A. H. Harrison 5 127 10.09
P. J. Pearce 5 58 6.86
H. Wade 4 83 6.12
Wm. Terrell 4 43 6.57
John Bluim 2 88 8.80
M. M. Miller 1 71 5.65
H. Wider 0 70 5.17
HARRISON VS. PEARCE. Same hall, October 4th.—Only match. P.,
1500—10.71—136; H., 1462—98.
* * * * *
=T. Foley vs. Jos. Vermeulen.= Chicago, June 27th.—First of two games,
each $250 a side. F., 1500—15.47—178; V., 1002—126. Academy of Music,
Chicago, July 26th, return game, p. b. F., 1000—7.63—52; V., 898—63.
* * * * *
=Third Annual Championship of Upper Canada.= Rossin House, Toronto, p.
b. D. C. Cheseborough beat Samuel May by 300 to 202, and J. Manard by
300 to 183. No others.
* * * * *
=Championship of the Champions.= Hippotheatron, N. Y. City, beginning
September 15th. Tournament of State and provincial champions—Canada,
Pennsylvania, Indiana, Massachusetts, Illinois, Connecticut, Missouri,
and Ohio. First prize, gold-mounted cue. Plunkett beat McCarthy in
playing off for second and third—a billiard-table and an emblematic
silver service. Frawley’s 141 won gold watch and chain for highest run,
Foley being near with 134. Average of tournament (seven games apiece),
9.83. It would have been higher, did not the subjoined table show 27
games instead of 28. The missing one was between Harrison and Frawley,
and was annulled next morning (the only such instance on record as to a
public tournament) by a vote of 7 to 1 of the eight contestants.
W. L. R. Av. G. A.
C. Dion 6 1 127 25. 12.
E. J. Plunkett 5 2 117 16.13 11.09
T. McCarthy 5 2 99 14.29 10.03
E. Daniels 3 4 80 15.15 9.37
T. Foley 3 4 134 16.67 10.
G. B. Hubbell 3 4 98 9.80 8.51
A. H. Harrison 1 5 132 11.11 9.79
J. Frawley 1 5 141 8.20 8.31
* * * * *
=Goldthwait vs. Daniels.= Bumstead Hall, Boston, October 26th.—$250 a
side, winner conceding 500 points. G., 1500—20—218; D., 1499—195.
No match of so close a finish had ever before been played, the nearest
approach having been the Frawley-Davis contest of 1000 to 998.
* * * * *
=McDevitt vs. Goldthwait.= October 30 in Bumstead Hall, Boston, and
November 30 in Irving Hall, N. Y. City.—Home-and-home match for $500 a
side each game. Goldthwait lost in his own city by 926 to 1500, and won
in McDevitt’s by 1500 to 1137. McDevitt surpassed match record for a
6 × 12 four-pocket (his own 308) by running 409 in Boston.
1867.
=Third Championship of Pennsylvania.= Philadelphia, February
14–22d.—6 × 12 carom, c. b., push retained. All games 500 points but the
last, in which, 1000 up, Nelms vs. Estephe, the highest run and best
winning average (38.46) were made. Other players with winning averages
above 15: Estephe, 33.33; Jas. Palmer, 17.86; Wm. Rockhill, 16.73;
Ryall, 16.13. Nelms-Estephe game was played in National Hall. Average of
tournament, 10.63. Seven games apiece.
W. R. G. A.
Nelms 7 470 19.32
Estephe 6 148 20.60
Ryall 5 120 12.34
Rockhill 4 96 9.52
Palmer 3 98 10.15
Hewes 2 71 9.13
Bruce 1 80 6.27
Hoyt 0 66 6.02
NELMS VS. RYALL. National Hall, Philadelphia, May 27.—Only match. N.,
1500—33.33—543; R., 1140—277.
* * * * *
=Second Championship of Illinois.= Crosby’s Music Hall, Chicago, June
17–26th.—500 points, j. b. Prizes: Gold-mounted cue for first (won by
Vermeulen in playing-off with Rhines), gold watch for second and
amethyst ring for third. Best four winning averages were the four
leaders’: R., 20.83; V., 14.29; Honohan, 12.20; Davis, 13.16. Average of
tournament, 8.93. Seven games apiece.
W. R. G. A.
Vermeulen 6 196 10.59
Rhines 6 278 13.08
Davis 5 139 10.24
Honohan 4 92 9.64
Le Brun 4 85 8.48
Furlong 2 92 7.19
Forhan 1 42 5.63
Cusick 0 63 5.16
All matches were in Crosby’s Music Hall, Chicago, and the money-stake,
except in last, was $200 a side.
VERMEULEN VS. RHINES. September 9.—R., 1500—18.29—300; V., 1162—236.
RHINES VS. HONOHAN. December 4th.—R., 1500—14.66—162; H., 1275—211.
RHINES VS. VERMEULEN. March 4, 1868.—V., 1500—13.65—201; R., 1415—161.
VERMEULEN VS. HONOHAN. May 25, 1868.—V., 1500—12.61—187; H., 1376—75.
VERMEULEN VS. RHINES. September 2, 1868.—R., 1500—11.16—211; V.,
1377—128.
RHINES VS. VERMEULEN. December 21, 1868.—V., 1500—10.42; R., 1472.
VERMEULEN VS. HONOHAN. March 25, 1869.—J. and p. b., and points reduced.
V., 1200—13.33—111; H., 910—68.
VERMEULEN VS. FRANK PARKER. July 5, 1869.—Another change, counting three
for every carom instead of in twos or threes. P., 1200—19.67—117; V.,
523—57.
PARKER VS. SNYDER. November 20, 1869.—P., 1200—15.38—129; S., 827—63.
PARKER VS. SNYDER. March 23, 1870.—Tenth and last match, stake increased
to $250 a side. P., 1200—16.90—105; S., 978—93.
* * * * *
=Championship of Pacific Coast.= Platt’s Hall, San Francisco, August 17,
1867.—$500 a side, 5½ × 11 carom, c. b. Albert W. Jamison, 1500—50—212;
Edward Morris, 740—236.
* * * * *
=First J. M. Brunswick & Co.’s Table in Tournament.= Cincinnati, O.,
October, 21–31st.—5½ × 11 four-pocket, play unrestricted. All games 300
points but that determining tie between Foster and Coon, which was 1000.
Davis won third prize. The first was the table on which games were
played. Average of tournament, nine games apiece, 12.93.
W. R. Av. G. A.
M. Foster 8 194 100. 25.37
J. W. Coon 8 162 37.50 16.25
C. Davis 7 124 23.08 14.
P. Snyder 4 288 50. 13.29
J. Vermeulen 4 98 23.08 11.61
F. Ackerman 4 141 27.27 13.47
H. Choate 4 81 11.11 9.
F. Parker 4 138 42.86 14.05
W. C. Rivers 2 116 15.79 11.11
F. E. Smith 0 76 7.31
One-half of the contestants became champions, State, national, or both;
but the best mere billiard-player of the ten (Foster) never could attain
to that eminence.
* * * * *
=C. Dion vs. Daniels.= Bumstead Hall, Boston, Mass., December 18th.—$250
a side, p. and j. barred, 6 × 12. Dion, 1000—11.71—101; Daniels, 770—94.
* * * * *
=Fourth Annual Championship of Upper Canada.= Toronto, December.—500 up,
p. b., but jawing allowed. Wm. Jakes, with G. A. of 8.43, won all his
games; Samuel May, G. A. 7.42, won all but one; Turner, G. A. 6.33, was
third; Egener, G. A. 4.67, fourth; and Davis, G. A. 3.27, fifth and
last. Average of tournament, 5.94.
1868.
=McDevitt vs. Goldthwait.= Cooper Institute, N. Y. City, January 8.—$250
a side, no restrictions. McD., 1500—166.67—1483; G., 113—48. The 1483
were made nominally in the “jaw,” but in effect it was a carom-table
“crotch.”
* * * * *
=Championship of Nevada.= Opera House, Virginia City, January 20th.—$250
a side in gold, unrestricted; 5½ × 11 carom. W. Wright, 1500—71.43—768;
Valentine J. Orndorff, 279—59. The 768 were crotched.
* * * * *
=Hewins vs. L. W. Simonds.= Music Hall, New Haven, Conn., March
4th.—$500 a side, j. b. on 5½ × 11, the Danbury expert giving the
Hartfordite 500. H., 1500—8.13 (1000)—64; S., 1015—68.
* * * * *
=Carme vs. Vermeulen.= Crosby’s Music Hall, Chicago, July 22d.—$250 a
side, 5½ × 11 carom, c. and p. barred, and V. receiving 500. C.,
1500—34.88—382; V., 1135 (with odds)—73.
* * * * *
=Third Championship of Ohio.= Mozart Hall, Cincinnati, October
21–26th.—5½ × 11 four-pocket, c. and p. b., 300–point games. Fred.
Ackerman won play-off and second prize, $150, and Tony Honing third,
$100. Harry Choate, winning all his games, received first
prize—gold-mounted cue and $100. Ackerman’s 33.33 was best average, his
14.88 the best general average, and Asa Brainard’s 143 the best run. The
other six were Samuel Turner, J. W. Cronn, J. Quill, Joseph Casper, Jos.
Cherry, and J. Grunkemeyer. Average of tournament, 10.37.
CHOATE VS. ACKERMAN. City Hall, Springfield, O., January 12, 1869.—First
match. A., 1000—20.41—99; C., 563—65.
ACKERMAN VS. HONING. Mozart Hall, Cincinnati, September 11, 1869.—Second
and last match. A., 1000—16.67—130; H., 894—187.
* * * * *
=First Match in America Between French Experts.= In November, A. P.
Rudolphe and Pierre Carme were matched to play two games in Chicago,
four-ball, p. and c. barred, and three-ball, each for $1,000 a side.
Carme was adjudged to have forfeited in both. Soon afterward, they
played two similar games, Rudolphe winning both, without equaling the
record in either.
* * * * *
=T. Foley vs. Frawley.= Garrett’s Hall, Cleveland, December 2,
1868.—First of three games, every one for $500 a side, 5½ × 11, j. b.
and push allowed in first, but both barred in second. Foley,
1500—16.30—120; Frawley, 975—189.
Second game, Crosby’s Music Hall, Chicago, December 30th.—Foley,
1000—10.63—78; Frawley, 645—81.
Third game, three-ball caroms, Frawley forfeited; and a new match, same
as game of December 2, but for $1,000 a side, was played in same hall as
second, February 24, 1869. Foley, 1500—22.39—248; Frawley, 1202—188.
1869.
[In this and all later years until close of the four-ball series,
table was a 5½ × 11 four-pocket, when not differently indicated, the
game p. and j. b., and the count in ones (for misses), threes and
sixes.]
=Frawley vs. Rhines.= Garrett’s Hall, Cleveland, January 22d.—$250 a
side. F., 1000—14.02—153; R., 1496—298.
* * * * *
=J. Dion vs. Foster.= Mechanics’ Hall, Montreal, January 28th.—First of
home-and-home-and-odd (see Three-ball Caroms, 1869), $1,000 a side every
game. D., 1200—36.36—208; F., 1116—355.
=First Chalking of Lines.= On every corner cushion rail, about eight
inches apart, the terminals of an imaginary line were drawn. This line
had no reference to jawing or crotching, already barred by the articles
of agreement, and yet its purpose was to prevent what, without
describing it, a Montreal paper had spoken of as “Dion’s patent shot.”
No one could be found who knew its nature. Suspecting it to be a
“kiss-back” from one ball dead against the end-rail, one of the staff of
the “N. Y. Times” suggested the line, and the referee, Gershom B.
Hubbell, marked it with the concurrence of the players.
=First Public Game Played Under Protest.= Dion could not have fully
understood the purpose of the line. Because of it, he played the latter
half of the game under protest, Michael Phelan to decide. As he won, the
protest was needless. Had he lost, it would have been useless. There has
been only one other case of playing on after protesting, instead of
having the point decided then and there; and in that other case the
protester won because of a wrong decision due to delay, and that, if
given on the spot, would not have been wrong, singular to say.
=Dion vs. Foster.= Mechanics’ Hall, Montreal, April 6th.—Third and last
match of series, same terms as one above. D., 1200—28.57—124; F.,
1118—102.
* * * * *
=First Championship of Wisconsin.= Opera House Hall, Fond du Lac,
February 9–12th. Counting in twos, threes, and fives. Adam Kleser, then
of Milwaukee, first; L. Olcott second; Harris Liverman, third. The
others were S. A. Tustin, W. W. Seavor, and C. Bly. Stake in matches,
$200.
KLESER VS. SEAVOR. Madison, Wis., May 19th. Counting now in threes and
sixes. K., 1200—9.92—102; S., 728—48.
KLESER VS. LIVERMAN. Music Hall, Milwaukee, December 6, 1870. L.,
1200—av., 11.54; K., 776.
LIVERMAN VS. KLESER. Eau Claire, June 29, 1871. L., 1200—av., 15; K.,
1164.
