, 1888-04-08
BILLIARD PLAYING.
Why No Wyoming Man Will Ever Be
Champion.
Ivory Balls Become Imperfect in
the Mountains.
Brief Mention of a Few Local Bill
lizard Experts.

all corners, our ball players win pennants
galore, and our athletes excel in all games
while the territory continues to be famed
for fat cattle, and smelters produce I'M
limited quantities of mineral, but this
a~ltitudinous region can never boast a ma
tive billiard player who can even aspire
to the championship. The fates have
decreed that no phenomenal manipulation
of the spheres, no wizard of the cue shall
be reared in the rockies. The explana-
ton of the fact is not at all difficult, this
state, of affairs being entirely due to per-
feckfS natural causes. Colorado is SINH
larly afflicted. The ivory ball, an essen
tial adjunct to the requirement of prof.
cheney in the game, cannot Withstand the
atmospheric influences. The most perfect
and costly globes of this material become
i'll shaped in a few months. Several local
scientists consulted on the subject assigned
the same reason for the loss OF shape Of
the balls. Like the obelisk, they cannot
stand the climate, and the people refuse
to alter the agent which destroys their
usefulness.
Two or three Cheyenne. billiard p%arlors:
unmindful Of expense, manage to keep
one set of ivory balls at all times, but
these are rarely in perfect condition.
When one of the obstinate inanimates
becomes irregular it is diminished in size,
and is no longer a genuine billiard ball.
The constant use OF ivory balls would en-
tail an enormous expense upon the en-
thusiast, and the ~indulger could never be
morally certain that the spheres were ex-
actly what they should be.
With genuine Western pluck, a number
of Cheyenne gentlemen have, in the face
of adverse circumstances, become quite
proficient with the cue, and one may see
an interesting game at the Inter Ocean,
Club house or Bicycle club rooms almost
any evening. There are tables in a mum
Der of private residences here, and at one
time a number of ladies were considered
good players. The balk line game is
seldom INDUCED in, and the sign mo
masse shots has almost entirely disap-
appeared.
r. d. Murray, of Pierce & Murray, is
recognized as champion Of Cheyenne.
He handles a cue gracefully and makes
many daring shots. Mr.. Murray made a
creditable record in an amateur tourna-
ment at Denver, and was given second
place in a similar contest at New Orleans.
Ed F. Stable, secretary of the board OF
trade, is an expert billiardist. He has
beaten.Mr. Murray at times, but usually
accepts odds from that gentleman. Mr..
Stable plays earnestly and carefully and
makes some very difficult shots, but is
,excelled by Mr.. Murray in nursing and
drawing"
Fred Clary, of the Fair, thoroughly
enjoys an exciting game and will walk
around the table with almost anyone who
happens along. A contest between
Messrs. Clary and Stable is ever interest
esting and nearly always close. 1t is any
body's game almost any time.
DIR. Il. b. Graham is the peer OF all
professional men in the city at the gen
tleman's game. He plays quietly and
deliberately.
Lem Smith and G. NJ. Kepler are dare
devils at billiards. They play spasmod-
ically and are liable to interest an expert
at any stage OF the contest. They are of
the class who ''fall' on easy shots, pay
little attention to position, occasionally
surprise everyone by brilliant playing and
steadily increase their strings.
Mr.. DePrato, steward at the club, like
every true F~renchman, thinks billiard
playing a capital game. He plays well,
but often lays plans which he cannot exc
cute.
When In practice j. Howard Ford is
considered a good player. He is a large
man and presents a fine appearance when
engaged in the game.
j. Stirling Birmingham is a billiard
student and will develop into an expert.
With him the game is rather serious bust,
ness. He will practice for hours to master
one particular stroke.
Samuel Atkinson, deputy county clerk,
and Samuel Cairns of the train dispatch,
er's office play often and well.
Dan Arnold is the cowboy billiardist.
He takes a keen interest in the game and
seldom overmatches himself, though
rarely refusing to take a cue." Mr..
Arnold is also an expert pin pool player.
Among the military gentlemen Gen.
Miner and Lieut.. Chynoweth excel at
the game. They occasionally play for
hours at a time, and are pretty evenly
matched. The general plays an old style
game and is a pretty sure shot. DR..
Ives, post surgeon. is also quite a player.
Harry Rapp, who is now in Chicago, was
formerly champion among the printers,
His mantle has fallen upon VIM. II. II.
Reid, of THE LEADER office, whose style
at the game greatly resembles Gen. Miz-
ner's.
~ IL. Hicks nresldent Of tho E;ret Ma.