Letter from Fred Hoshiyama to Joseph R. Goodman, September 20, 1942

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Qopas, Utah

7 September 20, 1942

. Greetings to you from Topaz, our new home which will be the fifth largest -

city in Utah, when all of Tanforan and part of Santa anita gets here,

There has begn rumor that part of Tanfe, will be sent to Arkanaga. `That's

mot true and fanforan will all come here definitely. I promised to write -

to you, but elinee I'll be writing just about the same thing to all of you,

Tam making carbon copies whieh I hope you won't mind too much, It's just

a little over one week ago that I first set my foot at Topaz, and within _

that week I have had a chance to get some information about our centity-tobe -

and get a cross section of our commmity life, e . ;

i 2 long S5-hour of tiring and uneventful train ride, we arrived in |

Delta, Utah, Fri. am. Sept. llth, from Tanforan, California. Sinee the 17%!

Of Sept. about 500 persons have been arriving caily and will continue com

dng in until the 2ird. `hen, a short lull and more will follow in about a

week. To date we have nearly 2,000 in our new Gity-to-be, Topaz.

Our new howe is called Topas which 4g about 16 miles from Delta, the nsagre |

@at train station. Name TOPAZ is teen from a beautiful mountain whieh

lies avout 12 miles west of us. Topas is situated on h former lake bettom

anda is surrounded all around by long Fanging mounteaine which makes eur sun-

rise and sunsets very picturesque. `The temperature varies from 20 degree:

below sero to 120 degrees yen. It is not uncommon to find a difference o

6O degrees in one day ag we have experfeneed. llevation is about 4,600 ft.

above seq, level. Our first impression of the land ground Delta was geod;

nies country sith amell farwlanda of aifalfs, corm and sugar beet, and

pastures. Arca wound Topas which fa 12,000 acres is vory alkali, and we

do not know whet type of agricultural products will grow best. j= #~

Gum city will have 42 aquare city blocks, and 32 of them will be used for

diving blocks. Other blocks are being used for schools, civie center, |

Playgrowiis., hen fully housed, there will be approximately 9100 persons

here, Hospital with 250 bede is being rushed to completion and latzer

there will be erceted anf auditorium, guym and eivie center right in the -

miccle of the mile square area Which is the residential areaj Soon as the

Glever and industricus Nipponese piant park trees, gardens and pools, we

Sigil have a trucent oasis right in the heart of the Utah desert. Hash and

everyone of the residents will have a part in the building and creating of (c)

this `dream! city into a reality. We can do it and we wil?! i 2

Approximately S90 to 360 persons will be housed in one `block. Gach block

Will have two rows of six buildings seach Making 12 buildings in all, and -

GaGh bldg. will have six apartments of threo different sizes to accommo.

dase couples, family of @and es. Between the two rows of Dldgs. will be

found the laundry room, men and women showers, 4 baths for women, wash :

eooms With indlvidugl basins, and wen and women tollets all in one bldg. anc

the other large bldg. is the dining hall eapable of Seating 350 per sitting.

the walls of the apts. ars not completed since innar Walle and ceilings -

Will be construeted later by the Japanese carpenters Igy with rock sheet

beards whieh are fireprosf and exceilent Ingulators. Ploors have masonite -

coverings and each room will have stoves burning Goal, Bldg@. are 126 ft. |

by 20 (c)t. There fs q Westibule for every two apts. and each aptd has an

individual decors and it is necessary te enter the deor leading into the

Vestibule first. | |

there are three 'firgt' dupressions whieh everyones experiences ag he enters

Topas. First, the sincere, cordial friendliness of the Director, Mr. Chas

P. brnst, ari his top atari men, second, the uniformity of the bi :

ef the b

~. getter mixing around with the hein' `vienna

Hea all ever, and the early mornings.

"geet tn a few dayss* This

`that we are very fort ool te to have ae man of Mr...

| "goalal welfare background | experbentey ani-his gem

fare and future, aS

gill of their answers `Gan be succinct

`herve at Topas." This attitude ta th

a ne, life end it's a healthy signe

Page Be:

ony ete sind to the `aust, `vecentoe) Like he weal, trust s1idin |

appreciate, respect and love the top admint ) caret, "no nage. Fc

eae Calibre, his rich

ine - in our wel

ents, new. `ipeiede and eubeigne,

I got 411 kinds of answers to. the mery, "How do you like it here?*, bub

sly put into one statement, . "We. like it

- at | in the building of a i

While we were in Caissornia, we proudly Sad boastfully eiaiee of our' twun-

kissed' state, but I have thousands. of Topasian residents who will claim

that Vteh dees not do so bad as 2 "``gun-kiesed' state'. Im the afternoons,

46 gets mighty Warm ant many. have been taken to the hospital with `heat

fo oncra toe whieh causes and

| " temperature Ye 103-104 degrees, and

re headache. - Couple of salt `pills usually 1 i i them back on `their

A ane. Bae wrpt ae there were icicles

`extremely cento `Brrr. Bers: Strrr.

