Bob Piper's Corner - January 18, 1987

January 18, 1987
Eating places in Chariton years ago -

The word café hadn’t really come into use as yet. Restaurant was the most common name used. My mind turns at once to Lizzie Cripps. This grand old lady first had a hotel and restaurant up on the levee by the C.B. & Q. depot. Later she moved up town next door north of where Lyman & DeVore is now. Later she was where Brown Shoe Fit was. Her last spot was where Laing & Kingsbury are now. The hotel hadn’t been built as yet and the city gas office was in the building just east of where Dr. Boyce was. I never knew Lizzie to work. She sat in a large wicker rocker up front noon and evening. She was always knitting and visiting with people. The food was good and the place was always under control.

She owned a Graham Paige car, which was chauffeured by several different young men. My brother Bill seemed to be a favorite chauffeur. If needed, he could be called from the store on a moment’s notice. There was more to this deal than met the eye. Bill got to drive the car and Piper’s got the restaurant business.

Mrs. Cripps had a great sense of humor. Bill told her one day that if a gal with a million dollars came to eat, just to call him and he would be there to eat with her. Sometime later Bill got the call. Bill dashed down and there she was, a gorgeous black gal. She was from Des Moines and a friend of Lizzie’s. The girl was in on the joke and Bill was game. They both had a delightful time. Sometime later it happened again. You may wonder why a black could eat in a Chariton restaurant back in those days. I’ll tell you why. Because Lizzie said she could. Lizzie was law and order. When she had her restaurant up on the levee, the several restaurants up there had trouble, but not Mrs. Cripps.

Left Chariton at 2 p.m., Charles, George and myself in my car. Went west and south ending up at Grand River. If you think Lucas County is rough, you should see the hilly country north of Grand River. It is well-farmed country and lots of nice homes. Lots more stock on feed in the last two months. Cattle look good as we have had no hard winter as yet. We had an educational discussion going on most of the time. We talked politics, Bible, meaning of certain words, and no gossip. This little item was not educational, but fun. A dog barked at us. Charles said to George, “You understand dog language. What did the dog say?” George said he understood it, but couldn’t repeat it.