The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-19
TIMES-HERALD SAYS THE "PAT-
RIARCH" MOVES BACK TO HIS
FIRST LOVE.
OVER FORTY YEARS SINCE
HE STARTED IN BILLIARDS I'm TILE
OLD FREMONT HOUSE
THERE.
He Will Again Open The Largest
Hall in the Now MetrOp-
oils.

Thomas Foley, patriarch of billiards
in America and godfather Of profess
sional base ball in Chicago, will return
to this city soon, after an absence of
six years in st. Paul, says the Tines
Herald. His tall, 1.-THE figure is a ia
miliar one in Chicago thoroughfares,
and his billiard room has been the pri-
mary, the high school or the university,
from which has been graduated nearly
every player of consequence in the
world, and several generations Of Chi
cago billiard amteurs besides. To
Foley, more than to any other one
man, Is Chicago indebted for the fact
that 1t always has been known as the
billiard metropolis of the world.
Although age has crept so slowly
upon him, Foley's career in the billiard
world began away back in 1856, when
ne entered the employ of John B. Drake
IN the Old fremont house billiard room,
where he remained five years. The
next five years were put in at the old
Brlggs house billiard room, then one
OF the best patronized in Chicago. Five
years later. at the close of the war.
he blossomed out as a billiard promot
er by originating and MANAGING the
hrst Illinois state tournament. which
took place early in 1865 in the old
Smith & Nixon hall, where the Chicago
opera house block is now located. Not
only did he organize this tournament.
put he entered it as a competitor, and
won frst place in field of eight play
ers, thus becoming Illinois first cham
plon billiard player. This distinction
he held through the full term of two
years, voluntarily retiring unbeaten
from the field at the expiration Of this
required term.
KEPT CHICAGO IN THE LEAD.
Throughout the SOS and until the
great fire Foley, by his own exertions
maintained Chicago as the billiard CEN
ter for all great matches and tourna-
ments. All the old amateurs remember
the exciting matches of those DAYS
participated in by Dump" Rhines.
Honhan, Parker Vermeulen, Snyder,
Coon, Frawley, Foley, Carme, GARNER,
Rudolph, McDevitt, who lost his life
IN the great Chicago fire; the two
Dions, Melvin Foster and Goldthwaite,
And scarcely less interesting than
these were the matches and tourna-
ments played by the amateurs Of the
city, some Of whom are now foremost
in the ranks of Chicago's millionaires.
The Foley billiard room was then To-
Gated at 1853 Dearborn street, half
block south of the Tribune corner
1t was while managing this room
that. Foley 'stood up for" the new
game of professional base ball. He
foresaw the popularity of the game and
felt the need of Chicago in this regard,
as nearly every one else did at the
time, for she was trounced in those
days harder, far harder, than Arson $
aggregation is walloped in these later
days. To Foley, with the aid of Jimmie
Wood, Chicago's first idol in the base
ball field, belongs the credit of selecting
and contracting every player in the
famous old White Stocking base ball
club, which beat the inYincible Red
Stockings of Cincinnati and won the
championship in 1870.
After the big fire Foley fitted up
magnificent room on the site of the
present Grand opera house. Containing
as 1T did thirty tables, it was the larg-
est and most extensively fitted up bill
lard room in the world, and never has
been equaled even to the present time.
In 1873 Foley organized the great
three-ball tOurna ment at Kingsbury
hall, the present site of the Olympic
theater. In this tournament the cash
prizes footed up $1,000 and the great
French player, Ubassy, who CHANGED
then to be visiting relatives in New
Orleans, was brought to Chicago by
Foley for the purpose of adding zest
and interest by competing for the prin-
cipal prize. His antagonists were Cy-
rifle and Joseph Dion, Maurice DAILY,
George F. Slosson and Albert GARNER.
SURVIVED THE PANIC.
The panic of 1873 proved too much for
the billiard room fraternity, and many
Of them, including the great room in
Clark street. went to the wall early In
1875. Foley's next large venture was
in 1882, when he established 1.-THE Col
lender" in the old Bodega hall at 141
Madison street, which was the greatest
of all his successes While this hall
was in it's prime Foley, in connection
with Moses Bensinger and Charles j.
E.. Parker, organized grand tri-cor-
nered tournament at the 14-inch balk
line. which was played in Central Music