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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Vern, post: 29326, member: 347&quot;]I&#039;m a little exhausted from plowing snow all night and pulling a full shift at my &quot;day job&quot; before and after plowing.&nbsp; So, please excuse incomplete thoughts or typos I&#039;ve been up for 30hours and 26 of those were work.&nbsp; I also don&#039;t want to appear that I&#039;m talking to myself on this thread now, but I learned some important information on the recent history of the wheel.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>I thought it had been stored in the attic at this property as part of a collection.&nbsp; While speaking with a regular in the lounge tonight, I asked him a question, followed by another, and subsequently a few more.&nbsp; I have been bringing this regular a newspaper almost every shift when he arrives in the lounge for more than two years now.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>I asked him how long he had been coming here.&nbsp; He said essentially since it opened in 1985.&nbsp; I then asked if he remembered any of the old antiques that were around before the remodel.&nbsp; His eyes brightened when he remembered them but quickly saddened as he looked around and didn&#039;t see any.&nbsp; I told him the story about how most of it made it to the landfill a few years back.&nbsp; We both gnashed our teeth and imagined what was thrown away and who could have made such a stupid decision.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Then, I asked him if he ever saw a couple gambling wheels around.&nbsp; He got excited and said he used to sit around a long time ago with a few friends and put a dollar here or there on a number and play.&nbsp; He showed me where each one was in the lounge almost thirty years ago.&nbsp; I guess they put them in the attic after a while because it wasn&#039;t legit for your patrons to be organizing gambling on the devices whether they were decor or not. Alaska wasn&#039;t really lawless anymore. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now, this lounge may have been built as part of a hotel in the 80&#039;s, but it retained the name of the restaurant and club that was bulldozed to make room for it.&nbsp; As I understand, the collection from the previous place may have just been moved over to keep the same feel, too.&nbsp; This is a very historical property and area that could be thought of as &quot;Sin City went Lumberjack.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>Here is a clip from Wikipedia&nbsp; on Mr. Whitekeys.&nbsp; The owner before the hotel replaced the original building.</p><p>&quot;The Fly By Night Club, along with the Flying Machine, were the last occupants in a historic building on the eastern shore of Lake Spenard, originally the home of the Idle Hour Supper Club and not far from the site of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Spenard" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Spenard" rel="nofollow">Joe Spenard</a>&#039;s original resort. The building was demolished in 1984 to make way for a large hotel, currently the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Alaskan_Hotel" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Alaskan_Hotel" rel="nofollow">Millennium Alaskan Hotel</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Whitekeys#cite_note-FlyByNightHist-2" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Whitekeys#cite_note-FlyByNightHist-2" rel="nofollow">[2]</a>&quot;</p><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Whitekeys" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Whitekeys" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Whitekeys</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Some history on the town…</p><p><a href="http://www.flybynightclub.com/hist_spenard.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.flybynightclub.com/hist_spenard.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.flybynightclub.com/hist_spenard.html</a></p><p><br /></p><p>The H.C. Evans wheel may have been purchased new just for one of these places in Spenard.&nbsp; This one though, it must have come from somewhere else.&nbsp; Or it was commissioned by some talented individual to make up here.&nbsp; I have little doubt now that this wheel was being used for gambling in Spenard now.</p><p><br /></p><p>It may have belonged to Joe Spenard himself.&nbsp; I am going to search for photos of the interior of his old establishments.&nbsp; They call this little town, Spenard, the miracle mile.&nbsp; I&#039;ll say...&nbsp; </p><p><a href="http://www.seniorvoicealaska.com/story/2014/08/01/columns/joe-spenards-miracle-mile-still-grows/530.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.seniorvoicealaska.com/story/2014/08/01/columns/joe-spenards-miracle-mile-still-grows/530.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.seniorvoicealaska.com/story/2014/08/01/columns/joe-spenards-miracle-mile-still-grows/530.html</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Another interesting little piece of history is that Kermit Roosevelt, son of Teddy, killed himself 70 years ago on the same property.&nbsp; If I told how I found out he didn&#039;t die on Fort Richardson, but rather in the company of gambler&#039;s and prostitutes in Spenard at the Idle Hour Supper Club you would have a hard time believing me.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Life is very interesting and I am very tired.&nbsp; I hope this is interesting to you too. I think many of the things I&#039;ve shared were on that property for a long time. Sooner or later we will get to the sculptor or original owner of this wheel and maybe understand why. </p><p><br /></p><p>Goodnight.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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