The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-11-18
THE BILLIARD TOURNAMENT.
Slosson Defeats vignaux In h First Game
Of the Seven.

Slosson Defeats vignaux In the First Game
of the Seven.
CHICAGO, November 16.-An assemblage
OF fully 1900 people attended the opening
game of the great fourteenth-inch balk line
billiard tournament, in which Maurice
Vignaux. of Paris, Jacob Schaefer, OF New
IRE contestants. There was q large at
tendance of ladies in the boxes and par
quette circle seats, and the solid business
men OF the city. The notables were Eugene
Carter, Of Cleveland, John Callahan, OF
Milwaukee, Parker Byers, OF Lafayette,
and many others. The winner of this
tournament is entitled to receive the whole
purse of So, 1000, and the excess of the re-
ceipts over the expenses. It is expected
that the prize will aggregate $4,000. The
tournament al formally opened shortly
after 8 O'Clock by an address by
Judge Gary, OF the Superior Court OF
Chicago. AS each player was introduced a
round OF applause was given, Slosson get
ting rather the warmest reception. Way
man McCreey, of St. Louis, an accom-
plished amateur, had been previously
agreed upon as the referee of the tourna-
ment, and Charles Matthews served as
marker. Vignaux won the lead and chose
the white ball. He counted from the lay
off, but stopped at L. Slosson did no bet
ter. both playing nervous In the next
inning Vignaux got good positions, but lost
them by an imperfect play. In the ninth
inning Slosson began to show something Of
good form. He did some very hand
some nursing in the lower left
hand corner, and tolled up IS, failing
on an awkward two-cushioned effort.
Vignaux responded with a handsome run
of 81, in which a draw shot when his own
ball was frozen to the cushion elected
applause. Slosson now played with care
and precision and reeled off a succession of
fine shots, stopping at ~, and leaving Vign-
aux IN almost impossible shot. After a
blank inning, Slosson improved the twelfth
for a run of 43, which brought his score up
to 1879, against So for Vignaux. The latter
then went to grass or an easy one, and
Slosson again took possession of the balls
for 10, which gave him a lead of an even
hundred.
Vignaux took heart at Slosson's miss Of
an easy shot in his fourteenth inning
and made his best run, Al. which made his
total 100, Slosson having 159. Slosson
now lapsed into loose playing for an inning
OF two, and his opponent let the fifteenth
go by with only 6. At his next opening he
froze to the red ball at s, but counted from
the lay off and kept on until he had accom-
plished the best run up to this stage, IS,
and gained a lead on his seventh which
netted him 33, and the score now stood
PA to 176, in Vignaux's favor. Slosson
10Y made a fine rally and put in his largest
RIM, which again gave him the lead flor the
I:ist time
HIS STROKE SEEMED WHAT 1T OUGHT TO BE,
And he played like a r~ace-horse. Great
cheering greeted the shot which passed Wig
naux's best run. He ended at 80, on a very
hard masse shot.
Call was: Slosson, 265; Vignaux, PA.
Small results followed for a little and Slos-
son was the first to break the spell, which he
did with a handsome run of II, and the
Slosson in the twenty first inning did some
more excellent work, from which he realized
50. Score: Slosson, 421; Vignaux, 266.
The balls were left dead safe for Vignaux,
whereas Slosson forced an opening in the
twenty-second inning and improved to the
extent of25. Vignauxi in twenty-third inning
emerged from obscurity and rather labori-
ously produced a run Of 81, slipping up IN
a miscue. Score-Slosson, 446; Vignaux.
335. S%losson's run of 26 in the twenty
fifth inning was supplemented by 81 by
Vignaux. who stopped on a very hard
draw. Two innings later Slosson went to
his last string with a run Of Al, so that the
called Slosson, 531; Vignaux, 800.
The Frenchman's run of 40 in the twenty
ninth inning made the. game again look
doubtful az it. h-rronent, but Slosso11a 101
promptly forward with 63, and needed out
5 points more. He missed an
easy three cushion shot, and gave Vignaux
another opening, which he improved by
his best billiards and making the
best run of the game. Slosson watched his
play with painful solicitude as the big man
APPROACHED THE CENTURY POINT,
and when the marker called "on hundred
the house rang with cheers. Vlgnaux
stopped at LOG on a miscue, and Slosson
ran out with his five necessary points.
Sch&fer and Vignaux play tomorrow
and Schafer and Slosson Wednesday
night.