The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-24

from which the birds are liberated.
Apropos TO pigeon shooting, IL Is interesting
10 note that sooner or later the thoughtful
hunter realizes the advantage. IL not the
necessity, If being able Ia shoot with equal
accuracy and quickness from either shoulder.
This was forcibly brought To the mind OF a
sportsman who invariably shot from his right
shoulder, while trampina through hit Of
wooded land in Warwick ono afternoon. A
rabbit.started up about 10 yards away on his
right and before he could bring the gun to
his shoulder and swing his body around in
order 10 get a fair shot, "bunnie" had
lodged behind a ciump Of bushes. and was
scudding away over the snow. There and
then ID became apparent that IL he could
have shot from his left shoulder, Instead OF
having to waste precious seconds In turning
his body, his chances Of bagning tho game
would have been greater.
man ND in Maine lost a moose because Of
Just such n position last fall, and now he
stands in his room every night, and with his
rife, aims five times from his left shoulder TO
one FROM his right at various objects, until
the practice tires him ou..
From Ceiina. o., comes the news that the
State has gone into tho "pheasantry" busi-
ness. That is 10 say, the fish and game COM
missioners arc raising ring necked and Mon
golian pbensants for the purpose OF practically
restocking the State. Last year they had 30
pairs Of old birds to start with. and batched
about 325 young ones. From those on hand
the commissioners calculate that 1000 or 1000
birds ought to be bred.
DUDLEY KAvASAG1' BILLIARD BALL.
Dudley Kavanagh, tho champion of billi-
ards, in the days of the supremacy of the old
four-ball American game. says the Now York
Sun, recited this amusing incident:
about 30 years ago. when kept a billiard
room in Fulton street, got ont n box OF
worries one winter morning to do some prac-
tsing before my customers would arrive.
had been playing for about five minutes, when
l undertook to make a sharp drive with the
spot ball. struck II fairly in the middle, the
cue going clean through the ball, knocking out
what tho experts call the heart or center of
the ball. IL got chilled and had cracked all
around the center. The ball was ruined for
regular playing purposes. but bad heaps of
fun with IL afterward. 1 explained to certain
OF my customers who were jovial sort If fell
lows, fond of a joke. that we could make a
joker OF the cracked ball.
IL found when replaced tho heart that
the ball had all the appearances Of sound
one, and that the 'heart' would remain in
place until the ball was struck sharply. These
customers who were aware OF the secret
would como in occasionally with other friends
and start game. When the proper time
came the man who had been selected as the
victim of the joke would be engaged in con-
versatiop with one of the players. while an
other would slyly remove one of the sound
balls when the victim wasn't looking and re-
place il with the cracked ivory.
" It's your turn, GEORGE. one of tho iokers
would cry out, and then the victim played.
Sometimes on the very first stroke tho player
would knock the loose heart out of place.
and pinion the ball ON the tip Of his cue. The
shot generally astonished the spectators
Then they would roar with laughter and ap-
plaud with enthusiasm. The maker OF the
mysterious shot was Always the most bewi-
dered man in the establishment. He would
examine the pinoned ball closely, and then
scrutiDized the dislodged heart.
"'weIl. George they told him laugninely.
there isn't n professional alive who could
beat that shot. It's the greatest on record
"It was many, many months before that
| cracked ball ceased tn he a source of wonder
and amusement to the downtown business
men,"
SlnCe uhyb IN FultOn strrot, tno
same accident has occasionally happened, and
Sexton, Tim Flynn. George Slosson and
Maurice DAILY each have "heartiess" billiard
balls. which they keep as curiosities. Flynn's
specimen had tho "heart'' knocked out of 1t
in game of fifteen ball pool. whore the
player burst the pyramid in the effort to
pocket three balls or more on tho opening
stroke.
CHAMPION BARNES.
Sem Barnes, tho champion l5.ball pool
player of Texas, defeated j. l.. Malone, tho
champion of the world at, Dallas, Tex. on
Saturday night, by the score of IS to s3
Malone was to have pocketed 100 balls to
Barnes IS.
ISTERSATIoNAL CHESS TOURNAMENT.
Lacker, Steinitz, Tschinorin, Tarrasca and
Pllshury have entered the international chess
tournament to be played under tho auspices
of the German Chess Association at Nurem
berg in July.
Guy Richards, chairman OF the college com.
mittee ON the quadranguar boat race. says
In letter TO Harris :. Reynolds, secretary Of
the Pougbkcepsie rowing committee. that n
number of Saratoga citizens have offered
transportation for tho college crews and shells
ana the supply quarters and to flag and police
tho course the day Of the race. Railroad
companies have agreed TO transfer the
launches on fat cars free of charge. so that
the colleges would practically be relieved OF
all expense.
From the sentiment expressed at Pough.
keepsie, IL - thought that the local committee
will bo in position to incrsa'e it's offer. and
deal with the colleges as literally as Saratoga.