New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-26
BILLIARDS AND TEMPERANCE.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE POPULAR GAME
CONSTANT INCREASE IN THE SKILL REQUIRED

--ABsTEMIOUS HABITS MADE NEChssNhh'
Among the many men Of note who ma plcas'h'
diversion In playing billiards. one OF the most ell
thusiastic is Mark Twain. MIR. Clemens possesses
or did at time. more than the average I'll sMii
among amateurs. and HIS victories were far more
humorous hhn his defeats lie tells Of experience
at billiard playing that he enjoyed some years ago
when he was travelling in the West that, like all OF
his stories, is well worth repeating. The narrative
however must necessarily lose some OF It's merit wheh
written because of the mpossibty of incorporating
his lnimitably funny drawl.
al was I'm n country town" said he, and having
nothing to do for a few hours thought I'd amuse my
self PLAYING a game or two Of billiards. | strollcd
into n ROOM and being entirely unacquaintcd win
any one asked q stranger who was sitting near one
Of the tables II he wouldn't like to play game Inc
stranger eyed closely for moment, ~ II 10 make
m his mind whether was sharp and then sald
he wouldn't mind playing if he knew how well
plavcd. After a little conversation he suggested That
| should get set Of balls aud knock them about a
lit so that he could estimate the strength 81 my game
didn't do very we'll under the circumstances, ana
| was highly pleased when the stranger said on
pshaw. I'll play you with my left hand, and you can
use your right
Here thought !. Is regular "puddlns' III
do him up. sure
"Wc strung for the lead and won H. but missed
the first shot and left the balls set up for the
stranger The stranger smiled little. and then
went to work and the game out The fellow was
left handed anyhow
There have been many developments In the game
Of billiards since those provincial times when II was
thought hv many To be hardly rc-pc'ia liable sport
In these DAYS arn6S every home ~ prcentious equip
mcnt contains a billiard room. and prohccn at the
game is regarded ~ an cnviahc accomplishment The
billiard room Is to-day the most popular attachment
Of every clubhouse. and the public rooms have be
come themselves the clubs Of many young men VINO
are unable 10 afford the expense % membership IN
the high priced clubs In former times the public
rooms were used mere adluncts - barrooms kind
Of nducemcnt for gathering together men Of bbulou'
tastes and habits. Th, condition has teen entirely
reversed In late years. Now the bar j. merely an IN
cidenta attachment. q convenience for the supply
mainly Of temperance beverages.
There is an excellent reason for this reversal OF ~
| ations between the bar and the billiard rooms VITA
tho increase II the game, popularity. there came
universal rivalry for proficiency The vcric-t novice
| knows that no man can play well who drinks IN
! toxicating liquors dining game. To Go so Is 10
shoulder "a almost impossible handicap ana IN"
player who sb.alns IS {" defeat the one who In
dulgcs though the latter should BE- degree the
better PLAYER under ordinary conditions. SAIL al
billiards requires the steadc- Of nerves of mana an"
eye, and perfect judgment Of force. The proprietor
! Of room or the Griuacr who would contend that
liquor improve, such condition, would be laughed al
by ever the tyros. The professionals who have made
National reputation, would almost a, readily s"aIIo"
a dose Of Rough on Rat to drink liquor when
engaged IN contc-t Tho players Of the present
day. and there are among them many men. young
and old whose place, II business and In society
are Of the highest have realized that the game and tho
habit ~ drinking uucouecnal a, oil ana water,
and a. - result the billiard and bar rooms have
become practically separated.
While thl, publication prooe-s going on tho
game itself developed among professional
la lgpfl tafdf fl
but steady, until II now Is suppo.cd
to have reached the highest possible point There
are not many players now alive who remember the
style Of the game originally PLAYED in this country.
