New-York tribune., 1879-02-24
EVOLUTION ~ BILLIARDS.

RADICAL CHANGES ~ TABLES AND NIf''' w
PLAYING-rALKs WITH OLD BlLiiARp PLAhf
The game of billiards has suffered many VI
,,,,s fort ,ne II was introduced INTO ibis com
Try shout TIE beginning OF the present eeu'"rS'
ori,nalv plsyed with four balls, pocket fDo's ana -"
ou's Nth counting The pocketng OF rod ban cJuh'
,bree that of the white two, aud carOns on me 4''
three and On II white ana red two points Cn'c' go
rules n rtccn points could be made az NlS'' so,,
satisfactory explanation OF tnc use Oh wv ''" " w.
beeu given Tie game has been played tu S"''o p''
n, tho countrv. TO avoid local prohttory law,
with five balls, and was called " Jenny -''
within few years the American game has o'eh N"p'
.cdl en:Irey by The Frencn caroa game WHEN no" ~
nlav.d AT all matches and four-bal gam" "I'h"'
pockets. The French game was introdu' 'o p'e'' 81,
$50 and grew gradually In popular IaVor Inc ','"
ar iaw" shot by which long runs were mauc ." cav ~"
six.pocket table became distaseful ana aHtt""ru '
",ushv shot OF which John McDayitt was famous *
nonent WA. drbarred Some dissatisiacuOn WIZ '"'
now fashionable rail playing and with tho h'''c ''"
q, which Berger was master, has been eXp' sscd ana
some changes IN the methods OF play are cohsd'cu -
friends Of the game to be necessary.
,rhe life of Michael Phelan," said II. W. C0ilrnl'r
"is nearly Identical with the history OF America" DE-
ltards Phelans father TO this country Ill I'D
and TWO wears later the lessee OF several b"H'
rooms Of whch the at No. IS Maiden Lane was "t
known Michael Phelau learned the jewellery irh'e'
I'M, while Young man abandoned 1t for the profession
he afetward adorned. In 1s47 he opened the hrc''o
saloon on the south side OF Barcay-st' "h'h eo"I ~
came a famous sort. Toward the close OF lSoo 'I'
his return from California, he opened room nj NO o'
C,anhers-gt-Rurtons Thcatre--and two years "a
at broadway and Tenth-st.. the most elegant oiai"
rooms in the wori. Before this he had become n'r
esad with me In the manufacture Of billiard ta'es
Ibe first manufacturer in this city was ID. PENN
familiary called the Governor who was succeehe" y!
man named Wnant Bassford was another ear"
manu- acurer In the earliest years OF our business ''
manufacture OF thirty forty tables In a year w''
thought 70 be large business. | could count tn''
every bilrardtable IN tins city. There have
been great changes since that time. why
IL is not more than twenty-five years ago that soid
table TO nn old and wealthy family OF this city, on th
condition that should be carried into the nous" uuine
le night Ihave sold many tables TO the descendants
OF the same family, but they have been delivered III
broad daylight.
"Carom tables did not como into fashion nntiI aoou'
1866 but they now arc the only ones used while
tbo size has been growing constantly smaller. sell
now more tables 4o by feet than Of any other size
Tho rst change t the manufacture Ia the cushions
The old cushions used to toward the pockets and
for about II inches each sdc or the pOckes ~ was
Tn nredct AT what angle The ball would leave
mn cnshion The invention In $50 OF the combiua-
lion cIshi and the adoption OF the heveed form were
Iartc rtrides In the Improvement OF tables. The bust
! hoa iT crraecd rapdly In volume. while the game
has gained popularity. a billiard table IS consd'Ied
necessary article IN tue furnishing or pri'a+ M
I'm the They ire
1dentcd by wealthy merchants and bankers VINO never
before had entered billiard saloon"
A TALK WITH DUDLEY KAvANAGH.
