Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-10
BEER FLOWS
FREELY IN
REDLANDS
REPORTER FINDS PLENTY OF
BOTTLE GOODS
LOSES GAME TO VILLAGE SHARP
AND WINS POINT
Pool Rooms Have Convenient Back
Rooms Where Cold Drinks Are
Brought to Refresh the
Dry and Weary
sY WINFIELD s. MORGAN

L
"The police and the newspapers have
been stirring up things to such an ex-
! tert that we have to be more cautious
than ever nowadays"
! Such was the explanation rendered me
at Redlands for the manner in which
was Obliged to drink the beer, unearthed
after half days search.
| | had almost reached the point of be-
lieving in the "dryness' of the pretty
| little city, despite the skepticism inculcat-
ed by much experience with the blind
pigs and speakeasies of this Southern
California of ours when. late in the af-
ternoon. stroled into ''The Pastime'
pool and billiard room at III Fifth street,
| engaged a casual acquaintance in
game of pool and within half an hour
discovered that there was drinking going
OH in little room IN the rear.
Half dozen times during the progress
of the games / played l saw little
groups drinking beer from bottles as the
door of the rear room swung open, and
had begun to incline to the view that the
mysterious room" was an incipient
pig" In this, however. was deceived
as you shall Know later.
| AS one enters 1.-The Pastime" from the
street, an array of bottled soft drinks,
| lining the shelves back of the cigar
counter meets the eye. A we'll diversified
line of cigars and smokers materials is
displayed in the counter cases, while an
ice box in the corner suggests the
cool long drink" of the average temper
ance town."
Strikes Pool Sharp
| Turning to the left, the visitor en-
counters the doorway leading into the
pool room proper, and on the afternoon
visited the place, the great hall-like room
was blue with smoke and as full of noise
as a legislative ante-roon1.
Some eight or ten tables, majority of
which were surrounded by players. fianked
the row of posts which stretched down
| the room from the doorway to the rear
| wall.
The motley crowd of loungers and
players embraced almost every class of
| worker-railroad men, teamsters, one
!, or two men who appeared to be OF the
| laboring class, a "cholo" or so, as well
as few of the usual pool room
idlers.
MY attention was drawn to a game
in progress at the second table when
entered, and L seated myself next the
| marker" in charge of the room Ga
chap named Fred" as I discovered
shortly to secure pointers on the
game, which was new to me.
After watching as long as cared to
i asked Fred" to introduce me to a
game.
sure" was his reply to my request.
Here. Gus, play the gentleman game
or two
Gus" was swarthy Mexican of
stalwart frame. and his ready conpli-
ance with the request gave rise to the
suspicion In my mind that I was up
against more than ordinarily pro-
hcient player.
rr-l. A. i -
Careless In the extreme until the small
balls OF the rotation were played off
the table, he braced UP at the finish
and made his shots with surprising ac-
curacy. 1 chided him for the attempt
to make me believe him a poor player.
play your game admonished him.
| "I am not likely to get frightened and
quit because you beat me badly; play
your game all the time and that will
be encouragement for me to play hard
myself. 1t would be no trouble at all
to beat you playing as you are If I
wanted to. so show me your best"
Beats Village Champ
I had discovered the drinking in the
rear room since starting to play with
him. and wanted to continue the game
that I might have an opportunity of
watching what was going on there.
Gus braced up In the next game or
two So did I-braced up to such an
extent that we played one to tie
score. In the play off I beat him han
Oily. twittlng him all through the game
on his mistakes, and on the ease with
/ which / made more or less difficult
shots. was really playing a
good game as well as lucky one, so
that it was no wonder he couldn't hold
UP his cid
At the conclusion of the third game
one of the drinking party issued from
the rear room and paused beside the
table to watch the game. Since I was
seeking an acquaintance in the Inner
circle" of wise ones above all others
just then, invited him to make the
game three handed, and to my delight
| he consented.
The first game he was the low
| man." accepting his defeat gracefully
and settling cheerfully. The next
game Gus" was the victim and was
besides made the butt of much ridicule
Mt the HANDS of the bystanders for al
lowing himself to be beaten. Plainly,
| he was the village crack"
| Before the commencement of the next
! game l announced that expected defeat,
and then didn't play as we'll as | might
have. in order to carry the point. I sue
ceeded in my plan without attracting at
tention. and when the last hall had left
|
nouncing that | had played enough.
THAT last game was so good I'm will
| ing to buy If YOU can square it with the
boss" I remarked to nv new friend as
we strolled away from the tables and to-
ward the street.
Goes for the Booze
''Well, can get "a bottle of beer, all
right but not from the boss as you in
sinuate-he amt got any"
| ''Well?' l quered both by look and in-,
tonation.
We continued in silence until we reached
the street when Cal as the boys called
my companion. paused.
(which way?' asked.
| "Oh. I'll have to get It," was his reply
you see the newspapers and police have
been stirring things up so much lately
that the folks that have got beer to sell
want to know absolutely who they are
selling 1t to. You Just wait here and I'll
go fetch it,"
So whether or not denied the oppor-
tunity for an individual purchase,
handed over the money, and the wise
one" disanneared around the corner NJ