* * * * *
=First Formal Amateur Championship.= That of Long Island, at Assembly
Rooms, Brooklyn, April 19–28th. Games, 300 points, old counting,
unrestricted. Contestants, Messrs. Dodge, Rogers, Wharton (prize-winners
in that order), Hardy, Karff, Sproul, and Vanderwerker.
* * * * *
=Second or Diamond Cue Championship of America.= Irving Hall, N. Y.
City, April 26 to May 10, 1869. This was a tournament of innovations. It
was the first with an entrance-fee from contestants. Instead of in twos,
threes, and fives, caroms were counted in threes and sixes. Instead of
two short games per session, there was one long one (1200 points). For
the first time in national championship contests, a 5½ × 11
(four-pocket) table was used, and the push-shot prohibited. Foster alone
beat the winner-in-chief. Average of tournament, six games apiece,
17.35.
W. R. Av. G. A.
John Deery, $1,000 5 358 24. 18.66
A. P. Rudolphe, $625 4 170 25. 18.48
Melvin Foster, $475 4 189 23.53 18.41
Peter Snyder, $275 4 207 25. 18.29
Henry Rhines, $125 2 171 16. 16.52
W. Goldthwait 1 129 21.53 16.76
Ed. Daniels 1 219 25. 14.57
The closeness of the single and general averages is still without
parallel in a tournament of leading experts. Playing off, Rudolphe beat
both Foster and Snyder, and Foster, in defeating Snyder by 1200 to 872,
ran 492 and averaged 38.67—records in themselves without being records
of the tournament. Could Foster’s extra two games have been added to his
tournament six, he would have credited himself with the tournament’s
best run, its best single average, and its best general average (20.13).
All matches were for the Diamond Cue and a money-stake of $500 a side.
DEERY VS. FOSTER. Hippotheatron, N. Y. City, September 14, 1869. D.,
1500—20—174; Foster, 1229—154.
DEERY VS. C. DION. Mechanics’ Pavilion, San Francisco, January 8, 1870.
Deery, 1500—15.31—177; Dion, 1489—156.
DEERY VS. RUDOLPHE. Same hall, March 5, 1870. R., 1500—18.52—279; Deery,
1327—235.
RUDOLPHE VS. C. DION. Hippotheatron, N. Y. City, May 31st. R.,
1500—27.27—153; D., 1485—177. Instead of one referee and two umpires,
this contest had three joint referees, and an erroneous decision as to
count, thoughtlessly given by one without consulting another, the third
being absent temporarily, gave Rudolphe the match, $1,000 in stakes, and
about $1,750 in clear door-money, the largest ever realized from one
night’s play.
RUDOLPHE VS. J. DION. Apollo Hall, N. Y. City, October 7, 1870. R.,
1500—28.30—192; D., 1192—180.
RUDOLPHE VS. PARKER. Kremlin Hall, Buffalo, N. Y., January, 11, 1871.
P., 1500—18.29—144; R., 1235—162.
PARKER VS. C. DION. Crosby’s Opera House, Chicago, April 26, 1871. D.,
1500—19.48—183; P., 1164—168.
C. DION VS. DANIELS. Latter declared forfeit.
C. DION VS. FOSTER. Hippotheatron, N. Y. City, June 19, 1871. D.,
1500—24.59—186; F., 616—96.
C. DION VS. DEERY. Irving Hall, N. Y. City, November 29, 1872. Dion,
1500—16.67—321; Deery, 1201—81.
C. DION VS. DALY. Irving Hall, N. Y. City, January 2, 1873. Daly missed
victory through his failure to see, until too late for rectification
under the rules, that 15 points of his had not been marked up. When the
score-strings showed 1490 for Daly and 1486 for Dion, the contest was
annulled by an agreement to begin again, in Tammany Hall, January 9th.
Dion then, 1500—25.42—156; Daly, 1147—159.
C. DION VS. DALY. Tammany Hall, N. Y. City, May 16, 1873. Daly,
1500—26.79—195; Dion, 1261—147.
DALY VS. GARNIER. Same hall, October 2, 1873. G., 1500—31.25—171; D.,
1224—249.
October 6, Garnier resigned Diamond Cue to its surviving donor, H. W.
Collender, instead of to C. Dion, who on September 30 had challenged
winner of then pending Daly-Garnier match. Dion thereupon again became
champion.
C. DION VS. RUDOLPHE. Same hall, April 7, 1876. Fourteenth match and
thirteenth and last completed contest. Dion, 1500—40.54—228; Rudolphe,
392—108.
Time-limit, two years and a half, made the emblem Dion’s. Daly holds it
as a souvenir of his having held it as champion.
* * * * *
=Second Championship of Massachusetts.= Olympic Theatre, Boston, May
10–18, 1869.—500–point games. R. E. Wilmarth, champion cue and $250; A.
B. Williams, second (billiard-table); John H. Flack, third (gold watch
and chain). Other contestants were W. A. Tobin, John F. Murphy, L. S.
Brooks, Samuel Colby, and R. Davis. Stake in matches, $200.
WILMARTH VS. BROOKS. Bumstead Hall, Boston, December 10th. W.,
1200—10—87; B., 955—99.
WILMARTH VS. MURPHY. Same hall, January 24, 1870. W., 1200—16.67—93; M.,
846—69.
WILMARTH VS. B. FRANK DENNISON. Same hall, March 31, 1870. D.,
1200—16—208; W., 787—60.
DENNISON VS. TOBIN. Opera House, Springfield, Mass., June 30, 1870. D.,
1200—13.33—132; T., 1014—105.
* * * * *
=Chicago’s First Amateur Championship.= T. Foley’s Room, June 7–26,
1869.—500–point games. Clem Ellison won second in play-off, and fourth
went to Humphreys. Average of tournament, nine games apiece, 8.02. G. A.
of five leaders were: S., 12.06; E., 9.59; W., 9.34; H., 9.66; John W.
Blaisdell, the actor, 8.26.
W. R. Av.
Spear 9 87 10.23
Ellison 7 108 13.89
Watkins 7 85 12.82
Humphreys 6 111 11.11
Blaisdell 5 87 11.36
Kinzie 5 72 10.09
Stevens 3 63 7.41
O’Brien 2 51 7.14
Wilson 1 66 7.35
Pickley 0 51
* * * * *
=Second Championship of Maine.= Portland, August 2–7th. 500 points,
5½ × 11 four-pocket, unrestricted, and counted in old way. Henry F.
Shiel, unbeaten, won champion cue and $200; C. E. Smith, of Augusta,
billiard-table; and Smith, of Portland, gold watch. Others, J. M. Bonney
and George Swazey.
SHIEL VS. T. HERBERT WHITE. Portland, August 7, 1871. Former won by 1000
to 867.
SHIEL VS. C. E. SMITH. Lancaster Hall, Portland, June 28, 1871. Shiel,
1200—17.91—150; Smith, 818—115.
* * * * *
=Average of 1000.= Breed’s Hall, Norwich, Conn., August 4th.—First of
home-and-home, each for $200 a side, $50 forfeit, Melvin Foster to
discount Geo. T. Stone on 5½ × 11 carom, c. and p. both allowed, and
counting in the old way. Foster “crotched” out his whole 1000 in his
first inning. Stone, who made but 19, forfeited in return one, set for
Aborn Hall, New London, August 11th.
=Third Championship of Ohio.= Mozart Hall, Cincinnati, November 29th to
December 1st.—500–point games, 5½ × 11 carom. Williamson won play-off.
Average of tournament, three games apiece, 11.77. Match stake, $100 a
side, in games of 1000 points.
W. R. Av. G. A.
Williamson 2 108 13.51 12.02
Grunkemeyer 2 63 13.89 11.44
Casper 1 81 18.52 13.29
Cherry 1 57 13.51 10.47
Champions by turn were Williamson, Casper, Choate, Honing, and Choate
again. Honing made the best run of the match series, 192 against Choate,
May 17, 1871, in Cincinnati, and Choate the best winning average, 32.26
against Honing, same date.
* * * * *
=Choate vs. Jacob Garratt.= Respectively as champions of Ohio and
Indiana, they played a match of $200 a side in Indianapolis July 3, 1871
(C., 1200—22.22—126; G., 989—78); and in Hopkins’s Hall, Cincinnati,
July 18th following, they contended for the joint championship of the
two States, regardless of disability by reason of non-residence (G.,
1200—21.05—123; C., 1162—105). Both games, counted in threes, were on a
5 × 10, probably with push, but minus crotch; and on August 2, 1871, at
the Opera House, Springfield, O., Choate’s home, they played a purse
game on a 5½ × 11 carom, c. and p. barred (C., 1200—7.69—187; G.,
1170—141).
* * * * *
=Parker vs. Snyder.= December 4, 1869, Crosby’s Music Hall, Chicago,
$250 a side. P., 1200—15.58—207; S., 1088—84.
* * * * *
=Second Championship of Indiana.= If there was a tournament, record of
it is altogether lacking. December 4, 1869, in Indianapolis, Alex.
McCracken, then champion, contended with John W. Gregg for the
championship and $200 on 5½ × 11 carom. G., 1200—19.05—126; McC.,
1111—126.
GARRATT VS. McCRACKEN. Record is lacking as to how Gregg relinquished
and Garratt acquired the championship. Washington Hall, Indianapolis,
April 4, 1870, Champion Jacob Garratt, 1200—22.22—93; McC., 1129—144.
GARRATT VS. GREGG. Same hall, January 9, 1871.—Garratt, 1200—15—90;
Gregg, 976—63.
GARRATT VS. CHOATE. For joint championship of Indiana and Ohio, July 18,
1871, see year 1869 under “Third Championship of Ohio.”
GARRATT VS. PARKER A. BYERS. Indianapolis, October 26, 1871.—For Indiana
championship. G., 1200—24—105; B., 1187—135.
Byers was afterward proclaimed champion, and for some time Indiana had
rival Billiard Associations and two championships.
GARST VS. GARRATT. Indianapolis, September 15, 1872.—New Billiard
Association, with Peter Garst as standard-bearer. Table, 5½ × 11 carom.
Garst won by 1500 to 1252.
BYERS VS. GARRATT. Lafayette, home of Byers, May 22, 1873.—$100 a side,
5 × 10 carom, “under the rules of the Indiana Billiard Association.” G.,
1500—41.67—114; B., 1194—120.
This closed the often puzzling four-ball record of professionals in
Indiana.
* * * * *
=First Case of Two Styles of Game in One Night.= Bumstead Hall, Boston,
December 13, 1869.—First of two games, each $100 a side (see Three-ball
Caroms, December 13, 1869, for second), 5½ × 11 carom, c. and p. b.
Melvin Foster, 750—44.12—426; E. Daniels, 645—147.
1870.
=Deery vs. C. Dion.= Platt’s Hall, San Francisco, February 3d.—$1,000 a
side. Deery, 1500—18.42—231; Dion, 1044—120.
* * * * *
=Parker vs. Adam Kleser.= Music Hall, Milwaukee, February 9th.—$100 a
side. P., 1200—42.86—277; K., 321—run, 42.
(See “Best Record Performances.”)
* * * * *
=Rudolphe vs. Deery.= Mercantile Library Hall, San Francisco, March
17th.—$1,500 a side. R., 1500—32.61—312; D., 970—174.
This contest was unique in having three judges in addition to a referee.
* * * * *
=Parker vs. Coon.= Crosby’s Music Hall, Chicago, April 11th.—$250 a
side. P., 1500—19.48—189; C., 1205—133.
* * * * *
=Second Championship of Maine.= First match was in Congress Hall,
Portland, May 13th.—$100 a side, on a 5½ × 11 four-pocket, surely
counting in threes, and supposedly j. and p. b. Champion, Henry Shiel,
1200—12.37—78; C. E. Smith, 1152—90.
* * * * *
=Second Amateur Championship of Long Island.= Assembly Rooms, Brooklyn,
May 23d to June 2d.—Five games apiece. Rogers, won 5; Kirkby, 4; Craft
and Upham, each 2; Roberts and Campbell, each 1. Of the matches, Kirkby
beat Rogers, December 16, 1870, by 500 to 393; Earle, January 11, 1871,
by 500 to 338; Aaron Vandewerker, January 26, 1871, by 500 to 375 (table
changed from 5½ × 11 four-pocket to a carom of same size); and
Vandewerker again, May 22, 1871, by 500 to 296. On October 17, 1871, it
was Rogers, 500—20—99; Kirkby, 307—63, and on January 17, 1872, it was
Rogers, 500—17.86—99; Rapelye, 375—108. Rogers’s 20 was high average,
and the best carom-table run, next to the 108 and the two 99’s, was
Kirkby’s 87 against Vandewerker.
* * * * *
=Experts’ Game, Also Known as “Red, White and Blue.”= Hippotheatron, N.
Y. City, June 1st.—500 points, $250 purse. J. Dion, 300—5.36—25; M.
Foster, 260—28.
This was the first game designed to suppress nursing. Instead of two
reds, one red and a blue were used with two whites. The game had special
rules, but its chief feature consisted in prohibiting the striker from
playing on the nearer ball first when both were within a certain
distance of each other. While 500 points had not been found too long in
practising for the match, they proved too many in public competition,
and when 100 points had been scored it was decided to shorten the game
by two-fifths.
