Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-06-01
$4,000 ON a GAME OF POOL.
Snapper Garrison Misses and IL Beaten by
"a Real Estate Man.

There was nearly 5000 wagered and
| lost over pool game IN the bl!iiard-ro0m
! of the Hoffman House on Wednesday
night. The contestants were Young real
estate dealer named Phillips and the re-
! dOubtable snapper" Garrison. BOtn
men are excellent players and are wei
! known around town.
| knocking the balls around, says the New
| York sun. TO the admiration of number
of that class OF young men who are always
| TO he found IN Dilliard-ro0m. yet are
| never seen to touch cue. when Phllilps
| strolled IN and suggested game. Seyerai
games were played and honors were about
| even. Garrison then suggested that they
play a handicap game of 100 points Tor
| 500 a side. Phillips agreed TO give MIN
| fifteen points. and tho game began.
| From the first II was a betting affair.
| There WAS crowd in the small billiard
room and they pressed around the table
until there was scarcely room Tor the play
! ere In the crowd were book makers. men
about town. theatrical men. and club men,
and the way they flashed" their bank
rolls was a caution. As the gaLle went on
the betting became brisk. Despite the
fact that Phillips WAS a better player than
the Snapper. big odds were offered on him,
and for a time It was difficult to get any
body TO take Garrison money.
The Snapper started of with a rush, and
with the aid of his fifteen-polnt handicap
soon left his opponent away behind. The
score was 26 10 80. and the Garrison men
were jubilant. Garrison himself wore
broad grin. He played IN the same old,
apparentlv careless way when character
izes everything he does. including his
riding. while the young real estate man
played carefully and consistently. The
Snapper Kept up his brilliant playing until
a 4. . lta 10, hn IN
81 in his favor.
Al this luncture the 500 bills began TO
come out again, and one man yelled, I'll
bet 5000 against $50 on GARRISON Nobody
said ANYTHING. and the man offered the
same money against $50.
Well exclaimed little fellow who
had been playln. at another table, and
who had stopped TO watch the game, its
a chance in "a hundred. but I'll take It,"
and the money was put up where there
was already nearly $1,000 at stake. Gar
riSon had fifteed points TO go. while there
were still forty-elght balls for Philips to
pocket
From this moment the real estate man
began to crawl up. Slowly but surely he
gained on the Snapper and the latter be-
gan TO get ratified. He played wildly.
making a ball now and then, but missing
shot after shot that fifteen minutes before
moved down to the last few balls. Garri-
son mad two to 60. his opponent eight.
The real estate man took up his cue and
rolled of four balls without an effort.
The men who had taken the big odds be-
gan to smile. They had chance. The
NTH shot was difficult one and Phillips
missed H..
1t looked all over now. as Garrison had
but two TO go. The first ball he rolled off
nicely, and, as luck would have IT,, the
cue bail kissed another ball and rolled 1t
right in front Of "a pocket. not two inches
from Garrson's cue-ball. 1t was Shot
that a 5-year-old child could have made,
and the crowd, thinking 1t was all over,
| began TO edge toward the door. Philips
remarked that Ii was cursed hard luck tor
"a man TO get such set up, and started 10
| put his cue IN the Iaca.
The Snapper smiled. 1t was Just such a
| smile a. he wore when, IN the suburban OF
| 1892. he crawled up on Major Domo, the
| leader, IN the last few Jumps and landed
| his mount, Montana . winner by an owe
| lash. Such horsey talk a. It's close
| finish" and He only wins by a nose"
was heard on all sides. The Garrison men
| simply simmered with suppressed delight.
| 1he Snapper raised his cue. and, with a
| smile OF supreme confidence, gave II Jnb at
| the cue ball. There was an exclamation:
Its all over! :" and then Il chorus OF Not
on your life" and 1t was seen that the
| Snapper had missed a shot that he cOuldn't
! miss again Ia hundred years if he tired.
The iocky sank hmp as wet rag INTO n
/ chair. Phillips grabbed his cue and ran
four balls and won the game. The N III
who had taken $500 against c25 on Phillips
SIMPLY howled and roared. lie insisted on
treating everybody. and every body drank
| with him.