oe arb: bLOW ing the dust all over |

wind 2:90 pm, the wind gets araery ane

i and sonstinee `our blenkets look white with dust. - We Gar sontrel dart

7 later with Vegetation so cur Cubure taentt so forlorn. It be heppen-

Hint' we had perfect weather all week and on the day the new contingent

in the eeather men `sold us' down the river". se tole our friendes at

hit a grand weather we were having anc when they came, the dust -

: Sede Waryone, physically. sick, and I kmow they were greatly dis- -

often tats nonady's and Picea sai There sure are iote ef DUSE here.

ae iene ee ves eee

ining: `eid and the other" -egesen=

tial taatlition. fede ehate yet `Beene S,b,6,7,10,11,12,15,14 are now

filled, . chose. in 10,11,12,15,14 have to come. to other first mentioned

blooka to eat. there is quite' aq bit. ef confusion and disorganization.

Tonight, the blankets `will ayrive at lorpm from Salt iake Gity and those

who arrived today won't have. blankets until then and it gete mighty cold. (c)

Mr. irnet sent a tekgran asking ante. group to held up moving, but it

geema that they are sending then as- cekumisehs. . The expe rbanoe at Tanto.

| Hatehen and garbage detail. It's hard to get enough x me

ment situation is all mixed up. averyone wants deiteher

Regs etty sinee all: the people are An

) @@-thig le .

moh, I'm just. a small voles in.

`getivities going. Few are secretaries, fow are.

_, the first few weeks, should teach. the. Army something, but mo, they Insist

on sending people to unprepared, unresdy centers. Vhere len't any military

enters now, and sinee we have wWait-

k of waiting shouldn't hurt too

Sheswilde: esa a0 it dosen't count, bub

there should be some wiy to modify `plans so that food and other -_-S

Gan be met for another week at Tanfos

nz to. be. eloogted, `another wee

There has been " great deql of gambling going on ever since we got on the -

traing and it has continued right on: in this center. It's not uncommon to

gee 9 pot of G10-00 ~- 515,00 and 900.00 winnings or lesings per session is

sommon.e This situation will cause 111 feelings gomewhere and the lid will

blow off. 8e%ll heve to taekle this problem Tight away, but it's important

So settle this without brining it up with the a aareomatnacea Our Gouna. :

aeli-government mast deql with ite i ge

`

as for work, most of the workers gre now employed tn teciibils the kesndiene

of eating, ale oping, plumbing, bollerrooms, ang sanitation, ana Wr rehouse

ain come pd are

storekeepers--moat of the men are working on trucks,

. "Sitti. ten. 5

| Our: life at fopaz 18 a new experience for the jdministrstion as it 1a for

us, and lir. Ernst said that we will have to mike many mistakes together,

@ut. It's too bad...it tauses confusion and gives the newcomers a bad . =

al

e 4

isarn together, and bulld together, He said that this was our center and

it Was up to us te do what we can with it. `The Administration will help

US all they can, and we are to help them ali we can, and together we can

minke something out of it. We can go asfar and as high as we are able. [tb

up to us and only our limitations will hold us back. Such a humble and

cooperating attitude on the part of the administration certainly challenge

us_ and we can't help but attain 2 harmonious relationship and a smooth, -

well-organized city. .

there are lows of acrap lumber for individual carpentry since we already _

have a plie over " million bd, feet and if we took 10% of that just for -

assuring ourselves of usuable lumber, we still would have 450,000 bd. ft. |

which will be enough for everyone, including those doming in on last day. -

More is sccuwmlating dally as conatruction progresses and so everyone will

cera share. Block managers ere hadling the detalie of distribution on

every might, Mr. "rnst brings his top sateaff personnel to the Assembly

meetings of the new arrivals and greets them, introduce hie cent f, and

gives encouraging and inepiring words. `hese men work all day, and yet

they willingly come out every night to meet with the residents. It create

@ $900 family-like relationship and we now adopted _ new name for Zrnst.

We Gkll him `Pop! Grnst. We eall Jim Hughea, Ass't. Director, 'Uncls'

itughes, Lorne Bell, as `uncle! Bell, etc.

emporary block managers have been appointed through recomaendations and

it ts the understanding of all concerned that each and every Jgb here is

On temporary basis until the eamp is 100% organized. therefore, one can

find college grads. in warehouses, @ining halls, ate. ie have to pitch

am to get the right start. I like thia idea of making jobs temporary

until.all the residents join us for in this way we ean be assured of hav-

ing the most qualified man in the right job and will give eBeryone q au

Chance, It won't be fair in any other way. By the way, each job at

TO,az% will be given 0.8, Civil Service Classifleation and when we return

to normal life, we oan get the same rating.

