I do not have the clock with 1 o’clock hot stamped ships. I WANT ONE! Doug Smith and Ed Hertel both have them. They got them in Galveston, Texas at an antique store that was later destroyed by a hurricane. Doug posted his on the BB as a Galveston illegal, the 1 O’clock Club. I questioned the attribution after seeing the Taylor record card. Most Taylor record cards with a name only denote an in store pickup in Chicago. The question was: Are they Chicago or Texas chips.

Riverboat Rick sent me a newspaper story about Paul Harris’s arrest in a Chicago joint in 1958 four years after the chip issue. To be fair to Rick, I would not have gotten involved with research on this chip without the article he sent me. I usually don’t research chips I do not have but I decided to get our “Friend of the hobby” involved with this one.

What you are about to read proved to me they are Illinois chips.

Whoa! Stop! Cease fire!

A few days after the research, Ed Hertel emailed me with some info on the Texas Clock Club. Maybe our “Friend of the hobby” needs to get involved again?

The final results of this research will be posted as:

Illegal Of The Day Illinois 24.
And
Illegal Of The Day Texas 11

You will need to read both posts if you are interested in the history of our chips.

I will give my opinions and you get to make the call when or if you ever get the chips.

Enough of that:

Illinois:

From Taylor records. [clock, 1oclock]

2841 Madison St. from the 1940’s to 1970’s was the location of taverns, liquor stores and lounges. There was a tavern there as early as 1946. In Nov.1953, 7 months prior to the clock chip order, it was the location of “Sampson Liquors.” It was listed as a tavern run by Paul Harris in the article you sent from Nov.1958. When the location was raided in Aug.1960 Harris was still the proprietor and the tavern was called “Van Buren Liquors.” Van Buren Liquors operated at the address for many years into the 1960’s. In the 1970’s the address became known as the “Avenue Lounge” and featured blues music.

My note: Paul Harris ran Samson Liquors in 1954 when the chips were made. No mention of gambling but vice and gambling went hand in hand in those days.

Chicago Tribune—21aug1960

My note: “Inmates.” Strange wording, IMO.

The structure which housed the address no longer exists and the vacant lot upon which it stood is now owned by the city of Chicago. Here’s a street map which shows that the 4 story structure which housed the address straddled a city block and also fronted the street at 2840 5th Av.

current view:

My conclusion: Paul Harris ran a joint in Chicago, 1954. He was busted for allowing women of questionable character to frequent the joint. Do I have to explain that? Mayor Daley’s guys went after him. Could very well mean Paul was not paying the unofficial taxes.

Very easy for Paul to walk into the Taylor office and pick up his chips. There is no record of a Paul Harris on the Taylor contact list. We know this list was sanitized more than once over the years including for the Kefauver commission.

End of story, they are Chicago chips.

OOPS, Not quite

Hertel’s email just arrived and then, there is the little problem of TGT listing but I have had to correct them before.

The Clock Club chips are in TGT as Galveston, TX.
2114 ½ Market ST
Vivian Licata
Vincent Jenna
Open 1940’s – 1957
No mention of Paul Harris.
“Illegal Of The Day Texas 11” to follow in this same thread.