The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-11-08

During these days Of graphology, physi
ognomy and bootology-if | may coin a
word for the science of character studying
from ones old boots-it will not be sur
prising to learn that mans many weak.
ncsses and good or bad qualities invaria
bly, manifest thcmqelves when "cannou.
ing or hazurding' with the fascinating
worries. Let me see a man play hundred
up, and will tell you with unerring ac.
curacy more about his everyday character
than the ordinary observer would know
after years of close Intercourse.
A well known authority. in "A treatise
on billiards, by way of warming to the
| tyro, says, "BeyN-e Of the man who car.
ries the chalk in his trousers pocket ano
calls the m1rkcr John. for verify he Is &
sharp. With all due Difference to the writ
or of the advice, ! must say that my own
experience is in direct antipodes to his
aphorism. The sharp Of today Is not SO
easily spotted. Nou see that man playing
over at the far table possessed of n child.
like and land maunerY We'll, that IL the
modern billiard sharp With patent lea th.
er boots aud dressed with faultless taste
he lies In wait for the unsuspicious nnd
conilding learner To all appearances he
is perfect stranger to the marker, and II
would not do to hint that the latter If
subsidized and goes whacbs" in the spoil
Our gentleman sharp you will notice, in
quires innocently the way to turn the
marking board, makes tremendous mum
Der of scientific misses, does not carry the
chalk IN his pocket makes shots worthy
| OF Roberts himself and then apologies foi
them 10 his unsuspecting opponent as
"beastly lukes." He is most profuse with
~ beg your pardon, sir when he "unin
[ Tot Ia,
and assures him, with every expression Of
| sincerity, that she played for screw can
non.
AT the commencement of the game he in.
sinuatingly suggests that the small sum
of 2s. Cd. shall be "A stake on the game, not
for the sake of having IA bet, but just to
have IA little interest i'm the game, while
his real reason is to have both principal
and interest in his pocket. He never wins
by too many, and then he has been "ex.
| ceedingly lucky to win, " ''the balls ran
for him" but he will give his opponent
"double or quits on the next game If he
cares to have his revenge. He constantly
calculates "lIard lines, sir" "You are
bavingall the bad luck, - and so the sharp.
plucks his pigeon.
From my experience | should say that no
game of skill in the world brings out a
man = meauness like billiards There is a
mean man playing. Watch him prepare
for the combat. Probably he has argued
his friend into giving him half the game,
for he never plays with stranger-he
! might get taken in, he says. See him care
| fully chalk his cue, and with what care
and anxiety he gives the preliminary miss
in balk, his face expressive of his mental
agony for fear the ball should stop out of
| balk. Watch him during the progress of
| the game, how he walks round the tab
and views the position Of the balls when
1t is his stroke from every part of the ta
ble lest he should by an oversight give
| his opponent an advantage. His hesita-
| ton over each shot is prolonged, and wheu
he does make up his mind to strike his
nervous prostration is terrible as the balls
| go spinning round the table, and he knocks
one of the shades off ms he nourishes his
cue about in his endeavor to influence the
course Of the balls. Great is his disap-
| pointment when he fails TO score Listen
| to his grumbles deep and loud when his ad
versary brings Off "a fluke." Let us leave
| him, for it is dreadfully painful to play
| with him, and to see him grudgingly part
with shilling, if he be the loser, is like
| having tooth drawn. "When found" in
billiard room, 'make note of aud
life and soul of the room. He doesn't care
n straw whether he wins or loses He
| wants game aud means to enjoy It.
| Which bail do prefer" he says. ~
don't care. They are both round" OF he
| goes, forgets to chalk his cue and then
| laughs heartily when he gives miss, rare
| ly asks for points, and If you beat him
| will ask you to have cigar, tips the mark.
| er and laughs loud and long when you
make some extraordinary fluke, You play
carelessly with the generous man, and as
a consequence often get beaten, but you
| take your defeat kindly enough from "a
man like this
The grumbler and the mean man at bill
| lizards are very much akin, and you take a
! keen delight, in which the spectators par
! ticipate, in giving him sound beating
He is to be met with in every large room,
and whether the game be pool, pyramids
| or billiards his grumbles are to the fore,
to the annoyance of every one, with the
result that he gets intensely hated. He lie
always being 'sold'' at pool and is "the
unluckiest man in the world" "Gets the
yellow ball, which is crooked, nine times
out of ten, and he "missed certain divi
sion through one of the spectators ordering
Il mild and bitter" His tip always come.
off on an important stroke which would
have won him the game, he "missed big
break through his ball, which, by the way
is anything but round, jumping over an
infinitesimal piece of chalk ON the cloth, >
which the marker fails to find "There is
not "A straight cue in the room, ;" the cush.
ions are too slow or too fast, bad light,
the gas flickers, the room is drafty. Who
can make a shot with all this rowi And
the marker is the worst he ever metal
ways talking to some one and not paying
attention to the game.n One would won
der that he continues to play with all these
various conditions against him. He leaves
the room in temper every night, to the
great relief of the frequenters, solemnly
vowing that he will never play again, only
TO bob up grumblingly the next night. He
can't help it, poor fellow! 1t is his nature
Watch that youth over there He has just
been talking of a big 80 break he made
while ON his recent holidays and playing
the marker of the hotel at Sloshcum-on
the-Sand "Take pointsy" Not hel "Wil
> play the best player In the room level.
He rolls up his sleeves, takes the chalk GU
of his pocket and after n big flourish com
mences the game The uninitiated are pre-
pared for something big, but are doomed
p TO disappointment, as the youngster is onl
an empty boaster just learning to play
9 and after being hopelessly beaten by G
says he is out of form tonight and the tabl
does not suit him. He is quite content I
4. part with his shilling II he conveys tn
impression that he is great player -
t London Sporting Life
4 Captain Richard Hill Mate grand ma
ter of the G. L. o. o. +. of England, HI
. 4. NH...s s...lL F..N.a