- Church services for both Protestant faith and the Pudchist were held

this morning. Iast Sun. an unique join service between the Buddhist

anc Chr estians was held and it was so suecessful and well-approved that

it was requested to be continmed. Only trouble about large gathering of

eny king is thet? there is no large meeting hall. Recreation halls in |

Gach block are the only meeting hall except the dining halis. Ree. Halls

have three stove chimneys slong the middle of the hall and the dining

halis have too amny beazia and poste which get in the way. Sunday school

GCless with 28 in attend,ce was held this -S i.

last Gat. night we held 9 mixer dance and bridge sessions. inet night,

nothing was planned since people were coming in dally and they were too

tired and busy getting settled in their new homes. A dance is planned

for middle of the week when there will be a lull on arrivals.

Already, we have run out of mattresses and new arriveale have been getting

o'tieks'. Slankets are supposed to come in today, but we ran out of those -

aleo. Comforters are all out, breoms qa re short, other supplies are -

feeling from the start.

- - #pound4%(c)@ now Oe 9-20-42 ff. Hoshiysma S-SR

_ Notiess for-the first provisional selc-govermmah for topan haa been put

_Ainted by election beard ap

- Le paar 8 oe Ae Z

up already. Bd@iki, and I met with Director Mr. Senet and Ghief of Comm- -

unity Serviees, Mr, Lorne Bell, and drew up the regulations for our govern:

ment whieh will be within the framework of WRA regulations. One counecil-

men will be elecged from each block. slection procedures will be determ-

ra appointed by Center Director for eagh block. ca

Womination will be by acclamation at Nomination meeting, rather than by -

petition. Housemanasers will be appointive. jobs and Cannot become couneil-

men. Council will be the legislative body to mgke policies and procedures

and ligison between residents ~ administration. Councilmen will serve

Voluntarily. City charter and netitution will be drawn up later, and

at Topaz, selfgovernment will paly a very important role,

Today we had chicken fricasse. juality and Variety of food has dropoed

somewhat since the first weeks food, "erhaps the increasing number of

residents and the added centonfusion in the dining halls due to double shifte

ing is making it hard for the stewards to plan for good foods,

Here and there, one ean hear the pounding of the hammer, sawing noise of :

wood @utting, shaving of the ulane fron carly morning hours to late at nite

it's a good sign for the ppepie are building their homes so it can be more

confortable. Most of the center is quiet by 9:30 pm, but the shower rooms

are still qa good "bull-seasion" spot until after midnight, Radios are

Blasting away in Mearly every apartment which makes the community seem a

dive with activity and noise, /

There are few Sigkes, lots of flies, mumber of ants, and tens and tona of " )

DUST. Nothing 8erjous has happendd YeSeos2One wirl hed an apoendectomy

but she is back already from Delta Hospital, and she will be up in a Gay or

99.-.(Miyo Miura), and Hiresuke Inouye got permission to leave here for

San Jose to see hia Gying wife at San Jose Sandterium, We get eaetion when

it's needed without having @ papers Signed when someone is dying.

i tried to sit down end think out whats the most important and the biggest

dirference between Mr. Ernst and Go and ir. Davis and Co. was, My conclusions

ares At Topaz, the officials are genuinely interested in each one of us

ana what we can do, and tries to provide all the opportunies for us to

Grow, @xpand, and learn. at Tanforan, we had to fight for every chance |

we got and often didn't get them, this difference makes ail the difference

im the world to us. There will be definitely, a spot in the scheme of ee

chings at Topaz for everyone uf us. they will make Jobs te suit our

peculiar talents ir ready-mede jobs aren't available. That's the extent of 4

their fmterest in us, . |

Priday night, Mr. Coverly came to Topaz, met the groups, and: gave a short

Me@Ssage. He stated that the WRa is sincerely interested in our welfare, not

only for the present but will continue to wateh out for our interests after -

the @ War during the crucial post-war period. Nash is leaving Manganar, ;

Sgatbourne Smith is leaving Gil, poject. Wa will have a headache replacing

these men. We hope that we will never lose our director, Mr. irnst. Ko :

other person in the U.S. can replace him, is my humble opinion, 2

We tay get a chance te organize the first YMCA in Utah. Scout movement is

strong here, but not the Yuca. |

We shall have Jr. Godlege, high school, elementary school, and Nursery. we :

Shall have a real good educational Staff--best in the state. hy} it's 50.

Drop me a line and let me know how things are with youg,.0x00A7centg5 stage sYours,