New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-16

all these by and be found every day OF the year
In one Of two places that have come to be known
as headquarters" There may b. other players
OF brilliancy that come to these t~o queer
little resorts but such not to be reckoned as
men OF standing in the checker fraternity OF Amer
lea for though few people know IL. the champions
Of checkers In this country are as settled as those
in any other game; there g. a pig four consist
ing OF four men vino very evenly matched cach
Of whom claims the honor OF being at the head oi
American checkcrs-and the other great payers arr
all divided classes among the checker men. ana
lust what they can 30 at the present time IS very
well known.
There always have been checker headquarters
In York. as far back quarter OF a
century ago Then the famous Boy Surgeon X d.
Yates. who. the age OF twenty. WAS victorious
over the renowned James wyne. the "Hcrd-Iad-
die" the champion OF the world. used 90 be the
head OF the coterlc OF checker men that played
in the basement Of the old Belmont Hotel. al Full
ton and Nassau SIS. After the Belmont Hotel CIub
had died a natural death. the game languishei for
four or five years. though playing went on Ia The
mean time quite actively in the cafe Loyeng. on
the Bowery SIN later there came into existence
the New-York Checker club. in East Tcnih-at.
with an organization Of about thirty members Like
the Others this. too dIei and for a long wh!ir
nothing came TO take its place
No one unless he told. would know the
places where the great matches OF the present day
about It and so little have they come forward into
public notice \ little checkcr-piaying goes on all
the time In the rooms OF the Young Mems Christian
Association, at Twenty-thrd-st. and Fourth-ave..
and an occasional tourney is held there but these
are not the checkermen. with the exception Of one
or two, whose names are IN anywise famous II
IS I'm two places has just been said. that the
important games that are played each year In New
York are contended. and these only the cream
OF players know.
Both OF them are as quaint llttle "iens' as can
be found anywhere In the city limits. One IS IA"
present New-York Checker club. on the west side
of Seventh-ave. just below Th!rty-fourth-st, on
the second floor Of an old frame building the other
n tiny ciear-shop far over In Twenty-third-st., a
block and a half from the Williamsburg ferry. This
latter little emporium strange to say. has been the
home Of New-York checkers for the last ten years
Situated in the centre OF long row o! four-stoTy
brick tenements. in the midst Of block that is
badly lit and Just on the outskirts Of the famous
"Gas House District" and with hardly room enough
for a dozen men 10 stand within when the door Ia
closed It yet has seen OF the most notable
checker matches that have ever been played In
America.
The shop all in ALL is barely six feet wide by
twelve long and the counter with its glass cases
and the shelving the back reaching nearly to the
ceiling takes up a good part Of this space Behind
the counter there Is only just room for the keen
proprietor to move about. and the public
side OF IL two could hardly stand abreast. We;
here checker-board with its carefully
placed is always set out, oftener two and sometimes
even three. and there is hardly hour from mid
day to midnight six days OF the week when one
game. at least. is not actively in progress
The Is picturesque. Though there is NJ
sign outside indicate that such thing as check
is INDUCED In here. the rcpute OF the
little shop Is such among checker that the
place Is empty.
The shelving back Of the counter is piled high
with tobacccs and cigarettes. and the glass
cases are fun OF cigars and pipes Every few min
utes men OF the mechanic type and children from
the neghboring tonemcn;s. with shaws thrown over
their heads and pennies pressed tightly IN their lit
tie fists. In to make small purchases. With
a brisk STEP a cordial smile. and joke for each
the proprietor attends to them all the while keep
ing eye the games that being played.
Frequently he takes hand In them himself Civ
ing his full attention to the board until the door
opens and n prospective customer appears Then.
jumping up hastily he hurres behind the counter
to attend to business. Keeping meanwhile. the game
closely in his head, am never letting the science
that Is involved in his next move escape him. So
interested is he In the game. and much docs he
enjoy Fitng over the boards hour after hour. that
he Will play with any that comes IN and asks
for a match no matter how much OF an nmatotir
or how poor "A player that man may be. But his
cnief delight as IS quite natural Tor he himself
Of Anefica Is IN Getting some noted probemst or
likes TO look well 10 play.
Amedee Poilak Is this tobacccnst's name and
the way his shop has come To be the most In
portant seat or checker playing In Ncw-York As
interesting. II grew out OF small beginnings simply
from the fact that about dozen years ago soon
after he had bought this little shop. he besan to
play checkers in purely amateur way. one day
there walked In DIR. Schaefer. of the best check
that Ecwlork city has ever seen
and n player who Is OF National veputo Dr.
Schaefer came In merely for the purpose OF buylns
cigar. but seeing the checker board spread oii
little table. and Pollak with "A book before HIN
studying come moves. at once became interested ami
proposed game. Other games followed and IL was
not long before Schacfer used to drop In several
nights week. He brought Others and step by step
the habit grew among the New-Yorll OF golnE
around to Pollak's when they wanted a good game
for the reason that they knew the chances wer.
that they would meet some antagonist worthy Of
Their powers.
Nor was II long before the little shop became ma
tonal,y famed so far checkers IS concerned. L.
the checker, papers. month after month, notable