San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-10-11
TURF EXCHANGE CLOSED
LOUISIANA POOL ROOM WAS NOT
IN THE COMBINE.
Driven To the Wall By the Opposition
Concerns and For Lack of
Money.
By Special Wire to Sunday Light.

by SpeCldl w Ire TO sunday Light.
New Orleans, Oct. 1O.-The Louisi-
ana Turf Exchange has closed it's
doors and from all accounts has gone
out of business forever. The pool
room was situated right in the rear
of the Inflated Bank of Commerce on
Union street, and has been in exis-
tence for about three Y ears. All
during that time it kept it's doors open
summer and winter and the fact that
it has gone to the wall was something
of a sensation in sporting circles, al
though it was common rumor on the
streets that it was not making much
money and was hardly able to pay it's
enormous expenses.
When this pool room was first open
ed the game in this city was at its
height. The two rooms which were al
ready in operation did not seem to be
able to fulfill all demands and it was
the general opinion that there was
enough room for another room. The
original proprietOrS of the Louisiana
room were all local men, with one eX-
ception, John J. Donovan. The back
er of the room was n we'll known New
Orleans society man, who died rather
suddenly some time ago. He put up
the bank roll which kept the room 60
ing until it began to pay for itself.
His death might have embarrassed
the room for it is n well known fact
that its existence has been StrUg-
Cling one ever since he died.
The present owners of the room are
reputed to be Jerry Owen. MOntgom-
cry ThrOwer and Denis Duffy. Fred
Weideman once had Il partnership in
the concern, but sold out his interest
early in the spring of this year The
expenses attached to the room were
very heavy. Every employee of the
place is paid a salary of S. per day,
while the telegraph tolls run up into
the hundreds daily. To meet this ex-
pense, and at the same time pay a
profit, the play must be very heavy,
and this is something that the Loui-'
siana has not enjoyed for long time.
Last winter when the races opened
the proprietors of the Louisiana
aroused the ire of the other pool room
proprietors and the local racing men
by persisting in keeping the room
opened during the races. The room
took the San Francisco races and the
merry -gO-round affair at st. Louis.
1t was stated at the time that the 9th
er pool room people would inaugurate
a war on the Louisiana with hopes OF
crushing it. They did try to have the
Western Union refuse its telegraph
service but the Louisiana people sued
out a writ of injunction and man
damus and the Western Union was
compelled by the judgment of the
court to give the pool room their ser
vice. This started the fight and this
spring when the circuit races began
the two other rooms began system
of annoyances which in the end had
its effect on the Union street concern.
The two other rooms, who could af-
ford it, took every race that was be-
ing run all over the country. In con-
sequence they would book on five and
sometimes six races a day. To keep
in the swim the Louisiana had to fol
low suit and the expenses soon ate
them up. Since the bank failures
they have been doing nothing. Some
people are of the opinion that the re-
cent ordinance introduced in the cOun-
Gil had something to do with the clos
ing of the room, but this is not the
cause. Want of money was the cause.