The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-04-12
IVES SHOULD AccEpT.
Winner OF Such Test Could Rlchtl
Claim tho Worlds Championship.

Winner OF Such n Test Could Rightly
Claim tho Worlds Championship.
My views on cushion carons as game
for professionals to play wore expressed In
4 a former article The slowness OF the
game alone rrccludes the possibility OF
its ever being acceptable to the public,
excepting for an occasional contess to vary
the mOnotony of the repeated balk-linc
| contest. For a steady diet II VIII not be
favored either by those who pat'onize BILL
| lizards for the sake OF seeing great stars
perform or by the amateur players every
where who naturally follow the leaders In
whatever gene they may ABORT.
Cushion carons are not commonly played
in billiard rooms Today Amateurs do not
like tho game, rs a fule though there VIII
occasionally be found oi,e who does. Cen
| orally he viii be found TO be payer VINO
has been unsuccessful In mnNsrihK the
nicer problems OF bals linc, such Is DELI
cate nursing, the masee. etc. In mH,y
cases player who can discount another
ut balkline finds hard work to hold with
| him ut cushion caroms. Nevertheless cush-
| ion carons arc a recognized branch of
| billiards. and quite as diffculttu master IN
| Its way as any other branch Until some
| thing occurs to change my opinion I shall
| believe Jacob Schnef.r TO be the greatest
| living exponent of this particular style OF
| billiards--irdeed, at all styles, with tho
| single exception of ualk-line. No mpreju-
diced person will deny % Frank c. Ives the
| credit of heing the grrntest PLAYER the
world has ever seen at balk-line billiards.
In single nights play Schaefer may win
| an occasional game against Ives. just as
| Slosson did against Schaefer when the lat
| ter was acknowledged to he considerably
the better player. On the whole. however,
Ives should win the large majority of
games.
| 1t has go happened that balk-line has
been the only game in vogue during ives
career as q player. He made his debut at
time when straight rail and cushion
caroms had been discarded. Schacfer was
then at the zenith of his fame. the unds-
| putcd champion of the world. The belief
| was frequently expressed that tho world
would never see another Schacfer. Jake
himself had probably come to share In this
belief. and feeling secure In his position
had ceased to practice for the purpose Of
| Improvement Ives. young. ambitious and
| gifted with wonderful natural talent, took
| up the game where Schaefer had loft off,
| making II n speciality and prarticing moth
| ing else. He was favored by opportunities
such rs no other young expert has ever
had
Schacfer who ha. always been the friend
of young players. recognizing In Ives tho
making of great expert. became his
teacher, giving him the benefit of u knowl-
edge and experience which It was IN the
power of no other man in the world to he
stow. Largely through his influence Ises
MAS, at an early period In his career. placed
on the salary list of manufacturing firm.
his solo duties being to practice playing
billiards and improve. lie was thus en-
abled to pursue his practice unlutesrupt-
cdly, being relieved of the burden of finan-
clal worry which has so hampered the ef-
forts Of every other Young expert.
Ives was not found lacking In that most
necessary OF all traits, application. Perhaps
no other living player has ever pract,ccd
and Studied SO diligently and Professionally
as Ives. No other player has been situated
where 1t was possible for him to do so.
Whether he would have succeeded so well
under less favorable circumstances no one
can say. My personal belief is That he
would. though 1t would probably have re-
CURED much longer time. BE thar IA II
may. we know that he has succeeded to
such an extent that he Is now considered
to outclass all other players In the world
II would he folly for s,chaefer or anyone
else to attempt longer to disguise tais fact.
His grand average thus far in the tonrna
ment now In progress is nearly double that
OF Schaefer and four times that of Garnicr
a contest, on even terms between players
of so wide II difference in speed is plainly
n farce. 1t IL therefore TO be hoped that
Mr. DAILY. the promoter of the tourna-
mcnts, viii In his own interests. so alter
the arrangements that the games to he |
played In Chicago will be at cushion car
oms, or If Mt eghteen-inch haliS-line, that |
a suitable handicap will be agreed upon In |
order that there may ho something like a |
contest If he fails to do this. his players |
will not draw enough people to make a |
noise. for Chcagoans are tho best critics In |
the world on billiards. and will not cross |
tho street. much less pay TO see n game |
where but one player has II chance to win. |
II is not likely that Schaefcr would accept |
odds from Ives. The tournament might |
proceed successfully however, for all that.
for. as have already stated, Schaefor Will |
always have II chance to win In IA single |
nights play.
GARNER, on the other hand. has shown
that he has 70 earthly chance against
either of the others. He should not play |
more than 800. or $50 at the very most
against the others 600. am much dis
appointed. by the way In Garn!ers show
ing. did not see him play while In Para.
but was told by the players that he ranked
as good as any French player next to
Nignaux. 1t must be that he has not done
himself justice so far. for Ives would sure
ly have known better than TO bring him
ever wern he not capable OF better work
than he has shown There are second rate
players in this country who would brcalt
into jail TO get game with GARNER II he
does not improve over his showing up TO
date.
II Is TO be hoped that Ives will reconsider
and conclude to accept Schaefcr's recent
challenge to play series OF matches nj
various styles of billiards. Such a series
would be welcomed by billiard patrons
inasmuch as II would furnish Just what
they want to see-novclty and variety of
play. II would do much good for billiards.
and do Ives reputation 70 harm II he We're
to lose. Indeed, 1t is difficult to SEQ where
Ives VIII have chance to play matches
at all IL he continued TO Insist on playing
nothing but oalk-lne
sichaefer has yielded much in the post
to other ployers in the matter of changing
the style of game. when he held quite as
high n position In BILLIARDS Ives does
today. He was always willing to play my
one at any style of billiards, and WAS glad
IF tho chance, whether he had a sure thing
II winning or not. 1t Is this loyal trait in
the "Wizarl's" character which has won
Tor him so lasting place in the hearts OF
al billiard players Ives With all his great 8
skill, has yet TO nttain that popularity s
which the world accords 10 Jacob Schaefer.
He can rot gain II by resting on HIS laurels II
and refusing to take any Kind OF n chance.
But leaving aside the matter of profess q
'ional sentiment, and may even say graf /,
tiiIe which SIGifld m itself induce IVaa In |