* * * * *
=Rudolphe vs. C. Dion.= Hippotheatron, N. Y. City, June 17, 1870.—$500 a
side. D., 1500—27.27—193; R., 1090—246.
* * * * *
=New Championship of California.= Platt’s Hall, San Francisco, June
18th.—Match for silver cue and $400, 5½ × 11 carom, c. and p. b., and
counted in threes. Joseph W. Little, averaging 16, won by 1200 to John
F. B. McCleery’s 669. Congress Hall, same city, November 18th: McCleery,
1200—19.67—93; L., 836—93. See 1872 for another new series.
* * * * *
=G. F. Slosson’s First Public Match.= Opera House, Springfield, Mass.,
October 13th.—B. Frank Dennison giving odds of 300 in points and $200 to
$100 in money. D., 1000—76.92—355; S., 684—138. This was counted in the
old way, and was probably on a 5 × 10 carom-table.
* * * * *
=C. Dion vs. Dennison.= M. H. Hewins’s Room, Hartford, Conn., November
3d.—Purse game, carom-table, c. and p. b., counting in threes, and Dion
giving odds of 250. Dion, 1000—52.63—171; Dennison, 577 (with odds)—57.
A similar contest, $200 a side, was begun at once, odds now being 250.
Dion, 1000—125—330; Dennison, 478 (with odds)—run not known.
* * * * *
=J. Dion vs. Deery.= San Francisco, November 26th.—$1,000 a side. Dion,
1500—22.38—315; Deery, 896—115.
* * * * *
=C. Dion vs. Rudolphe.= Academy of Music, N. Y. City, December
28th.—$1,000 a side, Rudolphe giving odds of 5 per cent. D., 2000—20 (in
1900)—141; R., 989—315.
1871.
=First Public Handicap Tournament.= Allyn Hall, Hartford, February 23d
to March 1st.—Five games apiece, Clark E. Wilson winning 4, and prize
cue and $250. Melvin Foster, M. H. Hewins and Geo. T. Stone 3 apiece, B.
F. Dennison 2, and Wm. Bowen 0. In playing off the ties, Hewins beat
Stone and won third ($50), and Foster beat both. In round numbers, the
general averages were: F., 18; S., 13; W., 12; Dennison, 11; Hewins, 10.
Bowen forfeited two games.
* * * * *
=First Known Use of 5 × 10 in Four-ball Game.= Academy of Music,
Lafayette, Ind., March 2d.—$400. Parker A. Byers, 1200—24—96; Wm. F.
Kenny, 817—108. The 5 × 10 is to be suspected of having been utilized in
this way once or twice before, but this is the first sure case.
* * * * *
=Slosson and Daly’s First Tournament.= Rochester, N. Y., March 28th to
April 1st.—1000–point games, counted in threes, p. and c. barred, but on
a 5½ × 11 carom. Daly won play-off, and Slosson the $25 extra for
highest run. Six games apiece.
W. R. Av.
G. F. Slosson, $200 6 342 52.63
M. Daly, $70 4 240 71.43
Eugene Kimball, $30 4 186 37.04
Wm. Jakes 3 207 26.32
Jeff. Ferguson 2 234 41.67
Frank Fitch 1 240
Frank Twitchell 1 28.57
* * * * *
=Rudolphe vs. J. Dion.= Platt’s Hall, San Francisco, April 1st.—Second
of three games, every one for $1,000 a side. R., 1500—20.27—228; D.,
1288—207. For third, see Three-ball Caroms. The first, English
winning-and-losing, caroms and pocketings, with 2⅛ balls on an English
6 × 12 six-pocket table, was played in same hall, March 15th. Dion,
1000—4.24—29; R., 956—40.
* * * * *
=Plunkett vs. Nelms.= Assembly Buildings, Philadelphia, May 23d.—$250 a
side, counted in the old way on a 5½ × 11 carom. P., 1500—28.85—132; N.,
1183—138.
* * * * *
=Championship of Canada.= Also on 5½ × 11 carom, Montreal, July
18–27th.—Frank Dion first (gold-mounted cue and $100), John Hickey
second ($60), and Thos. Russell third ($40). Jas. G. Bennett, Alphonse
Derome, Chas. Egener, Thos. Knox, and Jas. Phelan were the others. Match
record is incomplete. January 19, 1872: J. G. Bennett, 1500—18.07—75; A.
Derome, 1259—105; and March 20, 1872, Wm. Jakes defeated Bennett by 1500
to 1183. Each match was for $100 a side, and both were played in
Montreal.
* * * * *
=G. F. Slosson vs. Eugene Carter.= Toledo, O., July 26th.—$500 a side.
S., 1500—av. about 27; C., 1032.
* * * * *
=A Wrong Decision Makes a Second Game.= Apollo Hall, Newark, N. J.,
August 14th.—C. A. Frink vs. Ebenezer Francis, $250 a side, carom table.
As Francis made apparently the winning shot, spectators closed in,
causing his cue to touch a ball. Frink claimed foul, the referee so
ruled, and Frink, with a run of 82, changed score to 1500 to 1497 in his
favor, with an average of 28.25. Francis protested against payment of
stakes, and another game was played in same hall August 21st. Francis,
1500—24.19—154; Frink, 1378—141.
* * * * *
=Maurice Daly’s First Public Match.= Athenæum, Brooklyn, September
15th.—$50 a side, usual way of going, but on a carom table (5½ × 11).
D., 1500—93.75—357; A. W. Jamison, 414—105.
* * * * *
=Garnier vs. Daly.= Metropolitan Hall, Chicago, October 2d.—First of
home-and-home, $1,000 each game, usual terms. G., 1500—26.79—201; D.,
1365—159.
Return, Irving Hall, N. Y. City, October 27th.—D., 1500—25—327; G.,
1230—132.
This tie was virtually disposed of in Titusville, Pa., December 6th.
First of two games (see Three-ball Caroms for second), severally for
$250 and $200 a side. D., 1500—34.69—291; G. scored 698.
* * * * *
=Byron Gillett vs. G. F. Slosson.= Stancliff Hall, November 1st.—$250 a
side, carom table G., 1500—50—267; S., 1263—240.
1872.
=Amateur Championship of Long Island.= Assembly Rooms, Brooklyn, March
11–12th.—Carom table of usual size, cue to become personal property of
tournament winner. Two games each.
W. R. Av. G. A.
S. Rapelye 2 64 16.31 14.08
F. Rogers 1 99 17.24 15.08
A. Vanderwerker 0 9.10
* * * * *
=Championship of Pacific Coast.= Platt’s Hall, San Francisco, March
21st.—Silver cue and $200 a side, 5 × 10 carom. J. F. B. McCleery,
1500—28.85—207; W. W. Wright, 900—117. Same hall, May 7th, A. Kraker,
1500—38.46—147; McC., 754—150. Same hall, October 25th, Kraker,
1500—83.33—348; McC., 930—234.
* * * * *
=Championship of Massachusetts.= Bumstead Hall, Boston, December
9–12th.—Entrance fee $50, 600–point games, carom table, 5 × 10. First
prize, cue and $300; second, billiard-table; third, $150. Nothing to
indicate general averages or disposition of ties. Five games apiece.
W. R. Av.
Ed. Kendall 4 219 66.67
John Peck 3 213 35.29
R. E. Wilmarth 3 201 40.
B. F. Dennison 3 276 46.15
C. E. Wilson 2 195 42.86
T. R. Bullock 0 123
KENDALL VS. JOHN HICKEY. Same hall, February 11, 1873, stake $100 a side
and championship. K., 1500—31.58—186; H., 1225—168.
KENDALL VS. WILSON. Same hall, March 11, 1873. W., 1500—33.44—273, K.,
1410—150.
WILSON VS. DENNISON. Same hall, April 2, 1873. D., 1500—46.88—330; W.,
741—159.
DENNISON VS. BULLOCK. Same hall, April 28, 1873. D., 1500—40.54—120; B.,
784—207.
DENNISON VS. KENDALL. Same hall, October 24, 1873. K., 1500—52.41—273;
D., 1485—285.
1873.
[This year and thenceforward, except when otherwise stated, 5 × 10
carom, c. and p. barred, counting in threes.]
=Dennison vs. J. G. Bennett.= Bumstead Hall, Boston, April 14th.—$200 a
side. D., 1500—83.33—300; B., 579—240.
* * * * *
=Slosson vs. John Bessunger.= Kingsbury Hall, Chicago, September
9th.—$250 a side. S., 2000—142.86—534; B., 216—run, 108. On the prior
April 19th they had played a similar match in Chicago. S.,
2000—44.44—279; B., 1969—213.
* * * * *
=Dennison vs. Goldthwait.= Bumstead Hall, Boston, September 18th.—$100 a
side. D., 1500—65.22—417; G., 819—216.
1874.
=Louisiana Double Championship.= Crescent Hall, New Orleans, April
6–30th.—Tournament at both four-ball and three-ball games. (For second,
see Three-ball Caroms.) First prize, championship locket and $100;
second, $50. Six games apiece. Average of tournament, about 13¼.
Individual G. A.: H., 14.40; H. M., 20.61; C., 10.11; J. M., 14.31; J.
F. M., 15.25; A., 10.31; Q., 10.65.
W. R. Av.
Albert Hoa 5 77 21.36
H. Miller 4 92 30.
A. Coste 3 91 14.29
J. Miller 3 86 10.71
J. F. Maggioli 3 93 23.08
L. Abrams 2 96 21.43
Chas. Quaid 1 128 18.75
HOA VS. H. MILLER. Same hall, June 1st.—Match, stake $50. M.,
500—20.83—155; H., 180—36.
H. MILLER VS. MAGGIOLI. Varieties Theatre, New Orleans, March 4, 1876.
Miller, 500—33.33—91; Maggioli, 360—77.
1876.
=Slosson vs. Sexton.= Foley’s Room, Chicago, September 17th.—Purse game,
5½ × 11 four-pocket table, counting in the old way. Slosson,
2000—33.33—356; Sexton, 1730—257. [The night before they had played the
three-ball game on the same table. Slosson, 600—8.22—137; Sexton’s
total, 278.]
Those games were not matches, and are not records. Not being matches,
they furnished no line at all as to Old Billiards vs. New. This is the
final four-ball chronicle as to professed experts of standing. The
revival of contests on pocketless tables, tested as early as 1860, and
abandoned outside of Philadelphia as too repressive of “safety,” or
generalship, had brought the game into disesteem for spectacular uses.
So small a table as a 5 × 10 for that way of going was almost a
burlesque of competitive billiards in the hands even of approximate
masters; and yet it remained for four-ball caroms to be played, although
by an inferior class of experts in the remoter West, on a 4½ × 9 carom!
BEST RECORD PERFORMANCES AT FOUR-BALL CAROMS
IN MATCHES FOR A GENERAL CHAMPIONSHIP.
BEST AVERAGES ON 6 × 12 FOUR-POCKET TABLE.
166.67 in 1500, jawing barred, pushing allowed—J. McDevitt, 1868
(see series under 1863).
25.86 in 1500, push and jaw allowed—J. Dion, 1866 (see series under
1863).
BEST RUNS ON 6 × 12 FOUR-POCKET TABLE.
1458, jaw barred, push allowed—J. McDevitt, 1868.
616, due to jawing—J. Dion, 1867. (See series under 1863 for both.)
BEST AVERAGES ON 5½ × 11 FOUR-POCKET TABLE.
40.54 in 1500, push and jaw barred—C. Dion, 1876.
31.25 in 1500, push and jaw barred—A. Garnier, 1873. (See series
under 1869 for both.)
RUNS ON 5½ × 11 FOUR-POCKET TABLE.
321 by C. Dion, 1872; 279 by A. P. Rudolphe, 1870; and 249 by
Maurice Daly, 1873—all push and jaw barred. (See series under 1869.)
PUBLIC CONTESTS NOT FOR GENERAL CHAMPIONSHIP.
BEST AVERAGES ON 6 × 12 SIX-POCKET TABLE.
12.20 in 2000—Michael Phelan, 1859.
17.24 in 1500—John McDevitt, 1863.
10.00 in 1500, push and massé barred—Dudley Kavanagh, 1862.
BEST RUNS ON 6 × 12 SIX-POCKET TABLE.
177 by Dudley Kavanagh, 157 by John Seereiter, and 129 by Michael
Phelan, all in 1859.
90, push and massé barred—Michael Foley, 1862.
BEST AVERAGES ON 6 × 12 FOUR-POCKET TABLE.
8.40 in 1000, push and jaw barred—Michael Phelan, 1864.
166.67 (by jawing and pushing)—John McDevitt, 1868.
BEST RUNS ON 6 × 12 FOUR-POCKET.
56, push and jaw barred—Michael Phelan, 1864.
1483, by jawing and pushing—John McDevitt, 1868.
BEST AVERAGES ON A 5½ × 11 FOUR-POCKET.
42.86 in 1200, push and jaw barred—Frank Parker, 1870.
BEST RUNS ON A 5½ × 11 FOUR-POCKET.