In regard TO the style of play now IN vogue Dudley
Kavanach who had won national reputation before
lie retired from active participation In the game ex
pressed earnest dstpprUyal. Modern players" he
said with a SMILE "lOok upon US as old fogies, but
their method of play cannot be compared In execution
with te old game I think the reduction in the size
and the lowering OF the tables bas had an Injurious
effect upon the game. The rail play requires certain
skill to be sure but 1t Is far from Delhg 'no hshe't
form OF pay The masst shot is pretty and sometimes
brilliant but it Is In effect y push shot, and where
10 see what influence il has In MAKING long runs flHy
cr o the present DAY lay much stress upon their posi-
tion nay bnt they forget that on modern table the
balls really never out OF position livery sho may
t6e nlaver has sout control Of balls The force
required now send ball spinning several tunes
The changes recently made IN the game nave not been
think, real improvements
CHANGES ~ THE MAEUFACTURE or TABLES.
In regard to tho changes and growth In the manufac
tnre Of tables, II. 4. Freeman, manager OF the New
York branch Of the j. NJ. brunswick and Bake Com
pany OF Chicago, SAID THO improvements made
within ny recollection have been mainly in the cushions
and In ornamentatiou The tables first used in this
country were OF the English pattern. They were by
II feet ia size aud had pock, t.. The cushions
made OF cloth. About twenty five years ago the
Phelan combination cushion came into II
was for many yeais the best because II wa.
the tr1est After a few years players complained
that the Phclan cushion was too slow and
in recent years It has been ln~ aim OF manufacturers
to produce a cushion at accurate and quick.
The JxlO table which has suPpantcd The larger szc,
has hnru ia use aout fifteen yfgrs AMI that IL giving
way gradually TO still smaller s,e, 4+,X9 feet Tue
latter the popular SIZE FOR tables intended Tor private
houses, but even n public 'alo}s t1l' slhe il winning
favor sspecally in the west The English table with
sH pockets succccdcd 10y The l0urp0cke table, the
side pockets being closed up. That table" saii Mr..
6xI2 siLc which looked strangely 9nuquatcd b. the
side Of lts smaller and Younger companions. was
at agricultural horsc,trot at Cincinnati
That was then new slyle OF table. 1t was
followed Nv the carOIn table without pockets, IN
pocket tables would not he made II II we're
% hO' ~" s Ire Tc nennfarfrrc of bijr e pu e
grown steadily In importance FOR many years. The
IN private houses h~s Increased rapidly in Tie
ast few years"
ErMINIsCENCrS or Old PLAYERS.
"Michad Phclan was the father Of American bill
hards" said John OCOunor, VI he Union Square Rooms.
aud he was beaten IN match lie ever played.
Phelan used 20 keep small room down n Chambers
st. hut about 1857 he removed 10 the Broadway and
Tenthst. rooms. where, three hoors he had forty
tables The opening OF those rooms was looked upon
then az q foolish experiment; they sad to be too
far uptown. Now" said Mr.. OCOnnor. looking down
ren-ctiSely at the blsy streets the Columbia Rooms
are far downtown used 10 have charge OF Pnean's
them the night that PGClan played the match with
john Stcrct~r Of Detroit Ihe match WAS played ut
Detroit, but the results OF the Innings were received by
telc graph pheaue old No game PLAYED since
has created the interest felt III that match. The ma ch
FOR $500 side 1000 points carGms. IN a Phclan
pockettable played on April -. 1859. II was
won by PBrau by ninctv-sx points PEclans largest
runs 1Ol and l39 points and his opponents were
80 and l57 pOluts Those were the only une above "a
hundred made IA the game The smdlnes, Of The runs
and of the winner average, winch fraction above
twelve points, l. explained ny tie fact that tho game
playe On pocket table. The large runs which
have been made recently could never have been
scored on NXpockct table; the long rail- runs
would have come to early end nj on ui the side
packets IL II useless for 10 predict the changes that
may be made III the game n could not be played wen
with than three balls and the cushion game TaAug
OF more cushions before completing the caron
srems 100 STUPID ever to bC popular"