The Red Onion – Peel Another Layer

(1960’s)

On this night, like most nights at The Red Onion, the place was filled to capacity with patrons. Aspen’s working class folks gathered at “The Onion” almost every weekend, and for some, every week day, to drink, tell jokes and talk of whatever seemed interesting at the time. If you arrived too late in the evening you would often find yourself standing back by the restrooms or in the hallway that led to the kitchen or alley. No matter where you ended up standing or sitting there was always someone willing to hear your stories or tell some of their own.

Many of the bar’s regulars were willing to go in whatever direction the crowd took them. Sometimes this was a good thing and sometimes, “Not so much.”

Michael Schaller was a Ski Patrolman in the winter and a Painting Contractor during the summer months. He was good at what he did and always kept busy. This particular evening my father and friends were back by the kitchen enjoying their drinks, obviously they had arrived late, when Michael walked up, greeted them and proceeded to reach over to the wall and peel off a small section of the decades old wall paper.

With a bit of surprise my father asked him what he was doing. “I have to replace all the paper tomorrow. I wanted to see how hard it is to remove” he replied. Not willing to miss an opportunity my father proceeded to peel some off himself and before long just about everyone in the place was peeling off the wall paper. No one thought to verify Michael’s claim before proceeding to strip the walls bare.

Werner Custer, the owner at the time, was out-of-town and leaving, Rolland the cook to manage the place. Upon hearing the commotion Rolland came running from the kitchen only to see what happened to the bar. Without a moment’s hesitation when confronted, Michael denied everything, stating that he had never said anything about replacing the wallpaper the next day. He denied everything!

Rolland said he knew nothing of this as well and he was in a panic. At this point someone called the police and the patrons began to leave like rats off a sinking ship. My dad ditched out the back door of the bar and watched everything unfold from a “safe” distance.

Not long after that, Greg Holmbeck and his fellow officers arrived on scene. Surveying the damage they began rounding up what was left of the patrons and conducted interviews. Everyone denied everything, it was like the wall paper fell off the walls on its own. The officers had once again been called out on a false report and they were not happy about it. They wanted to blame and arrest someone but once again, there was no one to arrest. I guess there is honor among the “Onion’s” patrons.

Michael Schaller, Tim Cunningham, Jinx and Franny Stone, Steve “Bones” Stratford, Neil Beck and many others had once again enjoyed a night at “The Onion” and had a little fun with the local law enforcement officers in the process.

Early the next morning Michael Schaller showed up to remove what was left of the old wall paper before installing the new paper Werner had selected a few days prior.