Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-11-24
GREAT BILLIARD TOURNAMENT.
Series Of Games In Ehicsso Last
Week Never Before EquaIied.
CRITICISM OF THE PLAYERS AND THEIR
SYSTEMS.

Word comes from Chicago that the great bill
Hard tournament there last week has never
oeen equalled in the quality OF attendance,
financial results or in the play of the contest
ants. No tournament has ever come anywhere
near approaching the quality or the audiences
that continuously, night after night, without an
interruption, honored this one. Other tourna-
ments have opened their box Offices twice day
without any OF them taking in during its initial
week within 80 per cent of the gross receipts
here last week when there were no afternoon
games. The receipts footed up in round NAM
bers 50, 200. The games between Schaefer and
Slosson 'drew'' best Of al-S1 40 I'm their first
game and 81 .227 in their second.
The playing of all three contestants was bet
ter than Schaefer and Slosson showed in the
New York tournaments. The superstition that
Nignaux, because OF a natural lack of ia interest,
due to increasing years and the receipt Of q
handsome guarantee whether he won or lost,
would lack the stimulus that would spur the
two experts who had to play for their bread
longer and more regularly than Schaeier and
twice "a much as Siosson AFTER the tournament
opened. This rendered his guarantee an adj
vantage. 1t gave him confidence, he was
playing on velvet" He, nevertheless, exhib-
tied many weak nesses and poor Judgment. The
latter was manifested even in the height of his
success on the night when he averaged rs
against Slosson. Much that he did was wrong
In neSry but homo nothing that It'll, he did
been wrong in fact. Stimulated by
a run of 19o, which, owing to scratch at So,
work was clearly II case of Inspiration. He had
simply TO hit to two balls to have them come
fright" and had but to raise and lower bis cue
to keep on counting. The bank shots, the
masses and the Spreads" that heretofore had
so frequently sent him to his seat, were no
longer busbears for they rarely came TO him in
other than inviting shape. He is said to be
weak in several particulars in the balk-line
game. but he is strong where Slosson and
less driver of the balls and there is no limit to
the possibilities of his open table play so long
as his cue tip holds out.
In placing the restrictive line ut fourteen
Inches shorf-statured experts are almost
heavily handicapped as they would have been
had they adopted the proposition first made
fifteen years ago, to map the table out i'm one
foot squares, no carrom 10 count unless made
on 'alis no two of which are in the.One square.
The rail play that SiOssOn did at twelve or
thirteen inches two years ago more Is now of
no consequence. He is not playing the four
*, but he is running needless risks I'm doing it,
IL is of no decided help 10 him. 1t makes him
unsteady and subjects him to the unmerited
reproach that he is not eXerting himself to win,
or is not Keeping himself in good condition.
Next in unsteadinesS 20 the Schaeler system
is Vignauxs, if it can be called a system. Much
depends upon how the driven balls roll. Phys
tqueS being equal, Sicsson's system is the best.
His Is q system from which a run of $50 may
reasonably be expected in any 600 points, and
yet lie played four games without ever reach
ing 100. This was because he was in no frame
OF mine. to exercise the foresight essential to the
development of his system. Nevertheless it is
To he doubted, were he in his best mental and
bodily form, If he could in the long run prevail
against the height, the tireless phy sique. and
the direct at-balto-bali billiards of Fignaux.
The Frenchman was the ceaseless hammerer
of the tournament. SlosSOn was the non-eX-
tTemiSt, and Schaefer, the man of splendid ma
tural abilities for his profession was the genius.
The presumption is that had the games been
continuous. or OF ], 500 points each, there woCid
have been no tie, as FignauE would not have
been beaten, his total score against both
Schaefer and SlOsson being greater than theirs
individually, as Schaefers greater than
SlnSsOn's. Placed he was by his defeat OF
NisnauX and Sciiaefer and Vignaux's conquest
oil Schaeier during the first three nights, Slos-
son should have been the winner, and he would
have been had he been in form enough to run
even more than 80, or tO have even won the
lead off in banking. In every game he led into
at least the second hundred, but in only two
was he able 10 keep UP his pace.
THE TIES NOT TO BE PLAYED OFF.
The managers OF the tournament have de-
cided that the ties should not be played Off
but that the stakes and receipts be divided
among the players as follows: Vignaux, So 800
OF which $4,000 Is for expenses: Sciiaefer
1,75O of which $3.50 is for expenses and
Slosson, 81 300. SiOssOn. being a resident OF
Chicago, will receive nothing for expenses, and
as he contributed $500 to The entertainment
his earnings will 600