My 1945 senior year in high school, I was given a pardon from the last classroom hour so I could edit the Abilene High student biweekly newspaper. I used that extra time, and a part-time reporter’s salary, to learn how to shoot a better game of pool.
The pool hall was in the basement of the Grace Hotel. Located across the street from the Abilene Reporter-News where I worked weekends writing sports. My tutor and classmate Alex also worked from the daily newspaper. His dad Robert Eastus had the ‘rack sale’ franchise. Alex delivered newspapers to grocery and drug stores for his father.
Alex taught me how to wield a better pool stick. How to put spin–‘English’–on the cue ball. If I lost a game, my cost was ten cents per game, or ‘a rack’ as they said at the Grace. I never won. You need to know Alex had started delivering newspapers twice a day, while we were in junior high. While waiting for the press to roll, Alex rolled a few pool balls into the side pocket.
Was he good? None of the adult regulars would give Alex a game.
The pool hall was also located across from the railroad station. One day some hustlers from Dallas and Fort Worth stopped long enough to pick up some traveling money. Say this for the locals, they could spot a hustler. And when the professional suggested they increase the bet, the locals replied, “ We got a kid that hangs out here who can beat you.”
Bet made, the next word was “Send for the newsboy.”
Heard the Hustler left with less money. I was only out ten cents per lesson.
Image by PIRO4D from Pixabay
