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As I explained in my book, “Chipin Away At the Gambling Scene of Saratoga” on page 68.….These proceedings, later led to a State Investigation headed by a Committee headed by State Representative John M. Minton who commandeered one of the larger well known homes of the times, the Kessler Mansion, located in the historic district of Ballston Spa, the Saratoga County seat, for its hearings and many locals passed through it’s portals before it eventually came to its’ conclusion that changed the Saratoga scene forever, and led to the demise of the “Saratoga Illegals”, though not necessarily their accoutrements and Chips. …. The Ballston Spa address of 100 W. High St was also in this historic district. I have been to this address many times, in my preparing for my book. John F. Carrol was one of the presiding investigators at these State hearing, brought on as a result of the Kefauver hearings, These Chips were merely the same type presented in evidence with one exception, As I also explained in detail, on Page 10.…. the Chip marked "Brook Club" was erroneously included and later passed off as that belonging to the Brook Club of Saratoga, when it actually came from the Brook Club of the Surfside section of Miami of Florida, a Club in existence much. much later than the Saratoga Brook, and it too, went out of existence as a direct result of the Kefauver Investigation. The story that it came from the estate of a Police Officer was one trumped up in an to attempt to add provenance. They were discovered by chance in a Troy celler. I know all the ’Real Story”, but did not include it in my book, for to do so would be casting dispersions on some people still alive today, though their past ’“antique dealings” leave a little to be looked at with a jaundiced eye.
The Green Chip was definitely used at the Brook and is really the oldest known Chip, in my Saratoga Collection... I believe the very beginning. The green Piping Rock Chip was also older and again used early on when G. M. Horigan ran the Club and his wife was the head of he dining room. ( also a little known and Scarce Chip)
I do show, in my book, those Chips used by the Arrowhead of Ohio, and ran by the same Cincinatti Syndicate of Ohio that bought the Arrowhead in 1912 from Henry Levengston in 1912 after the fire. Levengston and a partner had bought it from Riley in 1908.
I did not intend to start any controversy, and even said, “Now, I would never tell a fellow Collector to remove any Chip from his Collection, but I myself definitely decided, after the investigation to remove these Chips from mine. Also, more astute Collectors than me, have them accredited to the Arrowhead. If I started something it was unintentional and I apologize to all my fellow Chipsters! BUT ???????????? I'm told Chips did have a life of thete own and were known to travel.
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