492, push and jaw barred—Melvin Foster, 1869.
327, push and jaw barred—Maurice Daly, 1871.
315, push and jaw barred—J. Dion and A. P. Rudolphe, 1870.
BEST AVERAGES ON A CAROM TABLE.
15.38 in 1200, push and crotch barred, size 6 × 12—Victor Estephe,
1865.
25.00 in 1500, push barred, crotching allowed, but none done, size
5½ × 11, 2–5/16 balls—Dudley Kavanagh, 1865.
39.47 in 750, push barred, but average due to crotching, 5½ × 11,
2–5/16 balls—J. Dion, 1866.
33.33 in 1500, crotch barred, push allowed, 6 × 12—E. H. Nelms,
1867.
1000 in 1000, push and crotch allowed, 5½ × 11—Melvin Foster, 1869.
32.26 in 1000, push allowed, crotch barred, 5½ × 11 table, $500 a
side—W. W. Wright, Virginia City, N. T., December 11, 1868. Loser,
C. A. W. Jamison, who was given odds of discount, averaged 51.23 in
his total of 1537.
93.75 in 1500, 5½ × 11, crotch barred—M. Daly, 1871.
BEST RUNS ON CAROM TABLE
543, crotching barred, push allowed, 6 × 12—E. H. Nelms, 1867.
297, by crotching on a 5½ × 11—J. Dion, 1866.
1000 (whole game), by pushing and crotching, 5½ × 11—Melvin Foster,
1869.
BEST AVERAGE IN TOURNAMENT.
100 in 300, 5½ × 11 four-pocket, no restrictions—M. Foster, 1867.
NOTE.—No account has been taken here of either tournament games or
matches on any table smaller than a 5½ × 11, which was the
first-class professionals’ limit.
REGULAR THREE-BALL CAROMS.
[Unless otherwise stated, all play was with 2⅜ balls, and, with but
few exceptions, on a Phelan & Collender, a Collender or a
Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co. 5 × 10 carom table, crotching not
barred until 1870.]
ABBREVIATIONS.—This succession—Player, 250—10.—54; Player,
212—69—stands for winner’s total, average, and high run, and loser’s
total and high run.
1862.
=First Public Match.= Louis Fox, of Rochester vs. John Deery, of N. Y.
City, $250 a side, 250 points up, 6 × 12 four-pocket table, was the
first match made at this game with any idea of playing it in public. It
was set for Buffalo, N. Y., but the Deery side forfeited on November
7th.
1864.
=First Technically Public Contest.= Irving Hall, N. Y. City, afternoon
of April 8th.—$250 a side, 6 × 12 four-pocket table, in aid of the
Workingwomen’s Protective Union. Peter D. Braisted, Jr., 100; Wm. H.
Freeman, 79. Players were not of the first class, and hence runs and
averages were not tallied for publication.
There had, of course, been many earlier match-contests, both amateur and
professional; but those and scores of others before them were of the
nature of billiard-room contests, with the exception that Michael Phelan
and Ralph Benjamin’s in Philadelphia, in 1857, was a formal match,
although not public, each principal being limited to a certain number of
friends as spectators.
1865.
=First Formal Public Contest.= Gallaher’s Hall, N. Y. City, October
5th.—First of the three-game match (see, Four-ball for others), $1,000 a
side, 5½ × 11 carom, 2–5/16 balls. Pierre Carme, from France: Total,
250—winning average, 2.48—high run, 19; Dudley Kavanagh, 224—15.
[Note.—This is the order of all matches, the loser’s average being
omitted as not a technical record.]
The table was a compromise in height between the French and the
American.
1868.
=First Match on a 5 × 10 Carom.= For this reason, a billiard-room match
merits mention. This size is not known to have been used again in any
expert match in this country until 1870.
Peter D. Braisted’s Room, N. Y. City, January 21st.—$50 a side Wm. N.
Wickes, amateur, 150—2.86—15; Braisted, 47—5.
* * * * *
=Melvin Foster vs. John Deery.= Irving Hall, N. Y. City, September
30th.—$250 a side, 5½ × 11 carom. Foster, 300—2.80—40; D., 184—24.
* * * * *
=Foster vs. Joseph Dion.= Academy of Music, N. Y. City, December
28th.—Second game of match of three (see Four-ball for others), $1,000 a
side, 5½ × 11 carom. F., 300—1.73—21; D., 296—11. Catching the draughts
and blasts from the untenanted stage, the balls were ice, the cues
icicles, and the players paralytics in sheer numbness.
1869.
=Foster vs. Benjamin.= Braisted’s Room, N. Y. City, January 6th.—F.
giving 150 in 300 and laying $100 to $80, 5½ × 11 carom. F.,
300—1.94—16; B., 131 (without odds)—14.
Not a record except as a match in which, for many successive innings,
both men played alternately for “safety” without leaving their seats.
Foster, who began it, had to quit, as he was behind, and the misses, if
continued, would have put his opponent out. This contest suggested the
rule of 1879, illegalizing more than two consecutive misses.
* * * * *
=Foster vs. Deery.= Irving Hall, N. Y. City, April 23d.—$250 a side,
5½ × 11 four-pocket. F., 300—2.80—18; D., 183—14.
* * * * *
=McDevitt vs. C. Dion.= Irving Hall, N. Y. City, May 10, $500, 5¼ × 11
four-pocket. D., 300—2.03—19; MCD., 299—29.
* * * * *
=Ralph Benjamin vs. M. H. Hewins.= Town Hall, Meriden, Conn., November
23d.—$100 a side, 5½ × 11 four-pocket. B., 150; H., 132. On the same
terms, Hewins had won in Meriden, Conn., August 21st, by 150 to 130, and
Benjamin had won return game in Portchester, N. Y., October 22d, by
protesting against referee’s decision as to a shot claimed as foul
(actual score, 150 to 149 in favor of Hewins). Best runs in the three
games: B., 7, 8, and 11; H., 7, 10, 8. Winning averages, barring
protested game, 1.50 each.
1870.
=Geo. T. Stone vs. Hewins.= Music Hall, New Haven, Conn., January
4th.—$300 a side, Stone giving odds of 60, probably a 5½ × 11 carom. S.,
300—1.63—11; H., 267—11.
* * * * *
=First Public Match Contest at the West.= Crosby’s Music Hall, Chicago,
January 19th.—$200 a side, 5½ × 11 carom, Frank Parker defeating Henry
Rhines by 300 to 260. There had been an announced three-ball match at
the West a year or so before, but it was really an exhibition.
* * * * *
=Carme vs. Henry Miller.= National Theatre, New Orleans, March
24–25th.—Two games, each $250 a side, Carme giving odds of 150. First
game: M., 500—3.98 (in 350)—56; C., 374—29. Second game: C.,
500—6.49—85; M., 388—31. Table was surely no larger than 5 × 10.
* * * * *
=J. W. Coon vs. Frank Parker.= Crosby’s Music Hall, Chicago, April
25th.—$250 a side, 5½ × 11 carom. C., 500—2.90—24; P., 499—17.
* * * * *
=First Three-ball State Championship.= Assembly Rooms, Philadelphia,
April 25–30th.—First tournament for championship of Pennsylvania,
5½ × 11 carom. E. J. Plunkett, 6—0; E. H. Nelms, 5—1; Wm. Rockhill, 4—2;
James Palmer, 3—3; Robt. Hunter, 2—4; McAlier, 1—5; Doyle, 0—6.
Prizes—1st., cue and billiard-table; 2d, $150; third, $70.
=Plunkett vs. Nelms.=—Same hall, January 18, 1872.—First match for
champion cue. N., 200—av., 2—run, 22; P., 168—18.
* * * * *
=Michael Honohan vs. Abraham Bassford.= Crosby’s Music Hall,
Chicago.—$100 a side, 5 × 10 carom. H., 300—2.63—17; B., 191—17.
* * * * *
=First Known Case of Crotching Barred.= Crosby’s Music Hall, Chicago,
October 19th.—$250 a side, 5½ × 11 carom, c. b. Frank Parker and Henry
Rhines, 400—3.07 and 2.54—19 and 17; Peter Snyder and John W. Coon,
264—2.26 and 1.51—13 and 12.
As far back as 1860–1, a run of 40 had been crotched (or jawed, in
fact), in a non-public match at the three-ball game; and that crotching
was not specifically barred before 1870 was because, until small tables
came into vogue, it was theoretically twice as hard to get the crotch at
three-ball caroms as at four-ball, and practically much harder.
1871.
[In this and all later years, table a 5 × 10 carom, with crotch
barred, unless mentioned differently.]
=First Match on a 5 × 10 Between First-Class Players.= Platt’s Hall, San
Francisco, January 12th.—$500 a side. J. Dion, 500—3.60—46; Deery,
474—37.
January 26th, same hall and stake, Dion giving odds of 100. Deery,
600—3.73 (in 500)—57; Dion, 479—42.
February 9th, same place and stake, Dion now giving 50. Deery, 600—5.98
(in 550)—83; Dion, 491—25.
These were the first public three-ball contests at odds between
first-class players, and the odds was always marked up at the start of
the game, instead of, as usual now, one man’s going to 500 against the
other’s 600. Practically, or temperamentally, there is often a
difference between ways that theoretically seem the same.
* * * * *
=Rudolphe vs. Garnier.= Apollo Hall, N. Y. City, January 21st.—$500 a
side, 5½ × 11 carom, crotch not barred, but no crotching, Garnier
receiving odds of 15 per cent. Rudolphe, 600—5.46—72; G., 510—28.
* * * * *
=C. Dion vs. Daniels.= Bumstead Hall, Boston, January 24th.—$250 a side,
5½ × 11 carom, no bar. Dion won by 300 to 131, with 38 against 12 for
best run.
* * * * *
=First Professional Tournament at Three-ball Game, and Also First
Championship of the Northwest.= Chicago, February 2–28th.—Games 300
points, balls 2–5/16. Playing off, Foley beat Pearce, and Coon both
Pearce and Foley. Six games apiece.
W. R. Av.
H. Rhines 5 34 4.84
J. W. Coon 4 36 4.41
T. Foley 4 32 4.55
P. J. Pearce 4 23 3.
J. Vermeulen 3 30 3.75
A. Le Brun 1 18 2.88
H. Liverman 0 29
The 2–5/16 ball had not been used in tournament before, and has been
availed of in but one since. It makes “position draws” harder, and
failures easier by an eighth of an inch. Yet it made less difference
then than it would make now. There was but one match.
RHINES VS. COON.—Crosby’s Music Hall, Chicago, May 27th.—$250 a side,
same balls. R., 400—4.82—54; C., 295—18.
* * * * *
=Coon vs. Garnier.= Same hall as above, March 8th.—$200, 5½ × 11 carom.
C., 600 (odds of 100)—4.76 in 500—58; G., 522—35.
* * * * *
=Coon vs. Parker.= Same hall and table, March 11th.—$500. C.,
400—3.48—22; P., 320—29.
* * * * *
=Parker vs. Rhines.= Same hall and table, March 22d.—$500. P.,
400—2.44—26; R., 369—29.
* * * * *
=C. Dion vs. Deery.= Platt’s Hall, San Francisco, April 7th.—$500 a
side. Dion, 500—6.41—58; Deery, 476—73.
* * * * *
=J. Dion vs. Rudolphe.= Congress Hall, San Francisco, April 17th.—Third
and last of three games (see Four-ball Game for both that style and
English billiards for $1,000 apiece). D., 500—4.72—(run not recorded);
R., 472—69.
* * * * *
=Daly vs. Rhines.= Brooklyn Hall, Brooklyn, N. Y., November 6th.—$500 a
side. Daly, 500—4.27—44; R., 397—58.
* * * * *
=First Triple-figure Runs.= National Theatre, New Orleans, November
20th, 22d, 25th.—Separate games, $500 apiece, crotch probably not
barred. Joseph Dion won by 500 to 479, 365, and 268, including odds of
150 received invariably by Henry Miller. Winner’s averages: 4.95, 6.85,
and 8.94. Best runs per game: D., 48, 105, 107; M., 29, 23, 11. [In this
city, January 16, 1872, C. Dion ran 109, mainly in the crotch of a
5 × 10; but as a billiard-room match it was not a record.]
* * * * *
=First Double-figure Average.= Corinthian Hall, Titusville, Pa.,
December 7th.—$250 a side. Garnier, 500—10.42—80; Daly, 233—27.
1872.
=Garnier and Rhines vs. Deery and Parker.= Orpheus Hall, Chicago, May
25th.—$250 a side. G. and R., 336 and 164 (500)—7 and 3.49—82 and 27; D.
and P., 181 and 191 (372)—3.85 and 4.07—32 and 46.
* * * * *
=Parker vs. Rhines.= Orpheus Hall, Chicago, July 1st.—$500 a side,
5 × 10 carom. P., 500—4.94—44; R., 359—27.
* * * * *
=Daly vs. Deery.= Irving Hall, N. Y. City, September 3d and 13th.—Match
of 500 and 600 points, each for $1,000 a side, c. b. Resulted from match
for $250 a side, played July 25th in the private room at Chris.
