Toronto by Gaslight: The Night Hawks of a Great City: As Seen by the Reporters of "The Toronto News" — John Shaqi
Toronto by Gaslight: The Night Hawks of a Great City: As Seen by the Reporters of "The Toronto News"Toronto News
History
Toronto by Gaslight: The Night Hawks of a Great City: As Seen by the Reporters of "The Toronto News"
Toronto News
Toronto (Ont.) -- Description and travel
angel, who had been led astray by a designin’ woman—that’s what they call
it. Well, I drove the girlie back to town, and when she had time to think
she was hopping mad. Every time she’d look at her mashed hat she wanted
to go and find that woman. She said she had as much right to him as the
other woman, because he paid attentions to her before he was married, and
only married the other woman because she was better fixed than she was.
‘Yes, and better looking,’ I said to myself. But the strangest thing that
happened that night was that I was so flustrated that I let that woman go
off without ever asking for my $5. But it was all right. A boy came up to
me on the stand next day and handed me an envelope with a $10 bill and a
slip of paper inside with writing on it, ‘Fare to Humber and back.’”
CHAPTER IV.
BILLIARDISTIC BOYS.
There is no amusement I can think of out of which innocent enjoyment
cannot be extracted. Personally, I can see no harm in young people
dancing or playing billiards or cards—as long as they are carried on in
the homes of these young people. As soon as our youth desire to pursue
these pleasures away from the watchful eye of their parents, so soon do
they become dangerous. The billiard halls of this city are not supported
by men, but by lads. Go to any of them, either day or night, and ten to
one you will find the majority of the players are youths not yet come
of age. A remarkably large proportion you will find to be mere boys,
and the skill with which they play seems to argue that they did not
start playing yesterday nor the day before. Just watch the swagger they
assume. The blase airs of these young cynics is an article of first-class
quality. After you have admired that, I call your attention to the cut
of the garments of these young gentlemen—very neat isn’t it—and two
or three of them sport watches, gold or silver. Then consider that it
costs these cute-looking chaps 30 cents an hour for every hour that they
occupy that table and that some of them are here every night, and you
will wonder where the wherewithal comes from. Some of them work. Some of
them don’t. In any case they must have indulgent parents, or—something.
There is a group of Upper Canada College boys round that table. No doubt
their wealthy and aristocratic progenitors make liberal allowances to
their darling boys. They play good enough to make a good showing in a
tournament. If they are as proficient regarding the angles at the base
and on the other side of the base of an isosceles triangle as they are
with the angles in and about this table they must be fine mathematicians.
There is another group playing pool. Don’t look at them too hard, because
they are chipping in ten cents on the game. One little boy who has not
been playing very long, and who I saw scoop in a “pot” shortly after I
came up stairs, has lost the joyous look that then mantled his features.
Just study that face. Look at the dreadfully anxious expression with
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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