"COLORS` aka TONK DOMINOES

     Room owners were continuously trying to circumvent the law. Cards, Dice, and Dominoes were not allowed in poolrooms in Alabama, unless, the population was between 56,500 and 59,000, then dominoes were allowed. What? Are you serious? Yes Sir,! see, apparently there was one county in Alabama that fit this prerequisite and the senator from that county loved to play dominoes so he had a bill passed. That's why it pays to know a politician or two. These were store bought from Saunier-Wilhelm, and were painted black, red, yellow and green to denote the four different suits. Mr. James, would not let you play for more than 50 cents a game. Why, you may ask? So you could play from 8:00a.m. till 12:00 midnight,and the House would end up with all the dough, though by Alabama law, and it is still that way until this day, all poolrooms must close by 11:00 p.m. and no alcoholic drinks are allowed on the premises. I know  some of you out there saying oh, no, he's wrong, well, don't bet on it. They have just turned a blind eye to it and no opening on Sunday either. I was arrested for playing pool on Sunday with a friend. The police came in and started giving me a load of crap and I told them they should be out catching a real criminal instead of messing with me. I was young and thought I could beat City Hall. No Sir, No Way, No How! I finally learned after about 10 times. Oh, yeah, I catch on real quick. They left and I thought that was it. Two days later they are banging on my door with a warrant for my arrest. I kid you not. I asked if I could drive my truck to the jail and they said sure. I was in front and there is no way for me to get away and why try, they know me, but I couldn't resist stomping the gas to the floor like I was making a mad dash for the border and they were on my ass in a nano second, maybe a pico second. I did this all the way to the jail. My sides were killing me, I was having a ball. I got there and they are real serious like I'm John Dillinger or at least one of the Top Ten Most Wanted. There is this real young cop that fingerprints me and I can tell he's real new, so I say,"No, son, watch me, see how I roll it and get the whole print? Now you try, son." These cops are so pissed and I am eating it up. When he gets through, I say,"Hey,boys, aren't you gonna brag on the kid? Well, son, I think you did one hell of a job and I believe you will be one hell of a cop." While the rookie and I were doing prints they told me I needed two people to sign my bond. Now this is for playing pool on Sunday keep in mind, I tell them that most people can't find their deed, can I post a cash bond? Sure, he said smiling real big, but that will be $300.00. I said, "Fine, no problem." He walked out of the room for two seconds and said, no, that will be $850.00. You just said $300.00, why the raise? Oh, he forgot to add something to it he said. I had neglected to have posted what ALL poolrooms are required to have posted to this day, and that is a sign that reads, "You must be 19 yrs of age to play pool unless accompanied by parent or guardian." The Guardian part saved me because all my customers were kids under 19 so there parents, bless their hearts, all wrote me a note saying while their child was in my poolroom I was their guardian. They couldn't touch that and they didn't want angry parents on their asses either. $850.00 I say, $850.00 and the cop is really smiling now because he knows I am screwed, blued and tattooed. What he doesn't realize is that I have about $4000.00 in my pocket, don't ask me why because I never carried that much around with me in town. So I say $850.00, and he's going to have an orgasm if I don't do something and quick, so I say,"Load the wagon big boy, I can haul it!" I pull that wad from my pocket and the rookie says, "Gawlay, I ain't seen that much money since my daddy bought me that Mustang." I said, "Son," as I patted him on the back and let him feel the wad, "buy yourself a poolroom and overnight you will become independently wealthy". I had to give up $850.00 but I enjoyed it plus I got the $850.00 back as soon as I went to court. Nope, I liked to have never got that money back. I had to get a lawyer to get it for me. When I went before the judge I had my lawyer with me and the judge said it would be a $10.00 fine and $32.50 court costs and I said, "NO," I want a trial by jury." The judge laughed, my lawyer laughed and I thought oh, no! but he granted me one and when we got to court that judge looked at it and said,"Y'all settle this outside the court room, I don't have time for this foolishness," exactly what I had thought he would say. I didn't think they would waste the taxpayers money on a frivolous charge as this. I had those damned signs plastered all over my poolroom, even in the bathroom and front door. I asked the cop that  arrested me me if he could run me some copies off so I could put them up and he said no, get your lawyer to do it for you but this sorry bastard takes Kenneth James a handful to put up so that he is in compliance with the law. To this day I still believe something gay was going on between those two but Ken denies it. You have got to admit, it was pretty sweet of him.