Rides
More Than a Business Interest
Harper has more than a business in-
t.crest in the collection. He says, "I've
always been interested in artifacts of
the Old West.As a matter offact, I have
a small collection of them myself. We
have a lot of artifacts in the bar area
here al the auto collection, and while
tending bar I became engrossed in
their beauty and historical signifi-
cance."
Harper's own collection contains
items such as old mechanical banks,
Indian artifacts, slot machines and Sti-
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a1n
rling silver.
Harper started working for Harrah's
nineteen years ago as a bartender in
the auto collection, and a year ago
transfered to his present job. He takes
care of "anything that has to do with
the public."
Harper estimates the size of the mu-
seum is 2000 square feet. There must be
hundreds of pieces on display.
What tu Grab First
Given an imaginary fire in the place,
what one thing would Harper save
first? "I think I would pull out Billy the
Kid's rifle, Ben Halliday's rifle and
5
by Mel Getlan
Isis, which T believe was built in the
1910s or 20s."
Isis is an extraodinary machine, ac-
cording to Don l3ritt, an associate of
the late Mr. Harrah. It was donated by
a Dr. Nixon, and Britt describes it as,
"The musical gal with the tiger. She's a
goddess who plays a harp." Harper
goes on to explain that you could sup-
posedly speak to the machine and ask
it to play one of over 3,000 tunes. No
one knows exactly how this was done,
but one cannot help but speculate.
l3il ly the Kid's rifle was donated to
the museum back in the 30s by the
daughter of the man to whom the Kid