Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-08-24
PUSHING THE CUE.
SOME OF THE WHEELING WORSHlPPERS OF
THE GREEN BAIzE.
PLAYERS Who Are Born Players-Others Who
Steal the Business Acknowledging
Home Billiardists and Their
FancieS.
DWELL. wasn't that a daisy.n

- w ell, WASH lucil a AtAiog
$50 way, you didn't count tall.
Didn't count.well | should cough up a
sandwich. | struck that red ball right
square on the flank
BY the Egyptian pyramids, you didn't
come within gun shot OF that pail.
Didn't, well now, see here -
II, cave it to that gentleman there"
Well, | guess not, 1 know what
Now, you see here, I"
This is only sample of billiard parlance
frequently heard in the inner circles OF the
ball and cue. a..
Some are born poets, some steal the
business afterwards, and some have hard
wood clubs thrus upon them. So 1t IS with
billiard players. ii,
~ can't conceive what it IS, said
prominent Wheeling gentleman, VINO was
standing in the rotunda of the Mcclure
House, to REGISTER reporter put mere
is something mysterious about billiards;
something fascinating and irresistably at
tractive TO a certain proportion OF the male
beings" and surely IL IS. The un0roken
expanse of green, the resilency OF the cush-
ions, and the magic sound Of the polished
ivOries-all seem 70
LEND SWEET CHARM
which weighs alike upon the neophite and
the cOnnOisseur. The difference between
ball tossing and billiard playing seems to
be that while the former has its admirers,
the latter has is lovers. a few hours
passed in any of the billiard halls about
town, will offer fund of amusement TO
which the blaSe attendant upon stage com
edy is a comparative stranger. Various
bizarre phases of character Obtrude them
selves upon the attention with piquancy
entertaining to ihe last degree. 1t goes
without saying that the game of bill.
lizards is one of skill It's
votaries who would successfully court re-
nown, in addition to the facility and self
possession which practice begets, must be
endowed with an instructive appreciation
of the relation Of angles and delicacy of
touch TO which the average scrub player IS
stranger.
well do | remember some Of the old
time players whoused TO tickle the worries
so they'd smile, said an old billiard
rounder to REGISTER reporter. Harry
Grenaweg was one of the stiffest four-ball
billiard players Wheeling ever knew.
Don't you remem)er when he played
THE GREET MAURICE DAILY
in the old Sprigg House, where the Wind
sor now stands some twenty-three years
ago Harry was knocked out, TO be sure,
put ut.Dul up IL ItCN Edllt.
Among the Other crack players who used
to figure among The early school of players
was tho late Ge0'ge Black, who put up a
hard game to bea. William Wheat, now
in St. Louis, usei to entertain the boys
with some gable-and Billiards. as did also
Harry Warden AID George Bliss, the last
of whom is generally recorded TO have once
been the best 3-blll straight carOm player
in the city Bills is now the attendant at
the Monarch Bilard Hail. at the corner
of Market and Twelfth streets. In 1879 he
ran up a string Of l45 billiards. Although
considerably out IF practice now, he con-
tinues to play a fairly strong game. 1t
may be well TO remark right here. that
Bliss was still mGe in his element as apool
PLAYER. in those earlier days Ii is also
known that amonf others of our prominent
citizens who pushtd the cue in the earlier
days was Alexander Mitchell, who played
a very pretty andsccntfic game.
Among the lOc, billiard players who
have come into Prominence in recent years
are
SOME IALF DOZEN
who put up an almost equally meritorlous
game 1t will doubtless be readily con-
ceded that Lewis Delaplain stands well up
in the front rank of vOtaries. Mr. Della
plain is perhaps the strongest three-ball
player in the city. He plays a somewhat
deceptive game, and just such game as Is
calculated to puzzle an opponent Mr.. Del
aplain in his execution is perhaps not the
embodiment of ease and grace, but like that
wingless bug of the genus elmer lcctWdrilS,
he gets there Just the same. Mr.. Della
plain has a record at the three-ball game
of 173.
Among the very interesting players to
watch is Prof Herman NJ Schockey who
runs almost exclusively TO fancy shots, and
in this he easily eXcels. SO prone is the
professor to fancy strokes that he Will
frequently attempt them at the sacrifice OF
much easier ones. and while he may lose
the game. has the satisfaction Of knowing
that he is the sole author of some almost
inexplicable gyrltions. The professor has
the balls well under control, and in some of
his manipulations the cold, inanimate
worries do everything but speak. The
professor also plays a fine bank shot game,
as does also Mr. Bliss, both being credited
in
THIS DIFFICULT GAME
with the remark able runs of from 10 to IL.
Another of the leading as well as one OF the
best known PLAYERS in town is f.. NJ. Stat
Ter. proprietor OF the Mcclure House bill
lard hall Mr. Statler plays uniform
and progressive game. and the opponent
who plays him, and thinks he can win and
read a newspaper at the same time, always
wears a tired and detected look at the close
of the contest If we have any phenoms in
Wheeling, it is probably in the person OF
young Osce Statler, especially in the line
Nt.a aInND