androd
Verified Member
Since I'm laid up for a while, I'll write about working for T.J. Parker.
I went to work at Parkers lounge / pool room in about 1963/64. The pool rooms were closing at midnight. The operators were trying to get the city to let them stay open. T.J. was very active in that. Enough Politics.
I was trying to hustle pool so I thought this would be a good job.
My 1st day on the job was rainy and dreary. 5 Latino laborers came in and started playing partner 8 ball, with one sitting out each game. T.J. explained how he wanted me to figure the time, and laid down in a big chair next to the register to have a nap, which he often did.
These 5 guys were steady drinking Lone Star and playing 8 ball for about 3 or 4 hours, well I see one guy getting pretty drunk and arguing with the others, I see the others pointing at the door ,so I figured his pool time.
He came walking up front, I told him you owe $2.80 or whatever it was.
He said" I owe nussing, I no pay chit ." He kept walking, I had no idea what to do so I woke T.J. up, and said T.J. this guy won't pay.
He hollered at the the guy loudly, Hey Bud c'mere and waved him back.
He stood up and looked at the ticket and questioned if I had it right, I did.
The guy walked to the counter and T.J. said Bud you owe $2.80. now go back there and get it from your amigos.
The guy repeated himself " I owe nussing, I no pay chit"
They keep a heavy tool on the counter to rough up tips, rasp on one side file on the other.
T.J. picked it up and wound up and hit the guy across the temple and cheekbone.
The guy dropped like a 100 lb. sack of whatever and was out cold.
T.J. pointed at the amigos in the back and said "keep an eye on them" and left and went in the lounge side.
I don't know how long he was gone, but it seemed a real long time.
when he came back he had a pitcher of ice water and he started pouring it on this guy, he finally picked up the guy's shirt and poured on his stomach.
The guy began to stir and T.J. just waited, he finally came to and T.J. brushed him off and said, you owe $2.80 go back there and get it from them and pay your time.
I looked in the back and those guys looked like mice in the cage with a python, they were not moving a muscle, The guy went back there and they quickly got the cash together.
When the guy came up to pay I saw he'd been lucky, all the marks on his temple and cheek were file marks, the rasp would've been rough.
And that's the way it was my 1st day on the job.
Rod.
I went to work at Parkers lounge / pool room in about 1963/64. The pool rooms were closing at midnight. The operators were trying to get the city to let them stay open. T.J. was very active in that. Enough Politics.
I was trying to hustle pool so I thought this would be a good job.
My 1st day on the job was rainy and dreary. 5 Latino laborers came in and started playing partner 8 ball, with one sitting out each game. T.J. explained how he wanted me to figure the time, and laid down in a big chair next to the register to have a nap, which he often did.
These 5 guys were steady drinking Lone Star and playing 8 ball for about 3 or 4 hours, well I see one guy getting pretty drunk and arguing with the others, I see the others pointing at the door ,so I figured his pool time.
He came walking up front, I told him you owe $2.80 or whatever it was.
He said" I owe nussing, I no pay chit ." He kept walking, I had no idea what to do so I woke T.J. up, and said T.J. this guy won't pay.
He hollered at the the guy loudly, Hey Bud c'mere and waved him back.
He stood up and looked at the ticket and questioned if I had it right, I did.
The guy walked to the counter and T.J. said Bud you owe $2.80. now go back there and get it from your amigos.
The guy repeated himself " I owe nussing, I no pay chit"
They keep a heavy tool on the counter to rough up tips, rasp on one side file on the other.
T.J. picked it up and wound up and hit the guy across the temple and cheekbone.
The guy dropped like a 100 lb. sack of whatever and was out cold.
T.J. pointed at the amigos in the back and said "keep an eye on them" and left and went in the lounge side.
I don't know how long he was gone, but it seemed a real long time.
when he came back he had a pitcher of ice water and he started pouring it on this guy, he finally picked up the guy's shirt and poured on his stomach.
The guy began to stir and T.J. just waited, he finally came to and T.J. brushed him off and said, you owe $2.80 go back there and get it from them and pay your time.
I looked in the back and those guys looked like mice in the cage with a python, they were not moving a muscle, The guy went back there and they quickly got the cash together.
When the guy came up to pay I saw he'd been lucky, all the marks on his temple and cheek were file marks, the rasp would've been rough.
And that's the way it was my 1st day on the job.
Rod.
Last edited: