The game of snooker has always been a pleasant way to pass away the time and Lindsay has had its share of popular pool rooms such as Danny Hogan's that was located near Tangney's Furniture Store, William's Bros. located near Cambridge Street on Kent, Pat Jakins' Barber and Pool hall in the old National Grocers building on Cambridge Street N. (later to become George McCombe's) and, of course R. J. Morris' who had tables in the back of his store at the foot of Kent St.
Having worked for Morris for some time along with Al Gleeson, Ab. Ashmore, Russ Lucas, Les Hart and Andy Perry, only to name a few of Rube's clerks, I had the privilege of seeing many good top notch players pick up a cue and play for hours on end.
Perhaps Lindsay's best, and most skilled player of all, was a fellow by the name of Larry Magahey.
Larry was a quiet fellow who used to frequent Morris's daily where he would pick up a copy of the Globe and Mail newspaper and quietly take a seat in the pool room and read his paper from cover to cover. He was rarely ever seen without a roll-your-own cigarette dangling from his lips and in his long light brown topcoat that I can honestly say I never saw him without it being on his back. The coat could aptly be described as Larry's trademark.
One morning an out-of-town stranger walked in to Morris's store and asked "Rube" if he would like a game of snooker. He told the stranger that he didn't care to play; however if he was to approached the gentleman seated in the back room he might accommodate him.
Approaching Larry he asked if he would like to play a game for a dollar or two. Larry looked him over and, after a few moments passed, answered in the affirmative.
The games began at two dollars a game (quite a fair sized bet in those days) and in addition the loser would also be responsible for paying the snooker tab.
After seven extremely close games the "city slicker" had lost them all and went to the front of the store to pay the tab. Obviously quite irritated from the loss of the fourteen dollars and the games, he said to Morris "that's quite a house-man you have there."
I don't have a house-man!" said Rube."You asked for a game and I told you to ask him if he would be interested and that's as far as it goes."
I don't believe you, said the stranger, "but if I accomplished nothing else, I made things tough enough to force him to remove that damn coat of his."
He paid the bill, stormed out of the store and was never again seen around town.
