Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-10
WAS A TOUGH TOWN
Grand Rapids Was Once Very
Disorderiy.
SIN AND SINNERS HELD SWAY
Waiter G;ri saloons, Cheap Variety
Thes,eTs and Dens Of Vice Were
in Reckless Profusion-

In story punished III ihs SUNDAY
HERALD Urief mentsoH IL made Of the
struggles of the primitive police de-
partment WITH the log rolling gang
which used To swarm into Grand Rap
ida from the north woodA Tnis city Ia
those days possessed all OF the attri-
butes of the towns We now hear OF on
the plalns ana IN the mountains Of the
west Grand Rapids MAS indeed
"tough." and It's reputation for brolls,
disorder and geasral lswlessaess WAS
widespread. Not ~ say that II 10 abso-
lutely virtuous nov, bat IN those dave
its evils were exposed 10 the glaring
sunlight and no attempt WAS made 70
conceal them with = respectable exter-
Tor. There were songs and nghts
of revelry by day and by night;
saloons fiourished; 90 did gam
hing houses, and both were open
for business every day. The debauches
WAS never free from temptation. The
saloons were made more aiiuring and
entertaining with bawdy concert singers
of the serio '-chronlc" order. and
pretty (,1 waiter girls. Every saloon
along Canal street WAS compelled 10
have mattresses in order TO be IN the
line of competition. Theee tourished /,
and the fast young men OF the town
gathered In them nightly, ~ did the
burly, bucolic and the ''terrors" OF the
woods.
Scenes Of Sin aad Dissipation.
Each presented q scene which com.
bined sin and irsipation Of SHOCKING
kind, and the tougher patrons con-
Quoted themselves much IS does the
paid of sailor in the wharf joints
along the sea coast. Police, such as
they were. wlnked At these disorders.
Besides the concert saloons there
were several cheap variety thesters In
the city. AS many as five were in
operation at one time. The most pre-
tentlous one was located in Empire
hall in the Caultield block on Canal
| street, where . fair programme WAS
gwen with some degree of order,
| though like the other places II WAS q
| favorite resort for the women of the
town. popular attrs otion at this
house used to be Prof. DAVIS and his
dogs. He was the father of Charles l..
| variety theater was conducted in the
second story Of the building on Lyon
| street, now occupied by the Livingston
hotel The odor Of tho place was nau-
| seating and none of the performers
were ever accused. of having any tai
| ent. A similar place. equal in dlsrep-
ute, was located across the street in
the Leipzig block. and another on
Pearl street, where the Rood block
now stands.
The Rowdy Gang Had "sport"
| They were oil run In = free-and.easy
and-everytking-goes style, aud were
never molested or interfered with ex.
cept when rowdy gang tried to nave
. little sport breaking up the show.
These places, though offensive to every
sense Of good order and responsibility
were magnificent compared with the
dens of vice and SIN that were numer.
Gus in that quarter OF the city now
occupied by the Union station
and the railway tracks. Every
where you turned there was string
to catch the sucker, an invitation "a
tempt the weak. 1t was a period IN
which the thug, the siren and the
gambler flourlshed. But gradually q
moving spirit of civilization came over
the city. Laws regulating the liquor
business were passed, the police were
strengthened, Sunday observance wa.
maintained and the community as
sumed virtue if 1t possessed it not
Grand Rapids passed through the
period Of riotous disorder and open de.
hatchery and many of the older resi
dents will try and reconcile that por
ton of the clty's history with the re-
Fiction that money was as plenty and
almost as free as water in thosc days
Indeed 1t was, and many Of the for
tunes of today, in which we see sub
stantial blocks and attractive homes
may be traced 70 that very time when
the city was without law or rather
power 70 enforce law.