Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-11-20

tOT. LII COLuIHOuAy OS1noc sAOO N0ys -
play out first class match because o
the enormous amount OF time wasted II
observing the cenventonalities and ira
ditions Of the game, besides the amount
wasted in absolute dawdling, If indeed
this be not one of the cherished ira
ditions. The American people, to al
most all of whom time is of some value
show their sense of its value by abstain
ing from attendance, in any great mum.
bers, upon the solemn ex srcises Of an in.
ternational match, Ifcricket were to be,
come popular in this country it would
have to be so transformed that an Eng.
lish cricketer would scarcely recognize it.
and this Transformation might be effect
ed without sacrificing any of the really
admirable features of the game.
The old English game OF 'rounders''
is the origin of baseball. The game has
been improved beyond recognition, and
not the least improvement is the short
ening of it, so that first class match
can now be witnessed after business
hours. The result is that probably
twenty times as many beople have at
tended baseball matches in this country
during the past summer as ever in one
season attended cricket matches In Eng
land.
English billiards suffer under equal
disadvantages with cricket, though the
disadvantages are not the same. The
game is played upon a vast plain Of
seventy-two square feet, broken by siz
apertures at the sides. This structure re-
quires space of at least twenty-five by
sixteen feet. The breaks in the cushion
caused by the pockets preclude the con-
tinaous use of the rail and greatly ham
per the play for position which in fully
civilized countries is regarded as the
highest attainment and severest test OF
skill.
1t was on such table that billiards
were played in this country twenty-five
years ago, and all the changes that have
since been made in it have tended to
make the game more scientific and more
interesting and consequently more pop
ular. It is curious to reflect that at that
remote period American billierd players
not only played game in which pockets
and caroms were mixed, but that the
color of the ball pocketed or of the balls
caromed upon made difference in the
score. These absurdities were long ago
removed from the American game. They
survive in the English game. The
standard American table is two feet
shorter and a foot narrower than the
English table, while smaller size still
is in use very commonly in clubs and
saloons, and almost universally in pri-
vate houses where such table requires
about two-thirds the room needed for an
English table. The only advantage that
can be claimed for the English table
over the American table is that pool can
be PLAYED on it. But this is really a
since billiards is an interest
ing and scientific game and pool is mere
ly form of riot. If we had been as
stubborn as the English in refusing to
rationalize billiards our best billiard
players might be going into bankruptcy.
If the English had followed our exam
pie billiards might be as popular in
England as they are here, and the Eng
lish players might be contented with
practitioners of civilized billiards in
Paris or New York instead of making
dismal series of "spot strokes" against
each other.