A couple of photos from the Dallas pool scene in the 1960s

jay helfert said:
I know the guy shooting, definitely not Cotton. Looks a little like Calhoun or Willie Elder but it isn't either of them. I know this guy, just don't remember his name. Is it Danny? I may have even played him at the Cotton Bowl. He was a shortstop One Pocket player.
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Jay, your memory never ceases to amaze! The guy with the hat is Danny Matthews, a local bookie and pretty fair pool player. One night I started betting Danny on a proposition that involved me throwing a cue ball three rails to knock in a ball. He got me $90 stuck, in 1963 money, but five hours later I finally got back to even. I walked with a limp for a while because I had been leaning hard up against the rail of the table for about 7 hours.
 
BillPorter said:
Jay, your memory never ceases to amaze! The guy with the hat is Danny Matthews, a local bookie and pretty fair pool player. One night I started betting Danny on a proposition that involved me throwing a cue ball three rails to knock in a ball. He got me $90 stuck, in 1963 money, but five hours later I finally got back to even. I walked with a limp for a while because I had been leaning hard up against the rail of the table for about 7 hours.
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Pretty sure he was the old guy I played $5 One Pocket with for about 8-10 hours one day. I had a helluva time beating him out of $20. I was glad when he quit.
 
i don't know who the guy is but his dogs are definitely from the original, "dogs playing pool" poster. :grin-square:
 
Bill,

As you probably remember from the Cotton Palace, Vernon used to get so mad because he could not beat me that his face would turn beet red and he would threaten me.

Were you there the day Vernon staked Mike Ferguson against me? I gave Mike the 5 up in 9 ball and beat him. I thought Vernon was going to have a heart attack.

He was more bark than bite. Charlie Boyd was way more dangerous.

Great times.

Bill Stroud
 
cuesmith said:
I was thinking Titanic Thompson, but the initials don't work.
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Vernon Litton for the muscle guy and Danny Matthews with the hat. Coincidentally, Titanic Thompson, then in his 70s, was around Cotton Bowling Palace for a few years at the same time that Vernon and Danny were there. Roughly the 1963-1966 time period. Cotton Palace lost its billiard license in May of 1966.
 
bstroud said:
Bill,

As you probably remember from the Cotton Palace, Vernon used to get so mad because he could not beat me that his face would turn beet red and he would threaten me.

Were you there the day Vernon staked Mike Ferguson against me? I gave Mike the 5 up in 9 ball and beat him. I thought Vernon was going to have a heart attack.

He was more bark than bite. Charlie Boyd was way more dangerous.

Great times.

Bill Stroud
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I don't recall your match with Mike Ferguson, but I do remember than you and Vernon weren't that friendly. And for sure, Charlie was far more dangerous. And R.D. Matthews more dangerous yet. I may not be remembering this right, but didn't Vernon get physical with you once? Rubbed your face in a bush or something like that? Like I said, I may not have that right. And it seems like he once paid some kid to threaten you and that got turned around on him. Billy, you'll have to set the reord straight here as you probably remember these events better than I do.

I do recall when you beat Jerry Trigg at Cotton Palace and I think that is when you became generally considered the best 9-ball player in Dallas. Right?
 
BillPorter said:
Jay, your memory never ceases to amaze! The guy with the hat is Danny Matthews, a local bookie and pretty fair pool player. One night I started betting Danny on a proposition that involved me throwing a cue ball three rails to knock in a ball. He got me $90 stuck, in 1963 money, but five hours later I finally got back to even. I walked with a limp for a while because I had been leaning hard up against the rail of the table for about 7 hours.
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Bill, now that you point it out, I do see a resemblance to Danny Matthews. No way to tell with the hat on, but didn't we used to call him "the Bald Eagle" ?

I could be confusing him with another guy, who frequented the Le Cue in Houston, and the Cotton Bowling Palace, and Times Square in Dallas.

I know the "Bald Eagles" name was Danny,...I just can't be sure his last name was Matthew's...Am I close ?
Smart gambler, but he was a low end shortstop at pool...but no dummy at matching up.

PS.. I bet Rod (Androd) on 1P.org would know for sure.
 
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SJDinPHX said:
Bill, now that you point it out, I do see a resemblance to Danny Matthews. No way to tell with the hat on, but didn't we used to call him "the Bald Eagle" ?

I could be confusing him with another guy, who frequented the Le Cue in Houston, and the Cotton Bowling Palace, and Times Square in Dallas.

I know the "Bald Eagles" name was Danny,...I just can't be sure his last name was Matthew's...Am I close ?
Smart gambler, but he was a low end shortstop at pool...but no dummy at matching up.

PS.. I bet Rod (Androd) on 1P.org would know for sure.
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Well, I know that Vernon was sure it was Danny Matthews when he gave the photo to Mike Haines yesterday. That "Bald Eagle" nicknames sounds right, but I'm not sure. Danny was a pretty smart gambler, but Titanic busted him one night on a dice proposition. (How many rolls of a single die to roll any given number. Ti gave Danny 3 rolls one time and 4 the next, alternating 3 and 4 rolls. That is equivalent to 3.5 rolls but unfortunately for Danny, 3.8 is the break-even point on that bet.)
 
