The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-05-15
. After Many
Years

= V04 =
Historical Buccaneers
And Pirsses
This Sisfe Has
Them. Too
Jersey Folks Split On
Horse Race Issue
by =. 4. SHORT
nTsCoyERY Of some valuable
~ Oregon historical records in
the collection OF the University
q California leads The oregoni-
an "a remark that for ways
that are dark and tricks that are
VAIN Bret Harte's Heather
Chinee- 70 not 80 peculiar.
Though there In IN the posses
sion of the Oregon State His
torical society. outstanding COL
lectsons Of documents relating to
the eerly history OF the state,
these would be much better.
The orcronisn believes. II lit
erary buccaneers and PIRATES had
not roamed the state. buying.
borrowing and obtaining ma
teriai dealing with the history
- the Old Oregon country"
N the same way . great deal
- matter relating to the his
tory Of Warrington has gone
ct of the state or In held In
private collections. Much Of this
material was BORROWED" from
pioneer families and tho borrow
- promptly forgot to return H.
Even several scrap books con-
tanning historical clippings from
this column have disappeared be-
cause Of q too abiding confidence
n the word a borrowers"
When II comes 10 historical
matters II seems that all the
rules Of the game can be thrown
into the waste basket if the other
fellow has something you want.
II 10 within the memory Of the
older residents Of Tacoma how
certain citizens connived with
. historical group in Seattle TO
pick up the Ferry museum and
headquarters Of the historical So
eiety and Get than down On the
university campus.
The deal would have gone
through II w. P. Bonney, now
secretary Of the historical 30
eiety. had not blocked the game.
And to this day there are per-
sons who stili have II in for Mr..
Bonney because ne protected Ia
eomas interests.
CAMDEN, New Jersey. il split
" wide open on the racing is
sue. The horse crowd. through
some influence or other. was able
70 obtain priority ratings for
equipment and material 10 erect
an elaborate racing plant. II
might have been on the ground
that the racing racket 10 good
for the morale Of defense work.
sp. an excuse has been used 10
cover q multitude Of sins. What
ever IT was, the racing crowd
seems 20 have been able 10 put
the deal over when other pro-
5ects were delayed That In
spired one Of the newspapers to
comment on some Of the para
doxes growing out Of the war
situation. Here are q few sample
paragraphs:
They tell us down In WASH
tngton that We are going To have
- get along on less gasoline.
And the tractors rumble around
TIE dirt oval where In q few
months the horses viii run TO
amuxe the crowds.
They tell US there is q short
age Of rubber that even food
deliveries may have to be cur
tailed And into the race track
pour . stream OF double-tired
trucks hauling material TO pro-
vide comfort for race horses.
They refuse a permit to build
. recreation center in . defense
housing project because Of a
shortage Of nails. Yet nails are
provided 20 build q grandstand
- that the people can watch the
horse races.
They tell Us that we are go
Ing to have 10 conserve food TO
help the war effort, while bins
ARE being built TO hold fodder
for horses whose only function
70 chasing each other around q
dirt oval.
They close q race track in
California because, they ssy. the
danger Of air raids On the @ext
coast make IL unxise 10 permit
large crowds 70 gather. And
here on the east coast we stand
watch through the night for the
planes while q race track u
bang built.
The people OF south Jersey
know what's going or.
They know that their country
10 right smack in the MIDDLE Of