THE HUSTLER AND OLD MAN QUIGLEY

It was the early 1960's and I was attending Marshalltown Junior College and working part time at a shoe store called Nichol's and Green. On occasion at lunch time and generally on a Saturday, I would walk along Main Street to a pool hall called the Tremont. As I recall,  it was like a complex, one side a restaurant, the other side a pool hall and bar. My enjoyment was to go back and watch from one of the "high" chairs, the type you would only find in a pool hall, and watch a game or two of eight ball or billiards. It was a great way to spend the lunch hour.

Typical for its time, there were only pool tables lined up in this huge room or so it seemed. There were probably a dozen or so tables but, seemed like many more. Ther were regular tables where you could play eight ball, billiard tables-no pockets- and snooker tables-with small pockets- a game played with smaller balls. 

Each table had one or two metal "warehouse" lights hanging low over them. The walls were bare except for the racks for the sticks. The huge room was designed for one reason only and it said "Let's shoot some pool."

One of my favorite guys to watch was "Old Mr. Quigley." I guess he was older and as far as I knew, he owned a lot of real-estate in town and either didn't have to work much or was retired. He was a good player, always moving around the table slowly, spoke softly, and didn't say a whole lot. A little thin guy,  but, could hold that stick steady with his index finger and shoot with so much accuracy. He was my hero! My Minnesota Fats of sorts from Marshalltown. 

One day a young guy from Cedar Rapids strolled in with "case" in hand and looking for a "game." The match of the day was about to begin. My hero and the "Cedar Rapids Kid."  Or at least that was what I called him.

I really don't recall how many games they played or if they played for much money but, my hero was way out of his league with the "Kid." He waxed the thin man from Marshalltown. It wasn't even close. The hustler from Cedar Rapids walked around the table like he had on ballet slippers, chalking that cue and shooting with lightening speed.

Yup! I learned a valuable lesson that day! There is always somebody a little better. It really didn't matter though, I was still crushed!