I watched Danny Mathews and Calvin Littlebear Play in Tulsa at Homer Gaffords place, they played all Sat evening and till noon Sunday, when the smoke cleared Danny had the cheese.
 
Bill, the day after I played the old guy, I ran into a young guy with a big smile plastered all over his face, who had watched my game the day before. He asked me to play for $10 a game One Pocket and I said okay. After he beat me out of $40 I quit on him. I'll give you one guess who he was. He had a blonde afro style haircut and a constant smile on his face, with big shining teeth. He was like a well dressed hippy. Maybe in his late teens then. His initials are J.C. I think we played in Times Square.
 
Bill...Great to see you posting here. I remember the first time we met. A buddy and I drove over to Aspen from Gunnison, to see your shop. I wanted you to build me a box cue I had designed, but it cost too much at the time (I was 19, and a G was a TON of $$$ to me then...LOL). You did build me a cue, a few years later, but it was just a plain 4 pointer, and I picked it up from you at Cardone's tournament in Burlington IA in Oct. '75. I always kept the drawing, and you finally built the box cue for me, for my 30th b.d., 12 years later. It was the FIRST cue you built when you first got your CNC, that you had hooked up to your Mac (you were living in C. Spgs at that time). In 1991 I had to sell a high dollar cue to buy my APA franchise...it was either the custom Joss you made for me, or my 17 yr old Balabushka. The Bushka went for $4K, to the girl that started Atlas Billiard Supply. You always referred to me, to others (like at the trade show), as "the guy who sold a Balabushka, to keep a Josswest"! LOL Love what you're doing with the cue shows!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

bstroud said:
Bill,

As you probably remember from the Cotton Palace, Vernon used to get so mad because he could not beat me that his face would turn beet red and he would threaten me.

Were you there the day Vernon staked Mike Ferguson against me? I gave Mike the 5 up in 9 ball and beat him. I thought Vernon was going to have a heart attack.

He was more bark than bite. Charlie Boyd was way more dangerous.

Great times.

Bill Stroud
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SJDinPHX said:
Bill, now that you point it out, I do see a resemblance to Danny Matthews. No way to tell with the hat on, but didn't we used to call him "the Bald Eagle" ?

I could be confusing him with another guy, who frequented the Le Cue in Houston, and the Cotton Bowling Palace, and Times Square in Dallas.

I know the "Bald Eagles" name was Danny,...I just can't be sure his last name was Matthew's...Am I close ?
Smart gambler, but he was a low end shortstop at pool...but no dummy at matching up.

PS.. I bet Rod (Androd) on 1P.org would know for sure.
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Was this guy also AKA "Balder" around Times Square? Would have been late 40s/early 50s probably in the early 70s.

Skin
 
jay helfert said:
Bill, the day after I played the old guy, I ran into a young guy with a big smile plastered all over his face, who had watched my game the day before. He asked me to play for $10 a game One Pocket and I said okay. After he beat me out of $40 I quit on him. I'll give you one guess who he was. He had a blonde afro style haircut and a constant smile on his face, with big shining teeth. He was like a well dressed hippy. Maybe in his late teens then. His initials are J.C. I think we played in Times Square.
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Jay, the only guy with those initials I could think of who might knock you out playing one hole is Jack Cooney. Didn't know he was ever at Times Square Cue Club, but who knows.
 
TxSkin said:
Was this guy also AKA "Balder" around Times Square? Would have been late 40s/early 50s probably in the early 70s.

Skin
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The age seems about right, but I was not around Dallas much after 1969, so I can't tell you about the early 1970s.
 
BillPorter said:
Jay, the only guy with those initials I could think of who might knock you out playing one hole is Jack Cooney. Didn't know he was ever at Times Square Cue Club, but who knows.
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Ever heard of James? That's what we called James Christopher.
 
jay helfert said:
Ever heard of James? That's what we called James Christopher.
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Sorry, I am familiar with the name, but I never knew him. Is this the guy? The one on the right?

907207862_bREE6-O.jpg
 
I met James over 35yrs ago when he came through. I think he was staying around the Memphis area at the time. I also remember Gordy,wasn't he a stakehorse/stirer also from the Memphis area and didn't really play much pool himself?
 
BillPorter said:
Sorry, I am familiar with the name, but I never knew him. Is this the guy? The one on the right?

907207862_bREE6-O.jpg
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James Christopher (AKA the Sniper) and I go way back to when he was a kid growing up in Corpus Christi. Frank Rodriguez and I went down there one time, and he gave me fits on a Bar Box (3 X 6 big cue ball)

We played for about 2-3 days off and on, and it was only Rods (Banana's) sharp moves on the rail, that got us out of there with the $$$. I think James and I actually broke about even, in games played. We later teamed up a few times and made a few scores. Sharp manager, and a square shooter. Always played all games well.

Talked to Charlie Brown a few weeks ago. He said James beat some guy for about 12K recently (in Mobile I think) So I guess he's still in action.

PS.. Not your fault Bill, but that is a terrible picture of him...Is that a "mullet" haircut he's sporting ?..:eek:
 
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