The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-05-21
America Leads the World in the Manu-
facture of Them
TCIevaIand Herald


A gentleman who for many years was
the agent of one of the two great billiard
table manufactures in this country, has
recently located here. To reporter last
evening he said: The manufacture of
billiard tables in America is not practically
a monopoly America makes the finest
billiard tables in the world, and they are
shipped from here to foreign points.
European centers, Sandwich islands, and
everywhere that tables are used The SUI
periority of our tables lies in the cushions.
1t is fact not generally known that all the
billiard table cushions in the world are
made down here at Akron The firm
which have mentioned owns the right to
use these cushions They formerly
sold their cushions to small dealers, asking
about $50 for set of cushions
that cost about 50. To the uninitiated it
may perhaps be necessary to state that the
cushions are the level-edged projections
bounding the table and against which the
balls are projected in the game. 1t is
necessary to have a yielding, elastic body,
which will give the balls rebound action.
To accomplish this the cushions are made
of soft rubber, with small strips of vul-
canized or hard rubber near the edges.
For many years billiard table manu-
facturers were at loss how to give the
cushions the proper elasticity. thin
ribbon of steel was tried, and then fine
steel wire, which was keyed up to the
proper tentiOn by little wrench. These
devices were necessary because a cushion of
soft rubber is too gummy. These cushions
did not seem to answer the purpose, how
ever, and the vulcanized rubber cushions
were adopted. The Europeans stin use
the Old-fashioned tables, They have
gummy, dead cushions, which have often
TO be warmed and livened TO make them
work.
One of the principal billiard table man
ufacturers of America began by making
pigeon-hole tables for use in little German
saloons. He advanced his business until
his tables were sold in nearly every city in
the Union. Years ago billiard tables cost
on an average about 5000. Now the
average price is but $3.50, and most elab-
crate table made for one of the Astors
cost but 5000. Nearly the whole process
of manufacturing billiard tables has been
changed. Formerly the beds were made
of wood Even the most thoroughly sea
soned wood was liable to warp, and mar
BILE was next tried, but that too made a
poor bed. The marble drew moisture that
rot the cloth and warped as bad as
wood The slate from V ermOnt
and New Hampshire was tried, and
1t filed the bill The state for a billiard
table costs about $12 Another most i'm
pOrtant feature of table is the cloth.
we, but we have to look to the French
man to furnish us the best billiard cloth.
1t is known as Simon's cloth, but is in re-
atty the finest broadcloth. Eve~y thread
must be of uniform size, and tie cloth
must have perfectly smooth surface 1t
costs from Sc to 50 yard.
The inlaid ornamental work of a table
is handled by skilled mechanics, who re-
ceive big wages. 1t requires a good me
chanic to set a table properly. At billiard
matches n man is usually on hand with q
spirit level to adjust the table in case The
crowd on one side of the room should be
enough larger than that on the other to
cause the floor to sag.
Yes, sir, we have not only the best
general billiard players, but the best billi-
ard tools in America, said Mr. Eugene
Carter. In England they play the old
fashioned pocket billiards, and the tips of
their cues are not much larger than lead
pencil. Maple makes the best cue because
It will not warp out of line. An absolutely
straight cue. a perfectly level billiard
table, and perfect ivory balls must be had
to insure good playing. A set of billiard
balls cost from $22 to $26. When first
turned they are green and mushy, as we
say. Many players get the cubes of ivory
and keep them hung up In their rooms
two or three wears to season. Then they
have them turned down TO diameter of
2 TIC inches, and after using them awhile
they have them turned down again to .
inches. which is the size used In matches.
A billiard. ball must weigh exactly seven
ounces to meet the requirements of a
game, and they are selected with the ut
most care to get the proper weight. Such
nice care is taken to insure accuracy that
Troy weight is used in weighing the
balls, and a ball which exceed seven ounces
by three or four pennyweights is rejected.
You can readily see that balls Of unequal
weight would lead player to make blum
ders.
"a billiard table. ;" continued the
speaker, sis splendid barometer. 1 can
tell when storm is brewing by the way
the table acts 1t is heavy and the balls
are greasy and the chalk fails to cling to
che cue as it should