The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-07-25


ment graveyard"
Even Champions are Fooled.
"Only one man ever got the best
of me, and that was an old gentle
man from Wisconsin," said Carter.
II met him in billiard hall at Chi
cago, and he proposed that we play
a game. was to triple discount
him. We played one game, in which
I fooled along and let him beat me
quite badly. Then he proposed that
we play for $40 a game. l was
little surprised at the old fellows
nerve, but I said all right, and we
played. I thought to myself, now
I'll just railroad this old fellow
along, let him win the first game
and see what he will want to play
the next one for. So l threw off
and let him win. AS he made the
last shot he threw his cue down,
took the money from the stake
holder and started off. Hold on
I said to him come back and we'll
play some more.' oh no, he said,
I never play you professionals
more than one game, | guess you
are the sucker this time and he
walked away chuckling, while the
crowd gave me the laugh"
can amusing thing occurred while
/ was keeping a billiard hall down
in St. Louis" said Shaefer. II got
up a six-day tournament. Among
the spectators was an old fellow who
had come in from the country es-
pecially for the tournament and
who had attended every game. On
the fifth night after the matches
were over l went into a side room
to practice a little. While l was
there the old man from the country
came in. He watched me for about
half all hour, and then exclaimed:
We'll, I've seen all these st. Louis
cracks play, but I'm darned If |
don't think you can beat any of
them.' / thanked him, but doubt
whether he knows to this day that
he was talking to the champion
billiard player Of the world"
"Jake and I had an amusing ex-
perience on one of our trips" said
Carter. "We had given an exhibi-
ton in Cincinnati and Columbus
and were on our way back to Chi
cago. We had to lie over at Dan
bury, Ill.,, little town, for about
four hours. We went into place
which was restaurant, saloon and
billiard room combined to get some
thing to eat. After eating we got
to knocking the balls about in an
Indifferent sort of way. After a
while Shaefer, who, of course was
unknown, remarked to some peo-
pie who were standing around that
he could beat anybody in the town
playing four ball game. Some
body said that they had man there
who could beat him. The propri-
etor called Shaefer aside and with
| frightened look told him not to
make a match, because there was a
barber in the place who few days
before had run fifty points with
three balls. Jake said he didn't
care he was willing to play him a
four-ball game for $50. In the mean
time one of the natives had disap-
peared, and came back with the
barber, who said he was willing to
play right there for $50. Jake had
no idea of playing, he just wanted
to "string him on a little They
put up the money and logged Tor
the shot. The game was to be 400
points. Jake purposely let the bar
Der have the first shot, and watched
him make a run of about twenty.
Then Jake went in and missed. The
barber made another small run and
Jake missed again. They kept this
up until the barber had over 200
and Jake had not counted a point.
Then Jake got the balls on the cush-
ion and run up 400 points almost
before the astonished barber could
realize what was going on. Jake
did not take the money, and when
he identified himself the barber was
almost paralyzed. The proprietor
came near having fit to think
Shaefer had played in his house,
and overwhelmed US with courtesies
/ anr;nn the rest of the time we were