The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-14
BILLIARD MONOPOLY.
IN Break II Sexton Advises a Change
In Rules.

shot" OuBnI " W ~ AsAANOA NeAASAAA
che Game That Would Be Popular.
All Champion Games Should Be
PLAYED In the Evening.
Copyright 1ss4.)
New York, Jan. 13.-The ''anchor" shot
.ngbt TO go" In fact am in favor of
0rooaning change of the rules at present
warming the billiard world. Balk line,
91tbink. has had it's day, and should give
-,ov tn A game which can enlist the serv-
,ces of the greatest number of skilled
.lovars and at the same time interest the
pnblic. Cushion caroms 1 believe to be
hat game. Balk line has been now in
rogue ten years and has developed but
three masters of the art, Schaefer, Ives
and Slosson. With these men it has been
sveritable rule of three. They have the
name between themselves. In a word
thew enjoy a monopoly, have formed a
.ort of billiard trust and pocket
all the gold and glory. Daily,
carter. YOUR humble servant and
otber American billiard players
besides the French experts are COM
nletelv shut out. l don't blame the boys
for sticking to a game which pays them
~ handsomely, but it is unfair to the
rest of the players who could make an
even break with this famous trio at some
other kind of play. l know that when /
was champion-and l was for ten years
would take a chance at any Kind of
game. cushion carom straight rail play,
or any kind of game. And met such ex-
pertsas Maurice Vignaux, Albert GARNER,
lake Schaefer, George Slosson, A. p.
Rudolph, Garlic and Joseph Dion, Melvin
Foster, Maurice DAILY, Louis Schan and
Jobn Bessinger. The present "big thee"
however, won't hear of anything but
chalk line" and that with the uncer-
tainties of it's anchors, - and "straddles"
makes it anything but an interest
ing game. Ives and Slosson want the
"anchor'' barred, but Schaefer, who is
truly a wizard" in his manipulation of
the shot simply laughs at the proposition.
It bis his strong point and jacob cannot
be blamed for strongly advocating Its
maintenance. At, balk line with the
anchor shot permitted, Schaefer is with
out a peer and well does Ives know it.
The young Napoleon" is easily second,
while STUDENT Slosson brings up the
rear. With the 'auchor' barred the trio
would put up a rafting good fight for the
mastery Ives, however, l think, would
cross the line a winner at this game, with
Schaefer second and Slosson good third.
That the anchor shot should be barred
is proposition that few will gainsay
The element of luck enters too largely
with it. Say two players of equal merit
participate in game when thousands of
dollars besides the championship is at
stake. 1t is a match of 900 points. One
PLAYER catches the anchor, say, at the
fifth or sixth inning, what earthly chance
has the other fellow to win the gameif
the first named has consummate nerve
and extreme delicacy of touchl None what
ever That was proven in the last game
of the recent tournament between Schae-
fer and Ives. The young Napoleon" had
but so points up when the wizard" made
his phenomenal run of $50, which with
the "a he had already on the string, COM
pleted the score. Jake might have kept
in for thousand points if his physical
powers had not become impaired In
cushion carons and other. kinds of bill
lizards such nursing would be impossible
and neither contestant would be abso-
lutely sure of winning until the last but
ton would 90 up.
Here let me state, what may not be gen.
orally known, that there are two kinds of
anchor shots. The first is when the OBJ.
lect balls are astride the balk line, one
against the cushion, the other a wee bit
from it. The second is where both object
balls are astride the balk line and firmly
wedged against the cushion. The anchor
nurse is maintained by striking the object
balls with the greatest possible delicacy.
If the player but barely touch them with
the cue ball and the object balls are per-
feet spheres he willnot disturb the center
OF gravitation, and the weigh of the balls
keeps them in place. Should the player
touch the first object ball too full or with
the thousandth degree too great force,
the center of era vi a tiOr1 ic Lost and tho
balls drift apart. Achievements in this
speciality is only given to those who pos
sess the keenest eyesight. most delicate
touch and extraordinary control of nerve.
AT this particular play Schaefer beats all
living men, and Ives is an easy second.
Patlent, studious, Flooding players like
George Slosson and Maurice DAILY, for in
stance, could never master it. 1t was by
lne first anchor" nurSe-where one OBJ
lect ball is slightly moved from the
cushion-that Schaefer made his record
breaking run of 500; the second anchor"
where both object balls are wedged
against the cuShion-was employed by
Ives when he made his then unbeaten
record run of 456 at Chicago.
A particular reason urged for the aboli-
tlon of the anchor shot is that in the
course of nursing indentations or "holes, :"
as Napoleon Ives put it, are made in
VIC udOle ClOIn ana UndJ ~Lne player VINO
nrst secures the anchor cannot possibly
lose 1t If he possess any nerve at all, as
lhe object balls secure a sort of founda-
uon from which only carelessly strong
touches can root them. | hardly think
mat this argument holds good Certainly
ball If pounded continuously, though
even gently, against given spot for a
lengthy period is almost sure to make an
I1uentation on the cloth and thus aid a
payer in a measure in solidifying an an
.chor for the time being, but that could
not obtain in a second game of a tourna-
Ment as the table cloth is changed
every night and no "hole" could be
N the new cloth. Hence l maintain
mat Schaefer made his great run fairly
ana squarely in the last night of the re-
cent tournament and that Ives insinua-
aon that the cloth was "holed" was de-
cldedly unjust If balk line billiards is
70 continue advocate by all means the
abolition of the anchor shot. Many
plans have been discussed by eminent
DIlardists for getting around it, but l
lhlnk the simplest way is the best. I
would suggest that a small semi circle of
say SIX inches radius be drawn about
each diamond on the table, and
mat one of the object balls be forced
OUT Of the semi-circle after the
execution of single shot This would
aI once prevent anchors ''straddles, },
ana unlimited rail play. A man would
really be compelled: to study the game
tnen and it would be made decidedly in
'sresting by diversified and open play.