The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-08
PooL SELLING IN HUNTERS PoisE
The Men who stake thrir Money, and whnt is
Thought OF the New Industry.

The Jockey Club people complain Of tho
pool sellers in Hunters Point but tho pool
sellers in Hunters Point do not rcciprocate In
complaint. They simply ask to be let alone.
Day after day thcy make a good thing out of
auction. French. and combination pools"
Kelly 4 Bliss have built large pool room
apparently about one hundred feet long and
forty feet wide. as sort OF rear offshoot Of Rob-
inson's House, n place OF resort near the ferry.
In the northern distance OF that spacious apart
ment is what at the first glance looks like a
stage. but on closer inspection. instead of drop
curtain appears huge blackboard. In place OF
an orchestra small select body OF quick wttod
clerks appear. and the chef d'orchestra is a live
ly auctloneer. who runs figures of his tongue
as swiftly as one could wipe them off II slate.
Facing him are n hundred or more OF fancy
chairs. presumably for the occupation OF cap-
talsts. Back Of thcm toward the door is an
opcu space for tho plchcians. Near the door on
either hand are imposing arrays of backboards
and locked pool boxes Of the style familiar to
the old habitujs Of the pool rooms Of New York.
In the big pool room at least 800 men were as-
semhlcd yesterday afternoon Mt any moment
between the hours ot and o'clock. aud. rs
the composition " tho crowd was constantly
changing. the probability is tim, not less than
900 persons in all visited the place IN that time.
Thcy seemed ~ thG maiy mcr1rrinln'fs 1rila f,,,,! ana
! was lively on tho Jerome Park ru'cs good on
the Gin tiunnti races. and passahly iair on Leo
nigh they gliicd away. and at 6 O'Clock business
| was over. In the evening nothing at all was
/ done.
| Facing the ferry. W. Lowell has another pool
| room Ia what l. known IA the Stevens House.
/ ana altogether on cheaper scale. The fancy
! sruts are lacking. tho nppurtenan'cs OF
tho game are less imposing md drinks
| are not 50 convenient but the facilities
| Tor hRzarding money ara quite rs good.
| anything dependant upon chunce or the
! unknown interests OF some distant unknown
| party being here quite MS marketable a com
! modify ns in the lng"r shop around the corner.
Tho buvcts OF pools wore seemingly of about
the same class rs in Kelly & 1iiss's. and they
did not appear. NJ any time. ~ number more
| than 100. or possibly 100. They seemed to be
| the overflow from the other place.
In hOih concerns IL WIS noticeable TINT there
WIS conspicuous absence OF tho fast boy ele-
| mont that used tO Ice so prominent in its small
| bets loud orders Tor drinks. unnecessary and
awkward profanity. guilecssness OF taste in
cgurs. md wearisome demonsirativeness in
the old New York pool rooms The men who
come over here to bet do 50 partly rs matter
Of curiosity and partly Rs speculative hyor-
rs they night invest few chips on the Queen
coppcrcl." or "capna saddle and they
loo, as though they could afford 10 lose.
The public sentiment of Hunters Point docs
not seen 10 be antagonis'ie and even II II were
50 it would I1kc little difi renee. rs the Grand
Jury over III ere will not be- convonci for a cou-
ule of months 10 come. The police force what
thcro Is ot H. looks benignautly upon new
institution that docs So much To- bring over
Of rs "SisteH"c. Onl,er No :. who suesses
that Cnrt Woods is in charge " the First ana
Second Prrcincis sees nothing 20 complain OF
in the pool sellers 80 long as they don't Kick
NJ any row." No. 4G secs no reason why they
shouldn't get q living In peace. SO long ms they
don't disturb anybody. The ancient fare
taker mt the ferry. contemplating loving
| ly huge pile Of pennies. says that he
doesn't think anybody has any objection
to IT,. md that hc even doesn't believe thG
Grand Jury would care - { i paid" Toel
now industry in Hunters Point meets with tht
approval Of everybody concerned. except the
jerome Park people. who think that II il were
broken up four or five hundred more persons
per diem would pay their gate money at the
park TO have the opportunity of doing their bet
/ ting there.