, 1888-08-07

n discount William
v vosrr Wicks, who previ-
Gus to 1868 had
keen considered the best amateur player of
the day; but in June of this year Wicks met
defeat in two matches out of three at the
hands of a new conner who hailed from Buff
falo, which dethroned Wicks from his
position as the leading amateur of
the country. The Foster-Wicks contest was
best in eleven carrom games, $50 a side, on a
6xl2 four pocket table, 100 points up, push
ing and jawing allowed. This match was
won by Wicks, who took six consecutive
games after Foster had won the first two.
Fosters average was 10 1887, best run 100;
Wicks' average was II 1851. Foster was
beaten by Joseph Dion in Mechanics hall,
Montreal, July 10, 1855, at carrom billiards,
for $4,000 in gold a side, played on a
6x12 four pocket table, pushing and jaw
ing allowed. Score, 1900 to l,l0S.
Average by Dion, 81 5l-69. Foster
won first prize in a tournament which was
played in Memphis, Tenn, in February, 1865,
but as the other plaYers-Meyers, of Mem
phis, being the best-were of third and lesser
rate skill, the result was Of little moment.
Fosters best average was so, and his highest
run 2S2, In October, 1867, against somewhat
better players, he won first prize in a tourna-
ment at four ball carroms, played in Cincin-
natl. Foster and the late John Coon made a
tic for first place, and in the play off Foster
won.
Perhaps the most exciting contest which
Foster ever took part in was played with
John McDevitt in Library hall, Chicago, on
the night of April 8, 1868. 1t was for the
championship of America and $1,000 a side,
carrom billiards, 800 points up, played on a
55xll ~four-pocket table, jawing of balls pro
hibited, but push shots allowed. When the
a,vv.A afanl 1 DrG e., 1 DtB -. q ,ra,- 90 M,nnrr
lit, the latter played II shot and walked
AWAY from the table to take his seat, when
some partisans in the audience cried out;
That counted" whereupon McDevitt
returned to the table and claimed the
count, which Foster denied him, and on
appeal to the referee, AL lie Brun, a west
ern man, that official, after much hardness,
decided against Foster. The latter protested
against the decision, and upon the referee re-
fusing to dispose of the protest in accordance
with rule Foster laid down his cue and left
the hall, declaring that he withdrew from
the contest under appeal, whereupon the
referee, without calling upon McDevitt to
finish his inning and requiring that the lat
ter demand that Foster continue play, i'm
mediately ~adjudged McDevitt the winner "a
the contest. McDevitt would not submit the
matter to arbitration and the stakes were
paid over TO him in accordance with the de-
cision of the referee. The average of the
game, so far as played, was; McDevitt,
81 1863; Foster, 81 1853; best run by Nc
Dewitt, 293; by Foster, 26S.
In August, 1868, the famous Rudolph put
in his first appearance in this country, where
he had a three nights siege with Foster in
New York for $50 each game. First night,
at three ball carroms, Foster won one game
and Rudolph three. Second night Foster
won, six to two. Third night, at two three
ball games and two four ball games, push
barred, Foster won both three ball games
and one of the four ball games. Sept. 80,
1868, in Irving Hall, New York city, Foster
beat Deery at the three ball game for $3.50 a
side, playing on a bLx11 table. Score, 800
to 1s4. Average by Foster, 9 s8-107. His
best run the best OF record to that date was
90; Deery's, "a.
Oct. %, 1868, Foster defeated Peter D.
BREASTED, Jr., in New York. Score: Foster,
100; BREASTED, 4s.
June 10, 1871, in New York city, Cyrillo
Dion beat Foster for the diamond cue cham
pionship by a score of 100 to 6l0. Average
by Dion, "a 1851; his Sest run was 1855; best
by Foster, SO. Fosters last public appear
ance was In the Philadelphia centennial three
ball tournament Of 1875, played In Horti-
cultural hall, May Is to 81 There were ten
entries, viz: Sexton, who won the first prize,
Slosson, Garnier, Cyrille and Joseph Dion,
DAILY, Rudolph, Bessinger and Shaw. Foster
defeated Rudolph and Shaw only. .
More than is generally known is the er-
pansion of billiards due to Foster. Like
Thousands Of others in the field of invention
everywhere he conceived and developed for
the benefit Of others rather than for his own.
Those points of his that were manifestly
good became theirs by adoption. In devel-
oping them he had fallen into habits that
weakened him, and in avoiding these weak
nesses other players became relatively strong.
Foster completely changed the system Of
nursing without the push shot at the four
ball game. 1t was done on one OF the two
tables attached to the old quot grounds on
Broadway, near Aston place, New York,
while he was practicing to play the
two matches in Canada that Dion
won in 1869. While it had escaped pro-
f~essional attention at the time, because they
INDUCED In it for a different purpose, Berger
in his fancy shots in 1850, and Carme In his
ordinary play in 1865, had given glimpses OF
what is known as the dead ball - but it was
the man who has just died who first made an
ever present feature Of it at the four ball
game, as it was Vignaux who In 1874 made it
Enthusiastically conspicuous in the three ball
game. Fosters success in holding the cue
ball and the second object ball while driving
the first was naturally such as TO emboIden
him, and he began TO drive too often and to
risk too much. Those were his weaknesses.
They conquered him on the night that he run
355 against Dion in Montreal, and they beat
him nearly always when be was beaten at all.
Finney, the noted English swimmer, talks
- A--4- - 1919. AL