"There were some interesting places in Cedar Rapids in those old days. In the location where Mr. Armstrong is now about to erect a fine business block there was an old German named Moritz Hoffbeck. It was a sand hill then, but there was a good cellar where Hoffbeck sold beer, gave away good lunches and entertained the crowd. His good wife also served the guests with good things to eat, cooked after her own fashion. Here congregated the best business men of the town after the day's business was over. They went home in the best of spirits, but often it was rather late when they went.
"Some of the city's poets of that day composed a little poem about Moritz which ran as follows:
"Moritz Hoffbeck is my name,
Bavaria is my nation.
Cedar Rapids I dearly love,
For here I get my ration.
"Another German, Sam Leunch, kept a place at Third avenue and First street, which was for many years a meeting place for farmers as well as city men. It also had a reputation for its fine lunches.
"Sych's place was on the present location of the Y. M. C. A. This also was German and German dishes were one of its great attractions.
"Frank Simon had a restaurant where Stark's hotel is now located. It was an eating house; also a drinking house. It was noted in five counties for being the place to get the best oysters in any style. The German fries have never been excelled. When Simon died, Ben Springer married his widow. He retired many years ago and sold the business to the Starks.
"Frank Mark was a Swede who kept a saloon where Denecke's store is located, fronting on Second avenue. It was a small place but it was always full for he served eatables and kept private rooms for his city patrons who wished a quiet place in which to talk things over.
"Pollack's where Severa's store is now located, was the Bohemian restaurant much sought for its good things to eat and for the imported drinks which he kept for his best friends.
"Count Boshon kept a saloon down into prohibition times and ran many saloons in various places. He was known as the King of Bohemia and acted as though he might have been a count. He imported the Philip Best beer from Milwaukee and stored a car or two at a time in ice, and for this he obtained a great reputation. Count Boshon was a chancellor and knew how to secure the good will of prominent persons of the city and of the county officials. He seemed to stand in with all. It is said in his favor that while he may have violated the law in some instance he tried to keep a decent place.
"The young business men would take a Saturday off and go up fishing or hunting or hire Elias Doty and his boat, the 'Climax,' and take a sail on the murky waters on the Red Cedar, sometimes up, and now and then when the water was high, down stream. Now all has changed.