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8. The Billiard Kings and Remarkable Upward Mobility The partnership of Michael Phelan and Hugh Collender revolutionized American billiards by patenting improved table cushions. Their business was so successful that they manufactured a gold-ornamented p
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8. The Billiard Kings and Remarkable Upward Mobility The partnership of Michael Phelan and Hugh Collenderrevolutionized American billiards by patenting improved table cushions. Their business was so successful that they manufactured a gold-ornamented pool table for General Ulysses S. Grant, which was later installed in the White House. At its peak, their massive factory spanned an entire city block on New York's 10th Avenue. Tyler Anbinder concludes that the history of Famine immigrants is one of surprising upward mobility. Despite facing intense discrimination and lacking formal education, many Irish individuals proved to be highly ambitious and entrepreneurial, successfully navigating the socioeconomic ladder to improve their lives in America. 8
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