The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-17
ZEE GAME or RILLIARps.
George =. 6losson Tells How to
Play II.
(copEriqht, 1881

Copyright. 1897
New YORK, June l5.-So high Is billiards
held in the estimation of almost all men
and many women that do not need TO
call more than general attention to it as po-
lite pastime. 1t certainly ranks as one of
the necessary accomplishments Of thor
ough gentleman, and as a sport it should.
in my mind, be placed at the head of all;
for chance enters into it in the very least
degree; it requires head work Of the most
exacting kind, firm muscles and good bodily
health, and skill that is developed only by
long and careful training. 1t is a game
that cultiyates the gentlemanly qualities,
courtesy, fairness, even generosity. So sell
dom is a dispute, much less quarrel, gen
Grated at the table, that when, on rare &C.
casions, high words are heard over a game
everybody concludes at once that the dis
putants have no business with the cue.
In the course of many years. experience as
billiard player, various questions have been
put to me about the game. l shall try to
give an answer to all of them at this time
and to anticipate some other questions
which might naturally be asked. In re-
to play it we'll, billiards is much like the
piano and other musical Instruments. The
hrst lesson must be taken early in life and
practice must be unintermittent as long as
man is in the field. Few men ca become good
performers on the piano or violin, as l I'M
derstand it, if they begin to play after ar
irving at mature years. By that time the
fingers have become comparatively rigid,
and incapable Of acquiring not rapid action,
but delicacy of touch, without which per-
formance on the piano can never rank high.
1t Is certainly the case in billiards. Deli
cacy and precision count for more than
force, and dsiicacy can be acquired only
by beginning early. / should say as a gen
eral rule that one who desires to become
good billiard player should begin at the
age of IA or Is. All the muscles are supple
at this time and the perceptive faculties
alert. 1t is essentially the teachable age.
One who begins earlier, that is at Z or s, as
is the case with musicians, is liable to learn
more by rote, and thus acquire a certain
mechanical proficiency which will be of
little value until by the exercise of percsp-
tlon and Judgment the player learns how to
treat novel or difficult position on his
own responsibility.
Few boys probably have any distinct
idea at 10 OF making great experts of them
selves; and fewer parents would choose
such career for their children. Not that
the calling Of billiards is low in any sense,
but that the opportunities for good income
from 1t are not generally recognized. It is
looked upon properly enough as a pastime,
and yet combining SO much mental and
physical science as it does, it is eminently
worthy OF the study required to develop it's
possibilities on the part of those naturally
qualified for the work. This brings up an
important point; not everybody, even by
the most patient discipline, can become
hot raatl -,
tain natural qualifications that must be
possessed by billiard player, just as there
are special talents for commerce. literature
the law, or the arts. Without them a man
had better content himself with the fun of
the game moderately played, and in this he
will find plenty of recreation, genuine pleas
ure, and, by choosing his antagonists prop
erly. great deal of that emulation which
is the life OF all games and pursuits. 1t Isl
fact that beyond a certain point no player
can improve. This point varies with each
individual, but in the individual it is abso-
lutely fixed. 1t is not always reached by
players, because not everybody knows how
to develop his natural qualifications to their
utmost; but when that has been done the
most persistent practice will add nothing to
his effectiveness
The natural qualifications for billiards
may be set down as l. good eye, 2, steady
hand, 3, quick and accurate perception of
angles, 4, grace of movement. To these
should be added that element of success in
all undertakings. persistence. Without all
these a boy had better take to some other
game or business, for he can never develop
into anything better than very moderate
player. Anyone may learn the game SO
thoroughly that he can appreciate the finest
play, and even see how a shot must be
made; but it is quite a different thing to
take cue in hand and execute the shot.
A mathematician might tell an expert play
er volume of facts about the angles of
play, the direction a ball will take after
hitting a cushion at a given angle, the
amount and kind of force required to send
a ball from given point to another and
make given carom successfully; but it is a
| thousand to one that the expert would
execute all the shots discussed while the
scientist would fail on simple carom.
Suppose, however, that young man has
all the natural qualifications for playing,
then he must without fail keep his hand in
| after once beginning. A good eye and a
steady hand must be trained, and an accurate
| idea OF angles must be developed until it
becomes second nature to select at once the
| right spot on cushion at what a ball must
| strike after carom. Grace of motion is
| all important because no man can play &C.
curately who plays awkwardly. The arm
must swing freely and naturally. 1t never
| does to grasp the cue in such a style that
you are conscious of the least tension of the
| muscles.
Amateurs who play pretty steadily sfor
| several years without apparent improve
ment are probably ignorant of many de-
tails in the game. They may not realize
just how certain oft recurring positions may
be best utilized. In such cases a great i'm
progement may be effected by taking few
lessons from professional. A profess
sional, it should pc understood, is not one
who merely plays the game for stakes, but
who makes his living out of the game.
That is, one who devotes his entire atten-
ton to it. There are no frst-class amateurs
in America. Mr.. Orville eddie of Brook
Ign, the amateur champion, is the nearest
approach to it. This may seem startling
statement to the many who play every day
and who have among their personal friends
men who run more than hundred in vail
play; but professionals generally will ad-
NIT that it is true. The reason probably
lies in the fact that few Americans devote
enough of persistent attention to the game
but it is also fact that Americans are
naturally the best players in the world,
with Frenchmen second. Yet the French
have many first-class amateurs. The diff
ference lies in the fact that while Americans
learn more quickly, the French devote
| %o