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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 1963)
? r ntarrah MLDIOKIJ .MAIL HtUSLNi;. MKDI OKD, OREGON' loipi oy Laraest Force i N ai By KISSELL NIKLSEN I nlted I'ross International RENO, New (UPI) William F Ilarrah, the acknowledRcd king of the casinos, lives in a world of superlatives. He demands the finest, the biccest, the fastest, the most. If j it isn't the best, he doesn't want it. 1 This tall, slender, taciturn man applies this expensive phi losophy to his business, and it i has lifted him from a small time bingo and card game oper ator to czar of chance in Ne vada's wide - open gambling industry. Ask him if he hauls $10 million a year to the bank from his glittering pleasure pal aces at Heno and Lake Tahoe and he'll reply, "Could be." He employs the largest work force in the state and spends millions for the world's largest restored automobile collection, his racing cars and boats, and lavish en tertainment and promot i o n policies. o Ilarrah. 5. once studied me chanical engineering at the Uni versity of California at Los An- geles. He quit and went to work for his father who was oper ating a "circle game," a game of chance similar to blackjack, at Venice, Calif. "The place wasn't doing too well," he recalls. "Dad wanted! to close it. but I talked him into selling it to me." ! Made ilub I'ay He soon had the club in the t black, but it was closed period-' ically by the authorities since: circle games were only "semi legal." He migrated to Reno where the law gave stability to gaming. In i:i:)7 he opened a bingo game and within a few years became one of the top opera-1 tors on "Casino Row." But is! was in 1!I55, when he set up j shop at Lake Tahoe, that busi-! ness really boomed. I Lake Tahoe had been a resort! area since the days of the Corn stock lode at Virginia city, but most business operated only during the summer. Harrah no ted the seasonal onerations did well and seized the opportunity I to buy one which nestled against the California border, only a j short drive from the heavily populated San Francisco Bay j area. He applied Reno - style operating methods to his new enterprise which in 1958 ex panded into a new complex he proudly calls the finest and most luxurious casino in the world. "We had no idea of getting as big as we are," Harrah says, i "We get lucky once in a while." There was business acumen, ' too. Harrah's snowplows clear ed the roads winding through the High Sierra. He chartered fleets of buses to bring custo-! mers, virtually free, from coast al areas. His huge theater-restaurant featured top names in show business, and his casino I lounge staged round - the - clock entertainment. ! Plans Hotel Ilarrah recently announced plans to build a 23-story hotel I adjacent to his present plant. Others are expanding or build ing new operations, and the once sleepy soutn snore is De coming one of the country's most popular pleasure spots. Harrah's love of mechanics has been turned into a promo tional tool. "I was always inter ested in anything that moved, and if it moved fast, so much the better," he jays. He hurls his sleek Ferrari at breath - taking speeds over the mountain highway be t we en Reno and Lake Tahoe. He en ters a Ferrari in various racing events and his driver was un defeated last season. He spon sors the $25,000 Tahoe Unlimited Hydroplane Regetta and his en try. Tahoe Miss, which was built in his own shops, is a strong contender for national honors. He also sponsors a high ly rated amateur golf tourna ment. Harrah's pride and joy, how ever is his $4 million collection of early American and foreign cars. It contains some 800 rare or unusucal automobiles, many of which have been restored ex actly to their original lustre and beauty in his shops. He is an ex pert in this field and can cite specifications of every car in his collection. His decision to buy a certain car is based on what it represents to him, clas I sic styling features, or some j unique engineering feat. j Collection Popular j I The auto collection is so popu j lar with visitors he intends to move it to a better location i here and make it the center of a "big Disneyland-type com 1 plex." ! Harrah has spent a fortune on i r?search to determine how to 1 attract customers and make them return. They are treated to neat attention - getting gim micks such as colorfully uni , formed, white - gloved janitors t sweeping up litter or wiping smudges from gleaming slot machines. In Reno, a plush car peted pathway spans an allev between his two casinos. Air curtains replace conventional doors, and passers by can hear hear the click of silver dollars, the clatter of slot machines and the dice dealers crying "It's a winner." "People genet ally are good and they gamble for the fun of it," he said. "I would say 99.9 per cent of them don't figure to win, but they want a good time and hope they'll get lucky and pav for their trip. "It isn't fun to lose too much, though, and everyone should ad just himself to his own level of what he can afford to spend." Harrah is a conserv'a live, compared with some "high roll er" gambling operators who wager many thousands of dol lars with each other. "Once or twice a year I'll visit a casino and risk $500 or $1,000 before the show and niavbe that much afterward." Ilarrah is "absolutely cer tain" his operation is the be;t in Nevada, but doubts it will ever be just what he wants. "I'm very happy with my self, but I am disappointed be cause I never seem to have things exactly the way I like," he says. "L'll think of some thing that should be done, and it is. But then something else comes along. There's always something else I want to do and I never seem to catch up." "But is I did, I would be dis- appointed, too. There would be nothing to look forward to." Open Sundays 10:00 A.M. - 5:20 P.M. MONDAY & FRIDAY 9:30 A.M. to 8:50 P.M. TUES., WED., THURS SAT., 9:30 to 5:20 3-DAY SALE I 635 E. Jackson I 1 I 8 Bring the whole family . . . 