The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-22

hotels in the evening considerable throngs
gather to watch the game there.
The merit of the game lies In its SIM
plicity and yet its extraordinary difficult.
ties. 1t can be understood by a person
who knows but little of billiards, while the
more delicate shots and the more exact
calculations which skill in it require are
keenly appreciated by such experts as
Schaefer, Daily, Slosson, Sexton and others.
1t Is called cornes game, and it is COM
paratively easy to describe in cold type.
Only two balls are employed, a white and
red one. The balls are placed upon the
table as indicated by the accompanying
diagram. The red ball is put into the
lower right hand corner, SO that it
touches both cushions at the angle. A
chalk mark is drawn so as to bring the
left hand lower corner within three or
four inches distance from it, and the mark
is made in the form of the seq ment of a
circle. The white ball may be placed
anywhere upon q table below the lower
spot-point.
The purpose of the game is to drive the
red ball from the lower right-hand corner
across the table within the segment of
circle indicated by the chalk line around
the lower left-hand corner. To do this,
however, it is a rule of the game that the
white ball must first take two cushions
take the left-hand cushion and then the
upper cushion, and may take as many
cushions as the player deems advisable.
Two cushions beginning with the left
hand it must take.
The first player is allowed ten shots, and
be IS very poor player who can not be-
fore he has used up all these shots bring
the red ball out of the corner. Ii the
player does not within ten shots drive the
ball into the marked space ut the lower
left hand corner, he makes a little mark
with bit of chalk to indicate where the
ball stood after the tenth shot, and then
the second player has his chance. If he
does not make the game within his oppor-
tunity, he marks upon the billiard table
/ the point where the red ball was left, and
then the first puts the red ball upon the
mark which he made and has a single
shot. IL he does not make the corner the
second player has his opportunity, placing
the red ball whore it was left by him on
his previous play.
IL has been discovered that Ii is possible
to drive the red ball in with one shot. 1t
was done once in Paris, and Mr.. Deery,
the professional, did it once TO the amaze
ment OF large throng of spectators In
New York city. His shot, however, was
scratch shot, and he afterward spent
much time i'll anasyZing 1t, ana discovered
that If the white ball, after taking two
cushions, was brought with sufficient
force to the lower right-hand corner to
strike the lower cushion an inappreci-
able fraction OF time before it struck
the red ball, that it would give a
motion TO the red bali which would
carry it along the lower cushion to the
| left-hand corner. The shot, however
Is an extraordinarily difficult one. The
| leit-hand cushion must be struck by the
| white ball at a spot which Will give the
| exact angle to the upper cushion. The
| variation of fraction of an inch meas
| ured by more than hairs breadth will
| cause the shot to be futile. Then there
| must be given TO the white ball exactly
| the amount OF force, and that is a diff
| cult thing to determine. Ii the stroke
| IS too heavy, the red ball will enter the
| lower left-hand corner and then roll out;
| if it is too light, there will not be sutfi-
| cient force impaired to it to carry 1T to the
| corner.
Some of the best players in New York
| viii sometimes win the game after four or
| i've strokes, but there IS much of uncer-
| tainty about doing II, even when the
| player uses his highest skill. and 1t Is this
| element OF uncertainty which has caused
| the game TO be a f31orite with those who
| delight TO lay money upon billiards.
| Probably by the time of the Worlds fair
| the game will have secured q favor through
| out the country suggesting 10 some extent
| the craze which has followed It's introduce
ton in New York city from Paris.
! joins MITCHIE.