Cheap Table Time in Chicago

Nine ... corner said:
Thirty cents per hour at Troy Billiards in Chicago ... wow! Did I mention that this was in 1907?

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That's one of my favorite downtown photos.
You can't tell by looking at this cropping, but its actually an impressively large photo with incredible clarity and detail for being as old as it is...

And, it features not one, but at least a half dozen of the nation's largest and most famous billiard halls. Troys, Anson's, The Breevort Hotel ( Hannah and Hogg's), world famous Mussey's, Bensingers...and the list goes on and on...

In the non cropped version you can also get a good look at the cable cars that used to run in the streets just like San Francisco. It was one of these cars that killed Emanuel Brunswick at the corner of state and madison in December of 1892.

The 30cent rate was relative to where you played. And sometimes when.
Downtown was more expensive than in the local pub.
 
This isn't Chicago but I wonder what the table time was in Clarksdale, MS in November of 1939?

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According to an online inflation rate calculator, $0.30 in 1907 is worth $7.32 now, less than I would have thought.

I started playing in a pool hall about 1965 and $0.60/hr is what I recall... that was in the western suburbs of Chicago.
 
cigardave said:
According to an online inflation rate calculator, $0.30 in 1907 is worth $7.32 now, less than I would have thought.

I started playing in a pool hall about 1965 and $0.60/hr is what I recall... that was in the western suburbs of Chicago.
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WOW... I was way off according to that...

The avg hourly wage in 1907 was about .25 an hour.. good for about one hour of billiards.

The avg hourly wage in 2013 is $23 per hour.... So, I still think pool is pretty much a bargain today....
 
Looks a bit different now. lol

(I'm pretty sure that original pic is Madison Ave)

The Cubs actually won the World Series in 1907 and 1908. 1908 was the last World Series they have won. lol
 

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Mr. Bond said:
That's one of my favorite downtown photos.
You can't tell by looking at this cropping, but its actually an impressively large photo with incredible clarity and detail for being as old as it is...

And, it features not one, but at least a half dozen of the nation's largest and most famous billiard halls. Troys, Anson's, The Breevort Hotel ( Hannah and Hogg's), world famous Mussey's, Bensingers...and the list goes on and on...

In the non cropped version you can also get a good look at the cable cars that used to run in the streets just like San Francisco. It was one of these cars that killed Emanuel Brunswick at the corner of state and madison in December of 1892.

The 30cent rate was relative to where you played. And sometimes when.
Downtown was more expensive than in the local pub.
Click to expand...

I had a sneaking suspicion this would not be the first time you'd seen the photo. :thumbup:;)
 
One more thing about "hourly rates" (then vs now)....Years ago, you rented (or bought) a building....got yourself a "sea of pooltables", lights, chairs and a cash box and you were in business...NOW we have our local, state and federal GOVERNMENT involved with taxes/regulations/taxes/regulations and more TAXES and REGULATIONS. "THAT" all costs money. Not to mention things like legalized gambling (everywhere EXCEPT the pool room), the INTERNET, smoking bans etc..etc.. In the 21st century it is not easy making a pool room profitable....and anytime "John Q. Politician" wants to show the good people of "Bug-tussle" he is tough on crime...who do you think they screw around with....THE POOL ROOM.
 
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