O’Connor’s, Daly then winning by 500 to 455, averaging 4, and running 56
against 31. September 3d: Daly, 500—6.94—59; Deery, 292—41. September
13th: Daly, 600—6.25—54; Deery, 406—63.
1873.
=Francois Ubassy vs. Henry Miller and John Bessunger.= In Harmony Hall,
New Orleans, and in Nixon’s Amphitheatre and the Globe Theatre, Chicago,
Ubassy gave odds varying from “discount” to 200 in 600 and 300 in 800,
in April, May, and June. The half dozen contests were of importance
chiefly by reason of Ubassy’s runs and averages. The highest of the
former were 117 and 116; of the latter, 15.79 in 300 in New Orleans and
17.78 in 800 in Chicago.
* * * * *
=Amateur Championship of Louisiana.= New Orleans, May 12th to
28th.—Tournament of 200–point games on a 4½ × 9 carom table. This series
was so called not so much because quite all the contestants were clearly
non-professionals as for the reason that any professional championship
at that precise time would have fallen to either Henry Miller or his
brother John, then first and second best players in the State. All
matches of the new series were 300 up, on a 4½ × 9 table, for a stake of
$100 a side, and played in New Orleans. Record of tournament, four games
apiece:
W. R. Av.
F. Maggioli 4 22 4.17
L. Abrams 3 43 5.88
A. Coste 2 34 4.57[2]
J. Cochran 1 20 2.78
C. Blanchard 0 38
Footnote 2:
A losing average.
From June 10th of this year until July 14, 1874, there were a dozen or
two matches, Maggioli, Abrams and Choate taking turns as champions.
Ultimately, the emblem became Maggioli’s permanently. The highest run of
the series was 60, and the highest average 12, both by Maggioli.
* * * * *
=First Championship of the World.= Irving Hall, N. Y. City, June
23–30th.—First first-class professional tournament anywhere at
three-ball caroms. Games, five apiece, 300 points. This tournament made
the 5 × 10 carom table, bar crotch (4½ in. in all directions from the
cushion-junction), the standard. Garnier and C. Dion first and second
after playing off.
W. H. R. Av. G. A.
Garnier 4 113 12. 9.32
C. Dion 4 77 10.75 7.57
Daly 4 62 9.68 7.01
Ubassy 2 98 17.65 8.53
J. Dion 1 64 10. 5.60
Deery 0 79 6.08
Average of tournament, 7.89.
All matches were for the Challenge Cup and $1,000 a side, and all but
the last were played in Tammany Hall, N. Y. City.
GARNIER VS. C. DION. December 2d.—G., 600—10—68; D., 480—61.
GARNIER VS. UBASSY. January 30, 1874.—G., 600—8.70—108; U., 460—50.
GARNIER VS. DALY. April 3, 1874.—G., 600—12.77—75; D., 380—62.
GARNIER VS. RUDOLPHE. December 10, 1874.—R., 600—14.63—161; G., 387—101.
RUDOLPHE VS. MAURICE VIGNAUX. February 22, 1875.—V., 600—10.17—60; R.,
556—58.
VIGNAUX VS. SEXTON. Grand Hotel, Paris, France, March 3, 1876.—V.,
600—19.35; S., 459—run, 129.
* * * * *
=Jacob Schaefer’s Public Debut.= Washington Hall, Indianapolis, July
25th.—Purse game. Schaefer, 300—4.84—38; Parker A. Byers, 183—20. He had
also pursed two weeks before, Jacob Garratt beating him by 1000 to 932;
but it was at the four-ball game, and in Garratt’s Indianapolis
billiard-room.
* * * * *
=First Championship of Pacific Coast.= Mercantile Library Hall, San
Francisco, August 25–30, 1873.—Tournament for championship, a silver cup
and $650. Games, 200 points, six apiece. Mott won play-off.
W. R. Av.
J. McCleery 6 31 3.39
Tony Kraker 5 30 4.65
J.H Mott, Jr. 3 32 3.92
Wm. Terrell 3 18 2.79
W. W. Wright 2 32 2.73[3]
J. W. Little 1 26 2.90
L. W. Perkins 1 23 2.53[3]
Footnote 3:
Losing averages.
=Slosson and Schaefer’s First Meeting.= October 5, 1873, Indianapolis,
$100 a side, was the first meeting between a pair that have met oftener
in public than any other two. Slosson, 500—5.32—35; Schaefer, 321—45.
* * * * *
=Slosson vs. Daly.= Kingsbury Hall, Chicago, November 8th.—$500 a side,
Daly giving odds of 100. S., 600—5.68 (in 500); D., 593—44.
* * * * *
=Chicago’s First First-Class Tournament.= Kingsbury Hall, November
10–21st.—Aggregate, $3,100 in cash prizes, seven 400–point games apiece.
Garnier and Daly won in playing off. Average of tournament, 6.46.
W. R. Av. G. A.
Garnier 6 82 17.35 9.88
Ubassy 6 69 12.90 7.98
C. Dion 5 86 8.52 6.56
Daly 4 153 12.12 7.44
J. Dion 4 124 7.18[4] 5.60
Slosson 2 68 9.09 6.53
Bessunger 1 71 7.28[4] 5.66
Snyder 0 48 3.72
Footnote 4:
The 7.18 and 7.28 were not winning averages.
In tabulating this tournament originally, the mistake was made of
including the tie or extra games. Omitting them makes a slight
difference in the general averages of Garnier, Ubassy and Daly, but none
at all in J. Dion’s.
* * * * *
=First Three-ball Championship of Massachusetts.= Boston, closing
December 5, 1873. Three prizes for place, and one for high run. Five
games apiece.
W. R. Av. G. A.
J. Hickey 4 34 6.67 3.74
F. Dennison 3 45 3.08 2.80
C. E. Wilson 3 51 4. 2.76
J. Peck 2 22 2.06[5] 2.27
Lon Morris 2 37 3.77 2.80
D. T. Pulsifer 1 24 2.60 2.30
Footnote 5:
The 2.06 was a losing average.
Match-stake was $200, but there was only one contest—Bumstead Hall,
Boston, January 7, 1874. Hickey, 400—3.40—22; Dennison, 323—26. On March
3 following, when there was no challenge outstanding, H. resigned emblem
to Massachusetts Billiard Congress.
* * * * *
=Tournament at Two Different Games.= (See Four-ball Game, 1874, for
one.) New Orleans, April 6–30th.—200 points up, for three prizes. Called
an amateur tournament. Hoa won play-off.
W. R. Av. G. A.
H. Miller 5 58 9.52 5.37
A. Hoa 4 48 5.55 3.93
J. Miller 4 29 3.88 3.20
F. Maggioli 3 47 4.08 3.34
A. Coste 3 33 4. 3.03
L. Abrams 1 27 4.65 3.60
C. Quaid 1 32 3.98[6] 2.68
Footnote 6:
Quaid’s 3.98 was a losing average—beaten by one point.
MILLER VS. HOA. New Orleans, July 1st.—M., 300—3.33—20; H., 285—29. In
this match, as in the other, the stake was the championship and $25 a
side.
MILLER VS. MAGGIOLI. Same city, September 1st.—Maggioli, 300—3.85—33;
Miller, 277—21.
1874.
=First Game of Multiple Nights in America.= Fall River, Mass., January
19–27th.—Wm. Briggs vs. Jerry Sullivan, for championship of Fall River
and a silver cup, played in nightly blocks. Nothing reported but totals
and best runs. B., 1500—26; S., 1449—19.
Multiple nights’ play, since carried to an extreme in England,
originated in France in 1867.
* * * * *
=First First-Class Tournament in Boston.= Bumstead Hall, March
9–13th.—There was a prize for every player, and there was also poor
playing for every prize, Garnier’s 78, 7.84 and 5.90 being best run,
winning average and general average. This was the order of the
prize-winners: Garnier, C. Dion, J. Dion, Ubassy, and Daly.
* * * * *
=Daly vs. C. Dion.= Tammany Hall, N. Y. City, March 3d.—$1,000 a side.
Daly, 600—8.95—212; Dion, 547—81. Daly here beat the record run, which
was his own 153.
* * * * *
=C. Dion vs. Daly.= Tammany Hall, N. Y. City, May 15th.—$2,000. Dion,
600—8.22—83; Daly, 578—94.
* * * * *
=Ubassy vs. Garnier.= Same hall, May 24th.—Purse game. U., 600—8.33—68;
G., 446—61.
* * * * *
=Wm. M. Dodds vs. E. H. Nelms.= Assembly Buildings, Philadelphia, May
27th.—$250 a side, probably a 5½ × 11. D., 400—3.25—27; N., 334—28.
Same hall, same terms, June 30th.—N., 400—3.20—48; D., 391—31.
* * * * *
=Rudolphe vs. C. Dion.= Tammany Hall, N. Y. City, September 18th.—$500 a
side. R., 600—12—79; D., 338—55.
This led to a $200 “freeze-out,” $50 a game, played September 21–22 in
Tim Flynn’s room, and lasting from 8.45 P.M. until 9.30 A.M. Games (100
up) and total points: R., 13—1349; D., 9—1266.
* * * * *
=Rudolphe vs. Wm. Cook, Champion of England.= Tammany Hall, N. Y. City,
October 9th.—$1,000 a side, with 2–1/16 balls on an English six-pocket
table, 6 × 12 inside measurement. R., 400—1.96—26; C., 274—16.
* * * * *
=Amateur Championship of Long Island.= Assembly Rooms, Brooklyn, N. Y.,
beginning October 26th.—Tournament for gold-mounted cue and $50 for
first, and $75 apportioned as other prizes. Games, 200 points, with
eleven entries. Samuel F. Knight and Joseph Pihet tied. After Knight had
won the play-off, the loser protested on the ground that Knight, the
year before, had received pay for marking in a professional tournament,
and the cue and the $50 were awarded to Pihet. Later, there were half a
dozen or more matches for the emblem, with varying results.
=First Three-ball Championship of America.= Tammany Hall, N. Y. City,
November 4–13th.—Special prizes were a gold watch from Capt. Fred Grote
for best run, a watch from Peter Totans for best general average, and an
emblematic gold medal from Matthew Delancy. There were also a number of
special playing-rules, no one of which outlasted the championship
itself. Among them was one to bar crotching by requiring a 5½-in.
oblique line on the bed of the table. This had been suggested for
another end in the Dion-Foster match in Montreal in 1869 (see “First
Protest” under Four-ball Game). Accomplishing nothing except actually to
increase the crotching area by an inch, this, too, was speedily
abandoned, an imaginary line (on the principle of the spot-radius in the
three-ball game and the “string” in the four-ball) having been
sufficient ever since 1862.
The tournament itself was an emphatic success, but the strange rules
confused the public and irritated the players; and for the first time in
a professional tournament a game was not completed, and for the first
time, also, a referee was impelled, in self-respect, to vacate his
office in rebuke of a player who refused to defer to the official
ruling. It is necessary to mention the unfinished game (Garnier ahead of
Ubassy by 274 to 246) for the reason that, as his general average
indicates in the table below, Garnier has a total of but 2238, whereas,
beaten only by Vignaux (11) and Daly (125), he should have 2264. The
average of the tournament, eight games apiece, was 8.93.
W. R. Av. G. A.
Vignaux ($1,351) 7 159 16.66 10.53
Garnier ($928.58) 6 93 18.75 11.36
Daly ($928.58) 6 108 21.43 9.73
J. Dion ($585.72) 5 150 25. 11.
Rudolphe ($440.48) 4 97 15.79 9.35
Ubassy ($127.62) 3 104 12. 7.912
Slosson ($127.62) 3 88 11.11 7.910
C. Dion 2 79 14.29 8.43
Daniels 0 45 5.13
All matches for $500 a side, and in Tammany Hall.
VIGNAUX VS. J. DION. December 30, 1874.—V., 600—12.50—192; D., 538—64.
VIGNAUX VS. RUDOLPHE. February 23, 1875.—V., 600—15.38—69; R., 326—41.
VIGNAUX VS. C. DION. March 25, 1875.—V., 600—12—80; Dion, 543—119.
April 26, 1875, his backers having failed to cover challenger’s final
money on time, Vignaux forfeited emblem and $250 to Garnier. Money was
returned, but emblem was retained until, on June 12th, Garnier resigned
it to Daly, who had challenged May 26th.
DALY VS. C. DION. November 23, 1875.—Dion, 600—12.50—52; Daly, 557—104.
Challenged by Garnier November 30th, Dion resigned the emblem December
14th.
GARNIER VS. J. DION. November 16, 1876.—D., 600—8.22—180; G., 495—77.
J. DION VS. SEXTON. May 31, 1877.—S., 600—12.23—247; D., 442—84. This
was the first match-run to beat Daly’s 212 of 1874. Sexton seemed
hopelessly behind when he made it.
SEXTON VS. C. DION. November 13, 1877.—S., 600—11.32—97; D., 428—105.
SEXTON VS. SLOSSON. June 27, 1878.—Sexton, 600—28.57—158; S., 338—100.
