Jim Kershner’s This day in history

From our archives, 75 years ago

A military demonstration was being planned at the Grand Coulee Dam, which was under construction on the Columbia River.

The demonstration was to be a simulated attack from the West Coast by a hypothetical enemy, intent on destroying the dam. Planes were to swoop in for a 10-minute “attack” and then be driven off by anti-aircraft fire. Two National Guard units agreed to provide machine guns and aircraft in the demonstration.

Officials expected more than 6,000 people to watch the show.

From the airplane beat: Northwest Airlines announced it would add a third daily Seattle-Spokane-Twin Cities round-trip, because of high demand.

Airline officials said business had exactly doubled from August 1934 to August 1935.

From the gambling beat: Horse players were advised to beware of bogus tip sheets being sold at Playfair Race Track.

Hucksters at the track were brandishing the sheets, which showed an almost infallible record of picking that day’s races. Then the hucksters would collect money in advance for the next day’s issue.

Police said that those “infallible” sheets had actually been printed after the day’s sixth race. The ink, in some cases, was still wet.