Death of a Table Mechanic

Mr. Bond

Mr. Bond

Orbis Non Sufficit
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You can read all kinds of stories about the lives of pool and billiard players.
You can even read stories about companies and producers of billiard related items like tables and cues.
But what you never see (until now) is a story about the man behind the scenes, who physically installed and assembled the tables, to make sure they were performing perfectly for every event.

Below you can read the tragic tale of John Keane, one of the foremost billiard table experts of his time.

1890 Dec Sporting Life_Death of Mechanic.jpg
 
In the last paragraph you'll see a reference to the "wareroom at 860 Broadway", the former location of Phelan and Collender's billiard table store where John worked.

At the time, this wareroom was located in the most luxurious retail shopping district in the entire country.

Coincidentally, many years later, that same building was home to one of Andy Warhol's art "Factories".
http://www.warholstars.org/warhol/warhol1/warhol1c/warhol1cl/factory3.html

The building is still standing in NYC as we speak.
 
Interesting story. My table mechanic was a man named Phil Spudich who died a couple years ago from a heart attack. Helicopter pilot in Vietnam, shot down multiple times. When he installed my table he said I have a lifetime deal free of charge on leveling the table.

I was surprised to hear of his death because he wasn't overweight at all and seemed to be the picture of health. I like Phil in part because I'm also a Vietnam vet and enjoyed conversing with him and I trusted him to be in my house which isn't the case with everybody I know in the pool world.
 
As a side note, you might have noticed that John was also Irish.
The historical significance of Irishmen in the world of pool, and many other sports, cannot be overstated.
 
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