
reached home. This was one
time when the horses had IL
over the railway.
Assisting Rammelsburg in
handling the details of that first
Labor Day celebration was q
committee which included T. F.
Burns, chairman; NJ. J. O'Con-
nell, M. Epstein, C. N. Shaw,
Charles Stettin, F. w. Caswell,
]. Dunbar, Charles Boeve, A. o.
Watson and Charles B. Stone.
The parade arrangements were
in the hands of Charles Dreese,
Fred Burns, L. H. French, e. II.
Butterfield and C. II. Lonsin.
The circuit riders are fast dis
appearing. One Of the last of
that diminishing clan to go was
DR.. William c. Kantner, 81, who
died at his home in Salem a few
days ago. DR.. Kantner came to
the Northwest So years ago. He
made his rounds of the pioneer
churches on horseback, carrying
his clothing and equipment in
saddlebags. Though his work
was largely in Oregon, he was
well-known in Tacoma and the
Puget Sound country.
There Is a familiar ring to the
story Of the trial of the attorney
general of Montana, charged
with failing to include in his in
come tax returns an item Of
$1,000 a slot machine operator
was alleged to have paid him
for a four-year monopoly of the
slot machine business in that
state. The attorney-general was
acquitted but the case recalled
something Of the same odor that
arose when Tacoma city officials
many years ago attempted to
control slot machines by Civ
ing one operator a monopoly.
Some nice people narrowly
missed burning their fingers and
few Of the dupes went to the
federal penitentiary on Mcneil
island. The slot machine bust
ness is one in which there is
nothing new. II brings grief to
public officials in the same old
way, and in the same old way
makes suckers of otherwise in
tefiQent nereana