Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 19, 1949)
JK Few Recollections... Honored Millrace Memories Return From Good Old Days By Bob Tweedell Just about fifteen years ago, the Junior Weekend publicity commit tee received the following mes sage : “Congratulations on the happy selection of the ‘Melody In Spring’ theme for Oregon’s Water Pag eant. It should be very beautiful. “I am happy to extend my Dest Wishes for the success of the event . . . Would you like some sort of a Hollywood token for the young lady who does a good job on one of the floats?” The letter was signed by Bing Crosby. Bing was referring to plans for a Crosby-donated prize to be awarded to the coed chair man of the winning float in the canoe pageant. That’s just a sample of the fame of Eugene’s old millrace. ALUM REMEMBERS More recently, an Oregon alum nus wrote from his home in Japan If about the “days 1 enjoyed canoe ing along the millrace.” So it goes. Old-timers—Eugene ans and Oregon alumna ‘round the world—remember the placid old stream of the days when it was the center of innumerable leisure-time activities. They fondly recall the picnics, the canoeing, the dunkings, the tugs-of-war, the swimming parties—and the romancing. They remember much more that makes the millrace mean some thing special. They remember when the millrace waters turned the big water-wheels that supplied power for Eugene’s industrial plants. They remember when the circus came to town, and the elephants Went bathing in the race. The big animals liked it—liked it so well that they staged a sit-down strike when their keepers tried to get them out. RACE CAUSES FEUD The old-timers remember when the millrace was the center of feuding among home-owners along its banks and the millrace-power owners. The men interested in de veloping the power potential want ed to widen the race; the people living along the race fought suc cessfully to keep industrial de velopment from destroying their carefully-nurtured, beautiful lawns and gardens—and so the scenic charms of the old stream were pre served a while longer. And it doesn’t require such a long memory to recall the famous “war” fought in and around the millrace in 1937. Loyal Ducks fought a victorious battle against an invading horde of Oregon State Beavers. The Beavers, light-headed from a gridiron victory over the Ducks, descended on the Oregon campus to add insult to injury by taunting their victims with a vic tory parade. BEAVERS SWIM The ill-planned affair ended in a disastrous defeat for the Corvallis ites. Most of the Beavers ended up in the millrace, tossed there by Or der of the O men and re-enforce ments from the rest of the student body. Even the girls got into the fray; a crowd of them watched, “eyes filled with sadistic ecstasy” while captured Beavers were un ceremoniously disrobed and thrown into the chilly waters of the race. Other persons remember other things about the old millstream. They remember how the moonlight glistened on the water and the stars were reflected from the limp id, black pools. They remember the shadowy places along the banks, where the willows and ferns hung down to form inviting rendezvous for canoers. They recall the soft swish of paddles, the plink-plunk of ukeleles and guitars, the joyous and sometimes raucous voices of impromptu choral groups. SAD DAYS FOB RACE And they remember, too, the sad days when the race became a dirty trash-filled ditch, neglected and forgotten. Days that began when the Willamette flooded and broke the retaining wall and intake dam. Days that stretched into months and years. It’s not so easy for newcomers to Eugene, or to the University, to think about the millrace as do those who saw it “when.” It’s not so easy, now, for them to appreci ate what the millrace means. It’s hard for them to understand the glamour and romance that is con nected with the beautiful old stream. But now that the millrace has been restored, the come-latelys will have a chance to learn about the old stream’s charms. And they, too, will probably become members of the legion of millracers. Flow on forever, old millstream! Tests Decrease Friday The campus in general noticed a slight decrease in mid-terms sched uled for Friday. Many professors attempted to avoid the last day be fore Homecoming to give their exams. An exception was one student who reported having four mid terms Friday. T H A for N K S G I V I N G HOGAN'S GROCERY COOK'S MARKET 544 E. 13th Phone 4-6209 FREE DELIVERY ^biitinctwe Tbinincj, at the Del Rey Alums . .. get a taste treat. Eat at the [CUumuOll 845 Willamette Del Rey After the Game make it a party to talk over old times. Phone 5-2115 JlomZCOMiHXj, Time TO REVISIT OLD SCENES TO RELIVE DEAR DAYS TO REMEMBER SINCERE FRIENDS We do- Uap,e you may jjind time ta came in and day Uella . . . EUGENE’S FASHION CENTER