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Show Down Memory Lane BY JOHN J. CREEDON BUSINESS SECTION OF BINGHAM TO GO NEXT It was a familiar sight to see Di Flynn or Straup, with their 1 i 1 1 1 black bag tied to the saddle makini their way to a sick call. It was in the old Bingham Livery that the hearse with glass window was stored. 1 never could figur out the reason for the glass win dows. You couldn't see anythini but the coffin and for sure, thi occupant could not sea out thi windows. Monk Wilcox, a boy who knev little but horses, spent most of hi time at the livery stable and it i said that he used to sleep in th hearse at night. The thought of do ing this made a hero to the othei kids, but-none of us would thinl After a lull in the demolition activities in the town, again they are tearing away at old landmarks and buildings that were so much a part of the business in the town. Doomed to go shortly is the business bus-iness block from the Feraco Building Build-ing at 482 Main to the Copper King at 500 Main. " Since the town was young this section has been one of the most active areas in the life of Bingham. Where the Pastime now stands, 4 was the site of Harry Nobles' Vien na Cafe, at one time the classiest restaurant in town. It had a private dining room upstairs and a tank of water in the front window with live trout, which was a drawing i n jm. " If ' HJlWt cara, especially for the young people passing by. Some years later, this was the site of Royal Candy Co. No. 2 operated by Gus and Pete Pitch-ios. Pitch-ios. This building burned down in of doing the same. It was in this aection that man of the famous, or infamous, how ever, you may look at it, bar wer located. Next to the livery (table wa th "Old Crow", It had the llargest anc longest bar in town and wa operated oper-ated by John Sindar. It was here I saw my -first moving picture. My father took me to see the movie, I don't recall what it was, but thii bar had all the inducements to draw customers. They had a punching bag that recorded the force of youi blow and this wa a great attraction. attrac-tion. I remember taking empty beei bottle to the Old Crow. One of my pal in Carr Fork, Bert Gregory and I used to make this trip regularly. regu-larly. We would receive a few cents for a sack of bottles from the bar tender, Bert Cregory, Sr., father of my friend. . Next door down the street was the Monarch Bar and Globe Hotel. The Monarch was run by Herrick and Jones and I have heard that Si Jones sat in a high chair overlooking overlook-ing the gaming tables, much like the Golden Nuggett in Las Vegas, with a double barreled shotgun, guarding the stacks of money on the tables. 1 must tell my readers that the stories of these bar and gambling joint are through the eye and word of friends of mine. 1 was much too young to be allowed in these places. Mr. Creedon ?31 nd was re-' re-' placed by the present Pastime building, built by Sam Kappas. The downstairs wa occupied by a pool hall and small " cafe. It was here that Paul Erz and Basco Joe held fort for some time. The last one to occupy the pool hall and cafe was Jacinto Rivera. C. P. t Tom operated the cafe for a num-I num-I ber of years also. I Old timer will ' remember the ; Bingham Livery on the site of the ' Princess Theater building. I have already covered the building and opening of the theater, but the old Bingham Livery was certainly an historic landmark. It was the largest larg-est and busiest livery in the town. Owned and operated by George E. Chandler, it had saddle horses for ' .hire and rigs and wagons of all ' type. . Bingham Livery wa a hangout for many of the regular about town and it wa here that the gossip gos-sip and discussions of the day were aired and talked about. We all can remember the thrill of seeing the rig come dashing down the steep ramp and make the turn up or down the street, sometimes some-times on two wheels. Saddle horses were on the move constantly. People Peo-ple living in Highland Boy and upper up-per Bingham would hire a horse to take them home and then would tie the reins over the saddle horn and turn them loose and they would come back to their stall for the next chore. Doctor and other had their own I private hone and stall in the livery and they were on call day and night. |