SEXTON VS. SLOSSON. December 27, 1878.—Tenth match and ninth and final
contest. Sexton, 600—20.69—158; Slosson, 468—140.
* * * * *
=Vignaux vs. C. Dion.= Tammany Hall, N. Y. City, December 8, 1874.—$500
a side. V., 800—11.94—100; D., 772—127.
* * * * *
=Ubassy vs. C. Dion.= Chris. O’Connor’s private room, N. Y. City,
December 15–16th.—$500 a side, played in two nights. U., 1000—8.16—137;
D., 930—91.
This was the first contest of more than one night between leading
experts in America.
1875.
=Championship of Ohio.= Cleveland, O., closing January 25th.—Tournament
for championship of Ohio and $1000 in money. Eugene Carter first, T. J.
Gallagher second, and Anthony Honing, John Bluim, John A. Thatcher,
Harry Choate, Joseph Casper, W. A. Burchard, Martin Mullen and H.
Coleman following. Stake in match series was $200 a side, and table a
5 × 10. Carter beat Gallagher by 400 to 346, March 25th, and Honing by
400 to 353, both in White’s Hall, Toledo. In the Globe Theatre,
Cleveland, October 17, 1876, occurred the fastest game of the series,
which was for $250 a side. Gallagher, 400—17.39—76; Carter, 221—31.
* * * * *
=Four-handed Public Game.= Tammany Hall, N. Y. City, February 17th.—In
aid of the Homoœpathic Hospital Fund. J. and C. Dion, 500—15.15—36 and
56; Daly and Garnier, 354—28 and 34.
=First Avowedly Professional Use of 4½ × 9 Table.= (It had already been
used in declaratively amateur games in New Orleans.) Championship of
Indiana, Indianapolis, February 23 to March 1, 1875.—Eight contestants.
Henry Bussey was undefeated, while Parker A. Byers, failing to beat
Bussey only, made best run, winning average, and general average, viz.,
67—14.29—6.66.
But one match-contest is chronicled, and in that, played in Turners’
Hall, Indianapolis, June 24th, Byers beat Jacob Garratt who had been
third in tournament. B., 400—10.26—63; G., 201—38.
* * * * *
=First Undeniably Professional Match on 4½ × 9.= Washington Hall,
Indianapolis, March 9th.—$200 a side. Lewis Shaw, 400—13.79—51; Wm.
Burleigh, 188—25.
* * * * *
=Slosson vs. Rhines.= Warerooms of J. M. Brunswick & Balke Co., Chicago,
March 24th.—Rhines receiving odds of 100. S., 600—5.13—45; R., 579—41.
* * * * *
=Brooklyn’s Only Professional Carom Tournament.= Assembly (Billiard)
Rooms, April 1–15th.—300–point games, for $600 (Garnier), $400
(Vignaux), $250 (J. Dion), $150 (Ubassy), and $100 (C. Dion). Neither
runs nor averages were striking. Games won and lost: G., 5—1; V., 4—2;
J. D., U., and C. D., 3—3; Daly, 2—4; Rudolphe, 1—5. J. Dion and Ubassy
won in playing off triple tie.
* * * * *
=Wm. Sexton’s First Public Three-ball Match.= Bleecker Hall, Albany, N.
Y., April 5th.—$100 a side, c. b. S., 500 to 462; winning average, 4.32.
* * * * *
=Championship of Northwestern and Southwestern States.= Warerooms of J.
M. Brunswick & Balke Co., Chicago, April 12–24th.—200–point games.
Prizes show outcomes of play-offs, every one of the twelve but Miller,
Maggioli and Honing having tied. Average of tournament, 5.36. General
averages of Gallagher and Burleigh parallel Ubassy and Slosson’s in 1874
for closeness.
W. R. Av. G. A.
H. Miller ($500) 9 50 6.90 5.20
W. Burleigh ($400) 8 117 11.04[7] 6.961
H. Rhines ($300) 8 100 11.11 5.25
Lannie McAfee ($250) 7 76 10.53 6.98
E. Carter ($175) 7 84 22.22 7.22
T. J. Gallagher ($125) 7 94 11.11 6.962
L. Shaw 6 86 10.53 5.62
F. Parker 6 94 8.18 5.57
F. Maggioli 4 83 9.09 4.53
A. Honing 2 44 8. 4.96
H. Liverman 1 34 6.06 3.78
A. Hoa 1 34 5.94 3.45
Footnote 7:
Hoa’s 5.94 was a loser, and so were Burleigh’s 11.04 and Parker’s
8.18.
MILLER VS. RHINES. Academy of Music, New Orleans, July 8th.—First match
for championship and $500. M., 500—5.49—32; R., 304—60.
MILLER VS. MAGGIOLI. Same hall, September 9th.—Maggioli, 500—5.68—73;
Miller, 354—36.
MAGGIOLI VS. BURLEIGH. Oddfellows’ Hall, New Orleans, December 9th.—B.,
500—9.43—69; M., 365—33.
BURLEIGH VS. SHAW. Chicago, February 19, 1876. S., 500—8.62—67; B.,
485—87.
As a changeful championship, this has always stood unmatched. No one man
won two successive contests.
* * * * *
=Garnier vs. Vignaux.= Tammany Hall, April 28, 1875.—$500 a side, c. b.
G., 600—13.04—90; V., 258—33.
* * * * *
=Garratt vs. Choate.= Academy of Music, Cincinnati, July 29th.—$250 a
side, c. b. G., 400—6.90—75; C., 304—27.
* * * * *
=Anthony Kraker vs. Deery.= Palace Amphitheatre, San Francisco, August
14th.—$1.000, c. b. K., 600—5.77—38; D., 598—48.
* * * * *
=“The Garnier Tournament.”= Tammany Hall, N. Y. City, November
15–22d.—For a purse of $3,000, presented by the late George L. Lorillard
through Albert Garnier; 300–point games. Ties for third, fourth, and
fifth prizes were not played off, the aggregate $1,000 being divided
equally. The tournament stands alone not only because its winner’s
general average is surpassed by those of four out of his six
competitors, but also because his best single average is lower than that
of any other player who won one or more games. Average of tournament
(six games apiece), 9.81.
W. R. Av. G. A.
J. Dion ($1,500) 5 122 14.29 9.43
C. Dion ($1,000) 5 89 30. 10.78
A. Garnier ($333) 3 119 30. 11.13
G. F. Slosson ($333) 3 104 16.67 8.60
Wm. Sexton ($333) 3 136 15. 10.96
M. Daly 2 124 23.08 12.32
A. P. Rudolphe 0 67 6.75
=Schaefer vs. A. Kraker.= About this year, Schaefer played and won a
$500 match in Virginia City, N. T. (we think, having no record but
memory), averaging 12 or 12.50 in 500 or 600, which was high for that
region, high for himself, and high for his surroundings, unsecreted
pistols stimulating him to unusual efforts.
1876.
=Shaw vs. Carter.= Adelphi Theatre, Toledo, January 7th.—$500, 4½ × 9,
c. b. S., 500—15.13—108; C., 311—89.
* * * * *
=Rudolphe vs. Daniels.= Bumstead Hall, Boston, January 20th.—$500,
5 × 10, R. giving odds of 150. R., 600—13.04—68; D., 426—44. This match
came of a billiard-room encounter between the pair in N. Y. City,
Daniels receiving odds then, also, and losing.
* * * * *
=Sexton vs. Slosson.= Tammany Hall, N. Y. City, January 27th.—$1,000.
Sexton, 600—15.38—73; Slosson, 482—110. It was this match, with its high
winning average, that determined the choice of Sexton over Slosson to go
to Paris as challenger of Vignaux to the last game for the first world’s
championship, which see under 1873.
* * * * *
=Schaefer’s First Public Match in the East.= Ford’s Opera-house,
Washington, D. C., April 26th.—Announced as for $2,500 a side. Lewis
Shaw, 600—10.72—69; Jacob Schaefer, 547—76. It was because of Shaw’s
victory that he, instead of Schaefer, was admitted to the Centennial
Tournament of May following.
* * * * *
=Centennial Tournament.= Horticultural Hall, Philadelphia, May
15–27th.—300–point games. This tournament took its rise in a purse of
$1,000 proffered by Frank Queen, editor of the New York Clipper, to
whichever billiard manufacturer should add most. H. W. Collender added
$4,000. J. Dion, Daly, and Rudolphe played off their ties in Irving
Hall, this city, June 5, 6, 7, with the results shown here in
apportioning the prizes. Nine games apiece. Average of tournament,
10.07.
W. R. Av. G. A.
Wm. Sexton ($2,000) 8 287[8] 60.[8] 14.73[8]
A. Garnier ($1,200) 7 176 37.50 13.78
G. F. Slosson ($800) 6 103 21.43 13.48
J. Dion ($600) 5 106 50. 14.26
M. Daly ($400) 5 153 23.08 13.04
A. P. Rudolphe 5 175 23.08 12.66
J. Bessunger 4 91 12.50 7.83
C. Dion 3 86 15.79 8.72
L. Shaw 1 62 6.98 7.26
M. Foster 1 79 6.38 7.29
Footnote 8:
Beating record—Daly’s 212, Garnier and C. Dion’s 30 and Daly’s 12.32.
The runs of 251 and 287 by Sexton were the first public exhibitions of
straightforward railing (term shortened to “straight rail”). Before
that, players hugged the rail, or cushion, by close nursing, not going
far forward, and especially aiming to keep near a corner.
* * * * *
=First of Long Games in Tournaments.= Irving Hall, N. Y. City, June
8–16th.—$1,500 in prize-money, 600–point games, one a night, instead of
two short ones. In playing off ties, Rudolphe averaged 25 and ran 127
against Sexton, while Slosson against Garnier ran 311, thus beating
record, which was Sexton’s 287. Average of tournament was the high one
of 15.88. Garnier’s 17.84 eclipsed the general-average record, which was
Sexton’s 14.73.
W. R. Av. G. A.
Rudolphe 2 102 21.43 16.71
Sexton 2 125 20. 14.56
Garnier 1 121 22.22 17.84
Slosson 1 152 20.81[9] 14.66
Footnote 9:
Either losing average or error.
* * * * *
=Daly vs. C. Dion.= Tammany Hall, N. Y. City, June 12–15th.—Five nights
for $200 a side, c. b. Dion, 2000—12.99—121; Daly, 1141—128.
* * * * *
=The Only First-class Tournament in California.= Platt’s Hall, San
Francisco, July 31st to August 4th.—600–point games for announced $3,000
in prize-money. Average of tournament, 17.44. Ties not played off.
W. R. Av. G. A.
Garnier 2 139 21.43 15.47
Sexton 2 120 19.35 16.16
Slosson 2 230 20. 18.80
Daly 0 184 14.29
Slosson’s general average of 18.80 surpasses Garnier’s New York record
of 17.84. The two tournaments themselves were record-beaters for
coincidences. They were the first with long games at three-ball caroms,
600 points in each, and neither came anywhere near paying expenses. The
single averages of the winners-in-chief in the two cities were precisely
the same (21.43) in exactly the same number of games. Finally, the
player who had made the highest single average in New York made the
highest in San Francisco also.
* * * * *
=Daly vs. Slosson.= August 12, same hall and c. b. game as
foregoing.—$500 a side. D., 600—13.95—153; S., 364—47.
* * * * *
=Louisiana Championship.= No record of tournament, if there was one. A
change seemingly made to 5 × 10 table.
New Orleans, June 6th, first match, stake $50 a side. Louis Abrams,
already champion, 300 to Chas. Quaid’s 143, winner’s average and best
run being 8.33 and 50.
August 4th, Abrams, 300—5.88—55; John Miller’s total, 249.
October 4th, Henry Miller, 300—6—63; Abrams, 244—23.
December 4th, Maggioli, 300—10.71—58; H. Miller, 253—61.
This was the sixth match, and seems to have been the last.
* * * * *
=Schaefer’s First Tournament.= Tammany Hall, N. Y. City, November
20–28th.—Four money-prizes, aggregating $1,500, 300–point games on the
usual 5 × 10, but with 2–5/16 balls. Slosson having gone South, but one
tie game was played, and that, increased to 600 points, was won by J.
Dion, who also received the special prize (a billiard-table) for best
general average. Six games apiece, averaging 9.30, a drop due less to
lesser runs on balls together than to missing on smaller balls far
apart.
W. R. Av. G. A.
J. Dion 4 195 17.65 10.94
Rudolphe 4 134 21.43 10.04
Slosson 4 122 16.70[10] 9.73
Garnier 3 181 16.67 8.71
Daly 2 123 11.54 9.34
C. Dion 2 136 13.67[10] 8.79
Schaefer 2 155 12.50 7.60
Footnote 10:
Losing averages.
* * * * *
=First Public Handicap Tourney at Game.= Begun in Academy of Music,
Cleveland, O., December 27th.—A Honing (275), $250; T. J. Gallagher
(350), $200; J. Randolph Heiser (275), $150; Eugene Carter (300), $100.
J. A. Thatcher (275) was the other competitor.
1877.