54 big departments to shop in leisure. Enjoy lunch at our own . . . ROGUE SIDEWALK CAFE Outdoor atmosphere with in door comfort. SHOW IIAI.TKI) During the past six weeks black bears have crowds near State College, Pa., had to be halted because Cashcr visited the home of Forest Ranger Karl Cashrr, who puts feed feared .someone would break through the clothesline barrier out for them. Because of a drought bears have had slim pickings and be injured by the animals. lUI'Il in their natural The animal show which nightly drew WI'F.K KND AT DAVID WASHINGTON (UPI) - Pres ident Kennedy intends to spend the week end at Camp David, Md. The White House said Wed nesday the Chief Executive ex pected to fly to the secluded camp in the Catoctin mountains Saturday afternoon and return to Washington Monday morning. CONFIRMS NOMINATION WASHINGTON (UPH - The nomination of W. True Davis Jr., of St. Joseph, Mo., to be the new U.S. ambassador to Switzerland was confirmed by the Senate Wednesday. Gas Pipeline Hear Completion in Area Construction of the natural gas pipeline connecting Grants Pass, Medford and Ashland by California-Pacific Utilities com pany has been practically com pleted, according to V. V. Ly man, division manager. "While wating for F.l Paso Natural Gas company to com plete the natural gas main transmission line from Eugene to Hosehurg and Grants Pass, our contractors are proceeding with Ihe job of cleaning up the : rights-of-way as soon as possi- j blc," Lyman said. "Barring adverse weather i i conditions, it is expected that1 El Paso Natural Gas company will complete its part of the i ' project in time to bring natural j I gas into Roseburg during the j 'middle of October and into the ! Rogue valley the first week in j j December," the manager point-' ' ed out. 1 "The number of large indiis i trial firms in the southern Ore gon area thai have marie ar rangements to convert to nat ural gas just as soon as it is available far exceeds our origi nal estimates," Lyman said. "The savings to be enjoyed by the firms using natural gas will place them in a much more competitive position to secure additional hifsincss from more distant customers and Ihe end result should be a bolster to Ihe. economy of Ihe whole area tn general." he said For 1964... Comet announces a car that's every bit as hot as it looks... MEDFORD SHOPPING CENTER STORE Just Arrived Get Yours Today $1 57 GALLON LIMIT 6 TO A CUSTOMER 48 ,48 ,48 48 48 fH Magnetic Can Opener 3-Position swing ad justment steel cutting blade. Easy cleaning. WITH COUPON PRINCESS HI-LO VANITY STOOL Gleaming Brass Finish Scroll Design . . . Lavender, Gold, Black, Red Adjusts 17" to 23" 1 fiJISi $ 15.95 NEW LOOK MODERN HASSOCK Extra seat or hassock, big 18" diameter, padded plastic top in choice of 8 colors. Big Buy in a Big Recliner Chair Covered in Tough 100 Supported Plastic With a Leather Grain Look Foot rest emerges as the back drops. 29x34x39" high. $6.98 L2 PRICE SALE VANITY TABLE WITH MIRROR Brass-plated w i I h mar proof wood top white, pink. Adjustable mirror. . . 32'5x51". Set of 4 New DuPont Teflon FIREKING OVENWARE $l.o9 to $1.99 REG. $14.98 STf 49 NOW I This ft th boginning of a now kind of Comal. Hot, huiky, hondom tcp sorio in Comof' '64 lineup. Engine range up to a 4-barrol Cyclone 289 cu. in. V-8 in all Comet. "Caliente" means hot . . . in Spanish. And tM rrw Co-"' r'-''t'. ,;" I.t'o ni". 't Inots Ho'. And tl i(! 1 Our ('?''" i1 ' - r f- - -. the punch, Tbp topprr n C',r V-c responsive in C"1'?! r'd V,ip i--- Now Comet offers 3 series . . . the top-of-tp-linp Cn. o"'f . a" i '' ,- -r- - oj n. 404 lees. Tfn rroi's , . . n:i b -j on r:-, -V s tronsmission cC cc, r-c, " t n "V"'. "-r, rw Multi - Drive lc''C C - WT'C i 'vmovt.- i of cf cp. Elegance at a compact price ppw !ran"v"-- A T MEDFORD MOTORS, INC 225 SuK Rivewdt, o ' a ..... Iviiril'l j jr REG. $10.98 ST49 NOW !5' METAL TRAY TABLES King size trays O" folding brass finished legs with plas tic, no-mar tips. $5.98 Power steering AM l( r,T - . . . (. HALF SIZE DRESSES FASHION DRESSES BETTER BUY SEVERAL! PRINTS SOLIDS PLAIDS STRIPES CHECKS LADIES' j.' QUILTED ROBE SIZES I I ! To Chooss From S099 o U MM for more fashion Wool knit capns and sweaters. Superb wool knit with a look of distinction . . . handsome cardi gans or slipons, Jacquard knit in - smart all-over patterns Solid -J borders. S'eck wool knit tapered capris with elasticized waist. Zip j, siaes. epris in cnrcoa, me dium grey, green, brown, black. Sweaters in grey, charcoal, or b'ack combinations. Sizes 10-16 SI 195 to S1295 Each 635 EAS1 JACKSON MEDFORD SHOPPING CENTER ACRES OF FREE PARKING .. .. : L i (0 o
