Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-05
OId-Tim,ers
Of Sire ct
just Dream
Deals and Lunch
at Mouquin S Gone
BY EDWIN c. HILL

seats are around 81 ,UUO ana
they tell me that the Produce
Exchange will settle eagerly for
500, less than the initiation fee
of any fairly exclusive labor
union That's getting down to
the 1898 level, when Stock Ex-
change seats went for $4,000.
There are a few of the old
timers of the Street still put
ting in a full day shift around
the brokerage offices. Some of
them are there because they can
afford 10 be and others because
they can't afford not TO.
They doZe off in their chairs.
or do a crossword puzzle and
once in a while they'll shake a
leg Just long enough to scalp an
eighth and then lapse into
dreams of five million-Share
days and lunch at Mouquin's.
Many of them now eat al the
Automat.
I'D LITTLETON. an old set
IL tier in the lower end OF
the island. who used TO be knee
deep in good folding money, tells
me that there is something
about the Automat which at
tracts spectators,
"You get "A fistful of nickeis."
said Mr.. Littleton, land look
over the big board for good
play. In the first place, you
feel safe. You know you aren't
going 10 get caught short on
anything. Maybe YOU plunge
on "A three or four-nickel dish
YOU never tried before. Ii turns
out all right, and you know the
government can't take IL away
from you. Ii it's extra good,
you feel you have something
right out of the feed box, and
YOU keep it 10 yourself.
"The Automat has been
great help to Us financiers these
DAYS. In fact, IL has given me
an excellent idea for a good
DTnUlOtttH WHICH Shoh ~ ~
sell to the Automat people.
They deal special stock Is
sue. and every 80 often there's
piece of pie or bun which
has a stock certificate wrapped
up in IT.. or maybe a lifetime
meal ticket. The boys would
certainly be in there shooting
niekeIs, If they'd just fin up
something like that TO make IT
worth while. But I suppose the
SEC would Jump them II they
tried anything az sensible a.
that. T"
TyHEY used to eat al Savar1ns
i and the Banker Club. or at
the downtown Mouquins. on the
north side OF Fulton, between
Broadway and Nassau. On tie
other SIDE of the street was
Libbys famous fish house. IA
vorite luncheon place OF brokers.
where you picked your oysters
while a Guargantuan OYSTER
opener. he must have weighed
300 pounds. sprung them open
for your fastidious appraisal.
The old John street chop
houses also must figure a lot in
the dreams of the, snooZerS IN
the customers rooms. They
used to telephone the day be-
fore 10 have an English mutton
chop hung for them.
II would be about the thick
ness of a fair-SiZed paving slab.
served with black picked wal
nuts baked potato and A bet
! tie ef ale r aaEeiipp- did Il woman
lunch at any Of these places.
I but when that happened there
was great commotion.
MEN patrons always ate from
vi the weathered old b are
tables. But when d woman en-
tered. the walters always broke
out a table cloth. There were,
of COURSE only men walters.
mostly old men. and laying a
table cloth was to them some
thing like rigging clipper-ship
in gale. They always seemed
clumsey and embarrassed.
Christmas Week was a happy
time. with a bottle Of old Span
ish sherry. al each luncheon. on
the house. The Aston House
specialized in oysters. and drew
quite a line of unreconstructed
old American trade with its
SYSTEMATICALLY American dishes
"a big slab Of apple pie. or
pork and beans. with plenty Of
pork. ham and eggs and what
not. with no foreign entangle-
ments whatsoever.
/ brokers usually could be
- identified by a fur coat. n it
happened to be wintertime, or.
a. any rate. by a fur collar. and
nice Malacca stick. and fire.
quently by a boutonniere. You
don't see anybody carrying a
stick any more. The automobile
had lot 10 do with that. and
the Street just isn't in the mood
for fur coat or nosegay. But
The old guard around the brok-.
ers' offices still keeps itself
I pretty well spruced up Consid-
ering the punishment they've
+ been taking, they look remark
ably fit
Mr.. Littleton enlightened ua
somewhat on that.
1.-The real neutrality-suspicious.