Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-12
Ives, the Billiard Expert, Chats Of His
Experience in Europe.
INDIAN RAJAHS FOND OF fHE GAME
Prominent Men Abroad More Inter-
ested Than Those Here.
P E r s o. AL TR AIT s

you ask me TO narrate my experience
with celebrities the world over whom
have played billiards with or have seen
play that grand old game of nerve and
science? Well, will do my best to give
you an entertaining story.
have. as my readers are probably aware,
Travelled through the greater part of Europe
and a fair portion Of the orient have met
emperors, kings. potentates, statesmen and
men of rank and afiiuence in almost every
land. but the greatest enthusiast upon the
subject OF billiards ever ran across is his
mighty highness. the Ratah Of Kapurt-
hala. In India. He has many other titles,
but l forget them all. He Is q magnificent
fellow, very prince of good fellows, in
fact, and does not stand on his rank with
MS friends and intimates. l was his guest
for six weeks. few years ago, and ought
to know what am talking about
His highness is princely in his generosity.
as a man who has an income of 81, l25,OU
a year can afford to be. l used to 20 out
hunting or fishing or engage in other sports
with him and his suite and play billiards
with MIN In his palace at night. He
doesn't care for French caroms or Ameri-
can billiards. but is perfectly fascinated
with the old English game, which, as most
people on this side OF the water now know.
is combination Of pool and billiards. be-
ing played on table twelve by six feet
With Six pockets in Ii,
kapurthala. who is a big man. but little
under six feet in height. weighing two hun
dred pounds. and but twenty-four years of
age, can play this game fairly well, as his
reach enables him to get well over the
table and command almost any kind of
play while his youth and strength prevent
Iatlgue. In his games with me he would
play as earnestly to win as he would to
gam diplomatic triumph over the mon
arch OF a neighboring state. He has an
eauaDie temperament. however, and would
never manifest any marked imDatience
When the tide Of fortune went against him.
kapurthala gave me munificent monetary
tokens OF the regard in which he held me-
as wen as some costly jewels. l am going
TO visit him again this winter, but of that
Will speak later on in this article.
A Dead Game Sport.
The greatest billiard player 1 met out
that way however. is Patiella, also a rajah,
even richer than Kapurthala and but little
inferior in rank. being. for instance. the
same as the governor of New York state
Is to the President of the United States.
He Is a decided contrast to Kapurthala,
only about five feet five inches In height,
and weighing about one hundred and thirty
pounds; little fellow like Jake Schaefer
bihy Sexton or George Slosson, but he is a
dead game sport He owns the best stable
o. race horses in India, as well as the finest
lot of polo ponies He is going to take his
poio ponies over to England this coming
spr.ng and see what they can dc in the
shinny-on-h horseback sams with British
horsefiesh. Patiella, TOO, is princely In his
hospitality, and I had plenty of fun at
hunting and like sport with him and his
suite during the day. and playing billiards
with him at night. He is a cool, steady
player, and never gets ratified or excited AZ
play, as people of the extreme east are
wont to do. He married a pretty English
girl named Jennie Brown a few years aeu
and the marriage proved extremely popu-
lar.
In England I met pretty nearly all the
great men of the land including the Prince
Of Wales; his chum and ever-faithful friend,
| Capt. Remington Wilson; Lord Chief JUS
tee Charles Russell. now in this country;
| Lord Salisbury, clever Joseph Chamberlain
| colonial secretary: Lord Charles Beresford.
chief of the admiralty; the late Sir John
| Ashley, Sir Charles Dixie, and MANY others
| OF almost equal renown. None of these
great men, with the exception OF Cant.
Remington Wilson and Lord Russell, play
much of game Of billiards. although they
| all love the sport Capt. Wilson is the best
amateur player in England, and he would
make me hustle bit at times TO beat HIM.
The Prince Of Wales loves the game but
ne Is only an average player. He is one of
| the most charming gentlemen 1 ever met
no airs affectadon, nonsense Of aay
I sort. He is thoroughly democratic and dig
nifed In his manner. and the most popular
| man in England. If the country were
turned into a republic and there were an
| election over there tomorrow. he would ba
| its first president. and he could hold the
| Office for life
| The English Champion.
| had arranged to play a match game
| with John Cook of England before ths
prince at Marlborough House, but Cook ur
and died on me. and the match fell through
John Roberts, the English champion, was
| what diplomats call persona non grats
with the prince, and l could not play with
| him at the palace just then. 1 hope the
incident will be closed" as the diplomat tt
| call all that sort Of unpleasantness, when
| go back that way, and that l NAV. pla,
Roberts before the prince of good fellows
| Lord Chief Justice Russell came to Sc,
| me play at Carlsbad every match l en-
tered in, and was deeply interested in tn.
game. He loves 1t through and through
and, for a mao who has as little time az
he for play, he is a pretty good player
celebrities. the Emperor William, Caprivi, DR.
schuenisger (Bismarcks famous physician
and Prof. Basus, the celebrated sculptor
and warm personal friend of the yount
emperor. Prof. Bagus. it will be remem
bered, designed the heroic statue at Berlin
of the present emperor's grandfather, vii
liam /, for which he received a millior
marks. Prof. Bagus and 1 played man,
| games OF American billiards together. H,
| is a left-handed player. and, as he is sil
feet two inches high. has a fine reach ans
puts up a pretty stifr game, running 80 o.
60 at crack.
The German Emperor.
| Emperor William Is pretty fair player
but, as his time is taken up almost ever.
1 hour Of the day with foreign, civil an,
military measures, he gets very littl
chance for practice. The emperor had ar
ranged that 1 play a match game at hi
| palace when I was in Germany. but som
foreign complication came up just at tina
time which called for all his attention
and the game was of necessity deferred.
| will play it when I go over there again
William is a fine, manly fellow. and look
every inch the warrior he is. He is a goo
sportsman, too. 1 never saw the warrio
| that wasn't
In France 1 met pretty nearly every ma
| of note. That ia the country Of billiards
| you know, and almost every public ma
| plays the game; not SO much to acquir
| skill as to pass pleasant hour. They hav
| great players in France, but never sa,
| public man there who could put up muc
Of game. 1 saw the murdered president
Sadi Carnot, play, and he was hardly up t
| the average. / met him, but never playe