=Sexton vs. Slosson.= Globe Theatre, New Orleans, January 5th, 6th,
7th.—5 × 10, c. b., $200 a side. Sexton, 1800—24.32—417; Slosson,
976—172. Winner’s run and average surpassed previous records.
* * * * *
=Schaefer’s Second Tournament.= Mechanics’ Hall, Utica, N. Y., beginning
March 20th.—300–point games, c. b. John Bessunger, $400, in addition to
a gold-mounted cue for best general average; T. J. Gallagher (beaten by
Bessunger in play-off), $250; Wm. Burleigh, $150; Jacob Schaefer, $125;
and Eugene Carter (beat Chas. Knight in play-off), $75.
1878.
=Four First-place Ties Out of Seven Players.= Championship of Chicago,
January 7th to February 4th.—300–point games. Henry Rhines ($150), Frank
Parker ($100), Albert Hoa ($50), and M. Honahan ($25) had to play off,
result being as given above. Peter Snyder, Ben Saylor, and Chas. P.
Miller were the remaining contestants.
RHINES VS. PARKER. Same city, April 11th.—Championship and $200. Parker,
500—4.95—65; R., 449—36.
* * * * *
=First First-class Tourney in New Orleans.= January 10–19th, c. b., for
$1,000 in prizes. Ties resulted in the precedence here given. Sexton
topped Slosson’s San Francisco general average.
W. R. Av. G. A.
Sexton 4 297 30. 22.37
Slosson 2 173 23.08 16.80
Rudolphe 2 134 24. 15.07
M. Daly 1 136 20. 15.07
C. Dion 1 145 19.35 13.91
Average of tournament, 17.25.
* * * * *
=Sexton vs. C. Dion.= St. Charles Theatre, New Orleans, February
5th.—$2,000 a side, c. b., Sexton giving odds of 200. S.,
1000—27.78—228; Dion, 765 (with odds)—94.
* * * * *
=Indiana Championship.= Washington Hall, March 18–23d.—Probably a 4½ × 9
table, c. b. P. A. Byers, gold badge and a Brunswick-Balke
billiard-table; J. Randolph Heiser, $100; Henry Bussey, $60; and Jacob
Garratt, $40. The best run (116) was made by Bussey, and the best single
average (30) by Heiser. The other competitors were Geo. Morris, J. R.
Seaman, A. Hawkins, and C. E. Carney.
Challenged by Bussey and receiving forfeit on May 23d, Byers resigned
the championship emblem to the State Association.
* * * * *
=St. Louis Handicap.= Chas. E. Mussey’s Room, March 21–28th.—600 points
up, c. b., for money-prizes aggregating $400. G. F. Slosson, C. Dion and
J. Schaefer were at “scratch,” T. J. Gallagher received 10 per cent.,
and Wayman C. McCreery 20 per cent. Schaefer beat Dion, Slosson beat
Schaefer, McCreery beat Slosson, and Gallagher beat McCreery. In beating
Dion in the play-off, Schaefer ran 429, eclipsing Sexton’s match-run of
417. (This led to the match next below.) Average of tournament proper,
14.79 (four games apiece).
W. R. Av. G. A.
Schaefer ($200) 3 327 66.67 27.97
C. Dion ($125) 3 194 13.04 12.27
Slosson ($75) 2 288 37.50 14.25
Gallagher 1 182 19.35 12.73
McCreery 1 88 17.78 12.38
* * * * *
=Schaefer Forfeits to Sexton.= Match of three games, 1000 points each in
New York, Chicago and St. Louis, for $2,000 a side, highest aggregate
score to decide. Schaefer side incurred forfeit through failure to make
the final deposit, July 3d.
* * * * *
=First 1000 Points in a Night.= Three-ball. Turner’s Hall, Chicago,
November 20th.—$500 a side. Slosson, 1000—25.64—293; Schaefer, 739—217.
1879.
=Second Championship of the World.= Cooper Institute, N. Y. City,
January 23d to February 10th.—Tournament for the J. M. Brunswick & Balke
Co.’s emblem and $2,100 in cash, 600–point games. Slosson had the
highest run by 19 per cent., and the best general average by 25 per
cent.; but it was against him that Daly made the best run of his life,
and his defeat of Slosson placed the latter in a position from which he
could extricate himself only by vanquishing Schaefer twice. Instead,
Schaefer beat him at once (600 to 571 in seven innings), after it had
seemed almost certain that Slosson would win in five or six innings, and
by about 600 to 200. There was only one play-off, Sexton beating Daly.
The seven games apiece averaged 16.10, which, while lower than the
figures of earlier tournaments, was yet higher than the general averages
of all the contestants in this one but Slosson, Schaefer, and Daly. Only
half the single averages in the appended table, viz., those of Schaefer,
Daly, Gallagher, and Rudolphe, are winning ones. This proved to be the
last tournament at the regular three-ball game to command the presence
of first-class experts in America.
W. R. Av. G. A.
Schaefer ($1,000) 7 376 85.71 28.19
Slosson ($600) 5 464 81.57 37.60
Sexton ($300) 4 214 45. 14.86
Daly ($200) 4 370 30. 18.76
Garnier 3 220 36.75 14.67
Gallagher 3 187 20. 13.89
Rudolphe 1 159 15. 10.52
Heiser 1 158 12.26 8.44
There was but one match for this championship, together with a
money-stake of $1,000 a side. It occurred in McCormack’s Hall, Chicago,
May 15th. Schaefer, 1000—333.33—690; Slosson, 44—21.
* * * * *
=Last First-class Professional Tournament.= It was also the first
tournament in France. Cercle Internationale, Paris, May 5–10th.—Games
600 up, on a J. M. Brunswick & Balke Co.’s 5 × 10 carom, for a
championship emblem and other prizes. Triple tie not played off.
──────────┬───────┬───────┬───────┬───────╥───────
│ V. │ P. │ D. │ G. ║ Gen.
│ │ │ │ ║average
──────────┼───────┼───────┼───────┼───────╫───────
│ │ 600 │ 600 │ 600 ║
M. Vignaux│ │ 23.08 │ 46.15 │ 25 ║ 24.05
│ │ 183 │ 308 │ 184 ║
──────────┼───────┼───────┼───────┼───────╫───────
│ 308 │ │ 600 │ 288 ║
L. Piot │ │ │ 18.18 │ ║ 13.90
│ 60 │ │ 93 │ 62 ║
──────────┼───────┼───────┼───────┼───────╫───────
│ 270 │ 555 │ │ 600 ║
M. Daly │ │ │ │ 27.27 ║ 19.78
│ 73 │ 182 │ │ 155 ║
──────────┼───────┼───────┼───────┼───────╫───────
│ 413 │ 600 │ 392 │ ║
A. Garnier│ │ 22.22 │ │ ║ 22.46
│ 115 │ 184 │ 71 │ ║
──────────┴───────┴───────┴───────┴───────╨───────
* * * * *
=Last First-class Professional Match in America.= Madison Square Garden,
N. Y. City, October 23–25th.—1000 points nightly, $2,000 a side.
Schaefer, 3000—41.62—427; Slosson, 2604—365.
1880.
=Last First-class Match Anywhere.= Salle Cremorne, Paris, April
10–14th.—$500 a side. Vignaux, 4000—80—1531; Slosson, 3118—1103.
* * * * *
=Championship of Pennsylvania.= Philadelphia, beginning December
4th.—Games, 300 up. Ed. McLaughlin, E. H. Nelms, V. Estephe and Wm. M.
Dodds prize-winners.
* * * * *
=B.-B.-C. Co.’s First Tournament on Pacific Coast.= San Francisco, Cal.,
about 1880–81.—To write from memory, it was won by W. J. Lowry, one of
whose strongest competitors was an Eastern amateur, who was persuaded
into participating while on a visit to that city.
* * * * *
=Spotting at Fifty.= C. E. Mussey’s Room, St. Louis, March 20–27th, five
days’ play, Wayman C. McCreery giving the odds, for $100 a side, of
spotting at 50 to W. H. Catton’s 60. McC., 3000; C., 2771.
This method of repressing straight-rail nursing had been tested in a
six-handed handicap tournament at Mussey’s in the prior February, the
winner being Louis Reed, who spotted at 50, Catton (35) taking second
prize, and Leon Magnus (50) the third.
1883.
=St. Louis Handicap.= Mussey’s, February 3d to March 10th.—Seven
entries, of whom Gallagher (650) and Catton (500) tied on 5—1 each,
without playing off. Highest run and best winning average were
Gallagher’s 332 and 46.44.
* * * * *
=Championship of Pacific Coast and $500.= Mechanics’ Pavilion, San
Francisco, September 25–30th.—Ben Saylor, 2500—10.91—191; J. F. B.
McCreery, 1783—112.
* * * * *
=Ed. McLaughlin vs. Randolph Heiser.= Assembly Buildings, Philadelphia,
December 12th.—First of match of three games (see Balkline and
Champion’s Game for the others) for $250 a side each. McL.,
1000—71.43—805 (finish); H., 134—run, 119.
1884.
=Maggioli vs. Edward Dawson.= Theatre, Mobile, Ala., July 8th.—$500 a
side, 4½ × 9. M., 1000—13.51—170; D., 789—148.
* * * * *
=Maggioli vs. Harry Cole.= Casino Hall, San Antonio, Tex., October
24–26th.—$500 a side, 4½ × 9. M., 3000—71.43—833; C., 2383—854. They
played in Galveston on January 4th, 1885, and Cole won the $500 by 1000
to 254, averaging 66.67, and running 507.
* * * * *
=First of 1500 Points a Night.= Central Music Hall, Chicago, December
19–20th.—$1,000 a side. W. H. Catton, 3000—31.58—933; Edward McLaughlin,
2307—942. These are the largest runs in this country in a stake game on
a 5 × 10 table.
1885.
=Ben Saylor vs. Lon Morris.= San Francisco, April 22d.—$125 a side,
Morris discounting. S., 1000—27.77—101; Morris had 470 left—best runs,
554 and 289.
* * * * *
=Eugene Carter vs. Harvey McKenna.= Frasheim Hall, Cleveland, O., May
12–13th.—$1,000 a side, 5 × 10. C., 3000—26.79—289; McK., 2288—417.
* * * * *
=Championship of Dakota and $200.= Mitchell, December 27th. L. E. Stern
defeated Max Shauer.
1886.
=W. D. Emery vs. Lansing W. Perkins.= Hershey’s Music Hall, Chicago,
February 18th.—$500 a side. E., 800—7.16—87; P., 775—75.
* * * * *
=Amateur Handicap Annuals.= Maurice Daly’s Assembly Rooms, Brooklyn, N.
Y., March 20th.—Commencement of annual tournaments for jeweled prizes.
Eight contestants. Orville Oddie, Jr., won the one-carat diamond stud,
having incidentally made highest run (75) and single winning average
(12). In tournament of November 8th to 24th, he was awarded another
diamond stud, winning 6—1, and again making highest run (130) and single
average (18.18).
1887.
=Amateur Match for $3,000.= N. Y. Racquet Club, April 15–20th.—300
points a night. Dr. G. L. Knapp, 1500—4.15—76; Alexander Morten,
1383—52.
* * * * *
=500 or No Count.= Grand Rapids, Mich., May 21st.—Game of 1000 points,
$50 a side. McKenna, 1000; Wm. Burleigh, 143. Numerically, this is the
largest odds ever known to have been given to one of Burleigh’s speed.
* * * * *
=First Amateur Championship of America.= May 23–28th.—N.Y. Racquet Club
tournament for a silver tankard valued at $500. Five games apiece, 300
points up. Messrs. Soulé and Flannagan represented Philadelphia.
W. R. Av. G. A.
Orville Oddie, Jr. 5 183 15.79 11.03
Alex. Morten 4 58 6.25 4.59
Dr. H. D. Jennings 3 98 5.66 4.26
J. E. Soulé 3 57 6.38 4.43
C. T. Jones 1 58 5.08 3.78
L. A. Flannagan 0 39 ————
One general average having been withheld, it is not possible to figure
out the average of tournament.
* * * * *
=McKenna vs. Fred Eames.= Bumstead Hall, Boston, December 20–21st.—Game
for a purse, McKenna to make 5000 before Eames could score 500
altogether on either night. McK., 5000—416.67—2572 and 2121; E., 45—18.
1888.
=Second Amateur Championship of America.= N. Y. Racquet Club, May
14–19th.—First competition for the Townsend Cup, valued at $1,000, and
to be won, consecutively or otherwise, in three annual tournaments.
Three games apiece, 300 points. Average of tournament, 4.90.
W. R. Av. G. A.
Orville Oddie, Jr. 3 109 8.33 7.69
C. Bainbridge 2 82 5.45 4.70
H. D. Jennings 1 81 3.47 4.67
Alex. Morten 0 47 3.32
1889.
=Brooklyn, N. Y., Amateur Annual.= Daly’s Assembly Rooms, February
4–14th.—Handicap tournament for diamonds, 5 × 10. Arthur R. Townsend
(scratch, 375), winning 3—1, won first prize and also made highest
single average (15), highest general average (7.40), and highest run
(116). Townsend was tied by Wm. Barnard (375), but defeated him, in
playing off for first and second, by 375 to 185.
