Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-08-14

SHOES, except II IlluDtI XII
hoped off Just a couple Of days
before AcOSta was ready 10
start.
fFoofHofC YoH @Sy re@smbcr that
n Ess tbs coinms Ebirb frH reported
that LHdbe'gb pG goiHg 10 nfsblbb
bi rsndsHcs bs,S. Wbefbrr Acosfs
uhi DO hkeunr. los'f Eaou Bat II I
babbeH 10 find oaf 7 aiH report isre.
For fbc bre,rHf, Ill csH say is ibSf
BE-, Bore. be Is beiHE pery quief about
bn isfsHiions, and BIS ari, HsfwsdJ,
bstr TO do Nifb a. iafion.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH:
Jim Welsh d Is overed the
place.
| It's an old hotel which has
a career ranging from good To
bad. Some Of its past IL dis
tinctiy on the shady side, hut
II doesn't bother the present
owner, a young man known a.
Fergy Ferguson. In fact, he
has made quite hob by Of
studying the miSdeeds com
mitted In the hotel In earlier
years
It's at West Vernon highway
and Dix road. big rambling
place named Ferguson'S. Old
timers will remember II a. the
Stockyards Hotel. IL also WAS
known as John Garvey's, when
Garvey had II. Later on II
slipped into an era Of lawiess-
ness, and now Ferguson Is bring
ing IL back as law-sbiding
restaurant and bar.
Fergy tells us that the hotel
was built 81 years ago to cater
to visiting cattlemen. and on
the opening night II did be-
tween $4,000 and $50. 900 worth
OF business. That was because
n good many OF the politicians,
wealthy Detroiters and people
who wanted 20 get along with
the cattlemen showed up for
the opening.
On that first night, Fergy
saws. practically everybody Of
any conse quence bought n
round Of drinks and paid for
the round with hundred-dol-
lar hill. not bothering 10 take
any change.
For a long time II was 2
hangout for cattlemen and
sportsmen. because the old De-
troit baseball park was across
the street from IL
Still later on il began 20
lose favor and ultimately wound
ND as a ramshackle joint, fire.
b quented by gangs ters IN d
gamblers.
y In fact Fergy still has big
round table once used regularly
Tho has been informed for a
polser table. A back room. which
YOU still can see. was reserved
as a gambling room. and the
walls still have holes in them.
The games were said 10 have
been pretty steep. and the OPP
orators had guards posted. with
peepholes and slots 70 stick guns
through.
OF course. there's no gambling
now. The room has been turned
into n barber shop.
Up in the attic. Fergy dis
covered n dusty piece Of ap-
paratus which he eIieves "a
have been an carly example oi
slot machine. He's not quite
sure how II worked. except that
II Is a big drum with apertures
into which playing cards TT.
Presumably various poker hands
were fitted into the slots. There
were still some cards in II when
Fergy found II.
TIE wanted TO put II on ex.
hibit rs an antique curio, but
the police said they didn't think
he should do II, which show,
how tight they've been clamp
ing down In the last couple Oi
years.
Fergy said he couldn't fine
any record Of any murder:
there, even when the under
world was using IL as a hang
out, although he has found ou'
about one case in which some oil
the rougher gentry broke botf
OF a mans legs over a railinl
and then tossed him out thu
front door.
It's all thoroughly respectabl,
nowadays, and you'll have h
get your excitement from listen
ing 10 stories OF Its brawlinJ
DAYS.
Oddly enough, it's finally com,
back to It's original purpose
catering 10 cattlemeh, and an!
day, and almost any hour, your
find them there, arriving from
all over Michigan. the West AM
Canada. carrying the plail
wooden canes which still are tn
invariable trademark of cattl
dealers.