Corner 8

To get a feel for the Corner read my profile.

The "older" guys, maybe 5 or 10 yrs older than us, , had their things about them. One guy had a reputation as being smooth. It seems that he would come out about 10pm, make a stop at Leos and then as the story went would head down to Rush Street. He had a way where he spoke softly always had a grin and dressed like he was always ready for Rush Street. I do not know if he worked but I think I remember seeing him playing billiards at the BA. during the day. Speaking about billiards at the BA, there were older men, different than older guys, who it seems were playing Billiards day and night. Us younger guys stuck to shooting pool. Billiards to pool is like checkers is to chess. Another guy who just showed up when we were in High School was ....."The Hobo". He had a first name which we used in speaking to him but when we referred to him, it was ...The Hobo or just plain Hobo. It was not meaness that we used the name Hobo, but maybe because he made us think of a Hobo which was not a bad person, someone that did not seem to have roots. He had a wooden leg maybe from the war, shot a really good game of pool. He was really quiet, in fact if you were sitting at the lunch counter at the BA he might come, sit at the stool next to you and look straight ahead and rub his stomach. You would call the waitress over and he would order his usual milk and pie. Hobo I believe even taught me a little geometry while shooting pool. Something like the angle of mirrors is equal to the angle of reflections when making bank shots. In short Hobo was a good quiet guy, shot his game of pool and never was in anyones face. When we weren't playing ball at the PG, we could spend endless hours at the BA. During the day the pool and billiard tables was where the action was and we would either play or watch other matches. Not much bowling, but in the evening in addition to the pool and billiards the bowling would come alive with leagues. We could just sit there and watch people bowl while making our seemingly stupid comments. Everything started on the corner by Mesirows drug store and lunch counter. From there it was, was anyone in the PG, BA. and off we would go. One last person I remember was Sam the Watchman. Sam, was a little older man ,who would get off the bus around 11pm, get a paper at Leos and head off. I was invited to my wifes sweet sixteen, we were not married at that time, I needed a present but did not have much money, Leo said talk to Sam. When Sam got off the bus I told him my story, he rolled up his sleeve and said pick one. I picked out a Benrus Embraceable. I did not go to the party with all the girls, but afterwards I presented my gift, with Sams help.