* * * * *
=Third Tourney for Amateur Championship of America.= Second and last for
Townsend Cup. N. Y. Racquet Club, May 13–18th. Average of tournament
(four games apiece), 6.01.
W. R. Av. G. A.
Orville Oddie, Jr. 4 195 17.32 8.56
A. R. Townsend 3 138 11.11 7.57
R. J. Maginniss 2 94 11.53 5.68
H. D. Jennings 1 101 11.53 5.31
Andrew Miller 0 42 4.07
May 12, 1900, a third annual competition having been found
impracticable, the club committee awarded the Townsend Cup to Oddie.
* * * * *
=Joseph Capron vs. John Donahue.= Montreal, Can., September 18th.—$250 a
side. Capron won by 500 to about 340, but loser made best run (66).
* * * * *
=Schaefer vs. McKenna.= November.—Match for $2,500 a side, even up.
Death of Schaefer’s wife caused his side to pay $500 for postponement to
January, and death of McKenna meanwhile ended match.
1890.
=Brooklyn, N. Y., Annual Amateur Handicap.= Daly’s Assembly Rooms, March
10–22d.—Average of tournament (five games apiece), 5.10.
W. R. Av. G. A.
A. R. Townsend (500) 4 257 17.24 9.83
Dr. H. D. Jennings (300) 3 91 8.57 4.73
Frank A. Keeney (300) 3 135 5.77 5.49
Herbert S. Haskell (500) 2 171 9.43 6.65
Wm. H. Barnard (350) 1 56 3.50 3.
George Moulton (275) 1 39 3.44 2.90
* * * * *
=J. Schaefer vs. J. F. B. McCleery.= San Francisco, May 29th, 30th,
31st.—$200 a side, 3000 points, Schaefer giving odds of discount,
4½ × 9, c. b. S., 3000 (winning score)—average, 751 in actual score
(3004)—run, 3000; McC., 15—run, 13.
* * * * *
=F. C. Ives vs. McCleery.= Same city, same table, a day or two later,
Ives conceding 1000 for a stake of $250 a side. Ives, 3000—176.46—982;
McC., 1748—717.
Nothing could more fitly close the chronicle of regular three-ball
caroms than those McCleery matches. For other than amateurs or rising
professionals, the game had lacked approval ever since the spring of
1879. Several of the contests after that were designed chiefly to
surpass the “run” and “average” records of one or two professionals
earlier in the wonder-working field; and so lamentably did the
unrestricted game decline that first-class players, avoiding one another
to the neglect of championships, welcomed matches with fourth or
fifth-rate ones on 4½ × 9 tables.
* * * * *
=Kerkau vs. McLaughlin.= Daly’s Room, N. Y. City, purse games. August
16–21st.—McLaughlin, 6000—run, 1290; K., 4749, total. Sept.
6–11th.—Kerkau, 6000—run, 1355; McL., 4520—run, 1349. Averages in both
were light for the high runs.
1905.
=J. Ferd. Poggenburg vs. Wm. H. Duhy.= Rooms of the Cherokee Club, N. Y.
City, February 26th.—Contest for the Victor Dowling Championship Cup at
“straight-rail,” 4½ × 9 table. P., 150—9.44—run not stated; D., 146—run,
60 (highest of game). At the Lexington Avenue Opera House, N. Y. City,
April 30th, for same emblem: Ed. McLaughlin, 300—21.43—158; Wm. Duhy,
153—50. Table, 4½ × 9.
BEST PERFORMANCES,
OMITTING TABLES LARGER OR SMALLER THAN THE STANDARD 5 × 10 FOR THIS
GAME, AS OFFICIALLY DECREED IN 1873.
AVERAGES IN CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES.
333.33 in 1000—J. Schaefer, 1879.
28.57 in 600—Wm. Sexton, 1878.
RUNS IN CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES.
690 in 1000—J. Schaefer, 1879.
247 in 600—Wm. Sexton, 1877.
AVERAGES IN CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENTS.
85.71 in 600 points—J. Schaefer, 1879.
25.00 in 300—J. Dion, 1874 (championship of America).
37.60 (gen. av. in 3947 points)—G. F. Slosson, 1879.
RUNS IN CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENTS.
464 in 600—G. F. Slosson, 1879.
159 in 300—M. Vignaux, 1874 (championship of America).
AVERAGES IN NON-CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES.
416.67 in 5000—H. McKenna, 1887 (nominally a match, but actually a
purse game. Schaefer averaged 751 in 1890, running 3000, but the
table was a 4½ × 9).
80.00 in 4000—M. Vignaux, Paris, 1880.
48.39 in 3000—W. H. Catton, 1884.
24.32 in 1800—W. Sexton, 1877.
71.57 in 1000—Ed. McLaughlin, 1883.
RUNS IN NON-CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES.
1355 in 6000—H. Kerkau, purse game, 1887.
2572 in 5000—H. McKenna, 1887 (see paragraph above).
1531 in 4000—M. Vignaux, Paris, 1880.
942 in 3000—Ed. McLaughlin, 1884.
417 in 1800—Wm. Sexton, 1877.
805 in 1000—Ed. McLaughlin, 1883.
212 in 600—M. Daly, 1874.
AVERAGES IN NON-CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENTS.
66.67 in 600—J. Schaefer, 1878.
60.00 in 300—Wm. Sexton, 1876.
RUNS IN NON-CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENTS.
287 in 300—Wm. Sexton, 1876.
327 in 600—J. Schaefer, 1878. (S. ran 429 in tie-game, but it was
outside of tournament.)
CHAMPIONS GAME.
All play was on a 5 × 10 carom, with 2⅜ balls, and also with a
14 × 28–in. line, except in last two public matches.
ABBREVIATIONS.—Player, 600—18.75—165; Player, 585—151—signifies
winner’s total, average, and high run, followed by loser’s total and
high run.
1879.
=First Tournament at Restricted Three-ball Caroms.= In the Champion’s
Game, as originally played in public on the dates given below, an
oblique line was drawn near every corner. Its purpose was to make it
harder to swing the balls (“turn the corner”) in the progressive nursing
process known as “straight rail.” On the short rail, this line ended 14
inches from the nearest corner, and on the long rail 28 inches. Within
any one of the four balks so formed, only two successive shots could be
wholly made; but, for it to count, the second shot had to send at least
one ball out.
Tammany Hall, N. Y. City, November 11–24th.—Challenge emblem and $2,000.
Games 300 points, except in playing off ties. Sexton by 500 to 478, and
Daly by 500 to 496, were winners of ties. Average of tournament (seven
games apiece), 10.58.
W. R. Av. G. A.
Sexton ($1,000) 6 112 27.27 13.77
Slosson ($500) 6 107 25.00 14.02
Schaefer ($250) 5 122 23.08 13.65
Daly ($150) 3 123 18.75 11.36
Garnier ($100) 3 147 16.67 10.19
Carter 2 103 11.11 9.54
Rudolphe 1 81 15.79 8.70
Heiser 0 113 7.31
Money-stake in championship matches, $500 a side. All were played in
Tammany Hall. After his second victory over Schaefer, Slosson was never
again challenged.
SEXTON VS. SCHAEFER. January 10, 1880. Schaefer, 600—18.75—165; Sexton,
585—151.
SCHAEFER VS. SEXTON. April 22, 1880. Schaefer, 600—14.63—141; Sexton,
523—75.
SCHAEFER VS. SLOSSON. June 19, 1880. Slosson, 600—30—236; Schaefer,
470—114.
SLOSSON VS. SCHAEFER. October 4, 1880. Slosson, 600—33.33—138; Schaefer,
438—312.
1880.
=Carter vs. Gallagher.= Union Square Rooms, N. Y. City, March 22d.—$500
a side. C., 600—10.17—140; G., 423—54.
* * * * *
=Heiser vs. Carter.= Same hall, March 26th.—$500 a side. H.,
600—10.53—93; C., 566—149.
* * * * *
=Vignaux vs. Slosson.= Grand Hotel, Paris, December 20–24th.—$1,000 a
side. V., 3000—29.70—214; S., 2961—273.
1881.
=Schaefer vs. Slosson.= Academy of Music, N. Y. City, April
11–15th.—$2,000. Schaefer, 4000—32.52—342; Slosson, 2780—252.
1882.
=Longest Run Abroad.= Grand Hotel, Paris, January 30th to February
3d.—$1,000 a side. Slosson, 3000—37.97—398; Vignaux, 2553—394.
As the first victory of an American abroad in a public match, this was
commemorated by a dinner to Slosson at Delmonico’s, N. Y. City, on
February 23d, by a professional testimonial to him afterwards at the
Columbian Room, not then his, and later by a purse of $700, contributed
in part by Charles A. Dana, Frank Queen, and other journalistic patrons
of billiards. [The winner maintains that this game was played on 18 × 38
lines.—ED.]
* * * * *
=New Orleans Tournament.= Millers Room, March 27th to April 13th.—Games
started at 400, but found too long, and reduced to 300 after first
night. Maggioli, 5—0; Abrams and Coste, each 3—2, Coste winning
play-off; Oberlander and Zaehringer, each 2—3, former winning play-off;
and Bartley, 0—5.
1884.
=Longest Run in America.= Madison Square Hall, N. Y. City, February
14th.—$250 a side, last game of match (see Three-ball Caroms and
Balkline for others). Edward McLaughlin, 600—15.79—206; J. R. Heiser,
552—351.
* * * * *
=Handicap Tournament of Chicago Amateurs.= Collender Billiard Hall,
beginning March 17th.—Messrs. Ed. Rein, Sawyer and Davis played
Champion’s Game against Frank Rice and four others. Rein won 6—1, and
Rice and Davis 5—2 each, Rice also winning play-off. Sawyer won fourth
prize.
* * * * *
=Line Increased from 14 × 28 to 18 × 38.= Central Music Hall, Chicago,
May 31st.—Second game of match of two (see Balkline Game for the other),
$500 a side each. Slosson, 800—28.54—236; Schaefer, 657—98. The 18 × 38
line was then first played in public in America, but had been practiced
in 1882–83, and on January 20, 1883, Slosson challenged Schaefer to play
it for $500 a side.
1885.
=Line Increased from 18 × 38 to 20 × 40.= Same hall and stake as
foregoing about Feb. 2, Chicago. Schaefer, 800—16.67—78; Slosson,
589—97.
Making runs of 100 unlikely or impossible in public defeated the purpose
of the game, which was to restrict nursing without prohibiting it, and
at this stage this line system was abandoned.
BEST PERFORMANCES IN PUBLIC MATCHES.
AVERAGES AT 14 × 28.
33.33 in 600 (championship)—G. F. Slosson, 1880.
37.97 in 3000, Paris, France—G. F. Slosson, 1882.
32.52 in 4000—J. Schaefer, 1881.
RUNS AT 14 × 28.
312 (championship)—J. Schaefer, 1880.
351 (best in America)—J. R. Heiser, 1884.
398 (best anywhere)—G. F. Slosson, Paris, France, 1882.
AVERAGES AT 18 × 38.
28.54 in 800—G. F. Slosson, 1884.
RUN AT 18 × 38.
236—G. F. Slosson, 1884.
AVERAGE AT 20 × 40.
16.67—J. Schaefer, 1885.
RUN AT 20 × 40.
97—G. F. Slosson, 1885.
BALKLINE GAME.
All play, unless otherwise stated, was with 2⅜ balls on a 5 × 10
carom table, and until 1885 on an 8–inch line.
Abbreviations.—Such figures as 600—50.—375 stand in that order for
total, average, and high run, the loser’s average being omitted as
not a record. Those of 8:2, 14:2, 18:1, and 18:2 signify eight,
fourteen, or eighteen-inch line with either one or two shots or
plays in balk, regardless of count.
1883.
=First Public Contests.= What is known simply as “Balkline” took its
name originally from the table’s having a continuous line running around
it six inches from the cushion. This form, with three shots in balk, was
practiced by Rudolphe and the Dions in 1875, pronounced too difficult,
and never played in public. The intersecting short lines near every
corner were added early in 1883, and the main line was then put eight
inches from the cushion; and in this form, with its eight balks and the
two shots or one valid count therein, as described for the Champion’s
Game, the “Balkline” was first played publicly for the world’s
championship in Central Music Hall, Chicago, March 26th to April 6th. Of
the seven contestants, Alonzo Morris and Thomas Wallace were graduated
from a preliminary tournament held at the J. M. Brunswick & Balke Co.’s
warerooms, that city, March 6–13th. In addition to the challenge emblem,
there were money-prizes aggregating $3,000, and the tournament was akin
to a marvel in embodying so many as seven players without a single tie.
Average of the twenty-one games, 12.86. J. Dion’s 17.71 and Sexton’s
16.58 were their best averages—not winning ones. During Sexton’s run of
170 the first glimpses in public were seen of what, in 1890, was dubbed
“The Anchor.” It had been played in private at the regular three-ball
game, but lacked favoring opportunities at the Champion’s Game, while at
Balkline it was impossible until the eight short lines were added near
the corners.