/ 10 which II wa, imported from England. siA by
twelve table with six pocket, and four balls. was
used and the player counted one, two. or three points
on each stroke. II player managed to gct his
cue BAH and ono Of the object balls on spot in
line with a pocket lac could pocket and spot the ball
almo, a, many time, he pleased and en- rmons runs
were made. Thi, sort Of play became monotonous TO
the spectators and The spot PLAY was barred THIS
was the first step in the development Of the game INA
mi, country Afcrwari the number If pocact, wa
gether This created what WAS known. aud J, Vet. ~
The American fourball game. The next step wa,
10 reduce the size Of the table to five feet bN ten
which has remained the expert standard ever since
although a majority Of the table, manufactured foi
public use are only four and half feet hy niAe.
Having established standard tahl' the game was
J nctt improved by taking away one Of the red ball,
This made the French carom or three ball game
Which remains the tc,t Of amateur skill the present
day when such PLAYERS ~ SloSson schaefcr. NignnuN
and McKcnna had acquired - degree Of skill tina, en-
ablcd them ~ many hundreds or thousands :"
nouts ms they pleased almost, the public became
tired Of the monoiony and further development bccnmC
necessary for spectator, do not care - paw 10 Nlthe7
contest, Of endurance at the billiard ian" go q,
For "A time cushion Carom, war popular. but VIC
fcklc public tired Of this also, for ~" reason ihai 81
did not permit 81 long runs. rms bowed thai .pcc
t,tors while not wishing Ia on" contestant ~ Inc
table all the time, still had KIM on ionInre, i"
seeing runs Of comparative length u accomplished DN
.tt1 not - IA
mcnt the Champion game wa, lntr"unc'n' mn
consisted Of drawing lines from the fir, diamond o.
rh eh,ifri nI,ve- found q wnv 10 gather the ball
hu IN" rail out de of the prohibited area. and
position aud stroke tHat would send them clca'
across inc halkcd corner to similar position TN
noyt rail thus rail nursing the most monotonous
all stylcS Of P'nI e, n,',"' boI @i" wr
ith nursing ON inc rail line being drawn entirely
around the table eight inches from the rail- inside .
make this game st moro dmcrlt, nc lln" wnS draw
a. ,or,4ncn inches FROM the ras. and this Il supnosc
~ the highest degree Of SIKH possible II
D ~, ,hcc changes have been mode with the ohicc
~ Interesting The spectators, and the coming haudcnl
! tournament in this city has been arranged 80 tInt ~
n,n niavcr will occiipv maortv 81 the tinc NJ th
th,c In mis- respect the arrangement although ~
experiment gives proms" 81 being highly successful
nccGcd nv thc TACT that he viii play ihc fourteen
inch game against the II E inch gam" ~ me Others
,rcrn 70 roncedc odds OF points and play the sam
( Jane as The others he would. Of course. have To- IL
| most OF .hc PLAYING to win and this would snrcl
become monotonous TO tho -pcctatorS Inst rs IN
caee I'm the games of the past The eight inch players
! under the present arrangement, Will have 10 NAH
moro nontg than Slnsson TO win. and they VIII have
nro,ahlv as many chances 10 mahe tho required bn'
/ minis as Sloeeon will have. This VIII make IN
contests even aud exciting and III" cghtlnch PLAYER
will DO seen fully often atthc table rs the scratch
/ man M tho fourteen lrci.
1T is = atty that with the DEVELOPMENT and rurlHca
ton Of The game and IL surroundings more prosrrs
cnud NOT have been made IN preventing the operation
1 ~ .. eiarps who make q living Nv oIfrappinc an'
I svlndlinq voung piavcrS u Tic public rooms SOM
| ~ the first class rooms protect 'hcr patrons IRON
.nch nlayers lint in other places, the "sharpsr ~
encouraged. II not nhcttcd. r their operations Tn
as sharp" conc"as his skill. pcrsnadcs or pidic' ~
opponcnt 10 the betting ront and then wins hv jus
enough margin To keep the victim betting 10 vii
hack his losses He never wins. however. and II III
bets often and long enough the "eharp" gets all hi
money Men who hecOme intoxicated are the cas-