A well-known and well-liked individual by the name of ‘Slim Riffle’ (Calvin H. "Slim" Riffle Sept. 16. 1890 - Dec. 19. 1978. His tomb can be found in the Rand Desert Cemetery in Johannesburg up the road) built the ‘Owl Cafe and Hotel’ in 1921. Next to the hotel, he built smaller houses of ill-repute called ‘cribs’ to service “customers” (These “customers” were also using the main hotel as well). They had a relatively sophisticated way of electronically notifying the people in the Owl "Cafe". When they wanted room service, they hit a certain button for what they wanted. It would light up at a panel inside the Owl Cafe. For many years the Owl ‘Café’ was an illegal booze-making and gambling joint Up the road the old Silver Dollar Saloon still stands, originally built in 1919 (right after the Kelly Silver Mine was discovered.)

 

   Calvin Harrison Riffle originally came to the area when he stepped off a train in Johannesburg, CA in 1912 with a penchant and building for business. The life of this tall, lean (He was a 6'6" tall!) man from Ohio, known as "Slim" is woven into the history of Red Mountain.

 

   Slim worked the tungsten fields in Atolia until the easily mined, surface ore was exhausted about 1913, then left for McKay School of Mines in Reno, Nevada. By the time he returned in 1915 with the latest knowledge, The Great War was creating renewed demand for tungsten as an additive to harden steel. Tungsten Mining again boomed, this time aided by a processing mill which Slim constructed for the Atolia Mining Company.

 

  After the war Slim turned to other enterprises, building the Owl Pool Hall #1 in Atolia, CA (Atolia, is a gold and tungsten Mining District that slim worked as a miner for a period of time) around 1921 but a fire destroyed it a few years later. Around the same time he built the Owl "Pool Hall" in Atolia, he built one in Red Mountain (which was a front for illegal booze making and gambling). He also built the Owl "Hotel" next door (which was a big brothel) which lasted for many years after.

   

Gambling and alcohol were illegal at the time so there would be periodic raids by the police but Slim always knew in advance when they were coming and sent the ladies and the customers down into a secret network of mines and tunnels which stretched out for miles under the town, making it extremely difficult to apprehend anyone! There is a record of him (and one of his righthand men  J.F. Carter) paying a $200 fine each for getting caught selling illegal booze to minors. He was considered by many to be the king of the bootleggers in the area! However, The Owl was one of the few places that never closed during Prohibition because he did "favors" for the local authorities. Many people in California heard of Slim Riffle during this period of time. When Prohibition was repealed, Slim made a legitimate saloon, and although liquor is no longer served here, the original bar is still here!

 

   Slim also owned the corner house (the greenhouse next to The Owl Tavern - just south of it) which is where he resided. There are many interesting stories regarding Slim and The Owl but what many people don’t know is that before Palm Springs became the place to go in the 1930’s and Las Vegas in the 40’s – Red Mountain was the talk of Southern California in the 20’s. Many people, (and many actors and Hollywood types) came here to gamble, drink, visit the brothels, carouse, etc. Illegal activity was much more difficult to curtail because of the ‘out-of-the-way’ location. (Silent Film Star comedian Fatty Arbuckle used to sneak drinks here when it was a speakeasy.)

 

Wealthy and famous individuals also came here to dine or visit the café, Like Howard Hughes, Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth, and many others. The reason for this was another famous individual named Lodge Cunningham (in the 1920s. Lodge was a sound genius and was the first to perfect sound in the movies) was good friends with many well-known people in Hollywood. He purchased The Owl from Slim in 1956. (Lodge continued to assist in movie production up until the 1980s!)

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Interesting trivia: My grandpa Guy Wheeler arrested Rita Hayworth for streaking when he was on the Hollywood Police Force. He later went on to become the Chief of Police in West Covina. My grandpa Guy was a double for Wallace Berry in the movies. Most notably in Treasure Island with Jackie Cooper. He doubled for Wallace as Long John Silver. He not only looked just like him but was the same stature and even had the same walk!