The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-04
TWO MASTERS OF THE CUE
Wonderful Billiard Career Of siossen and
sohnefer.

Garden Concert Hall, Jacob Schaefer the Wizard"
and George Franklin Slosson, tho Student"
resumed their battle Of the cues continuing q
billiard warfare that has existed for more than
twenty-siS years These two veterans were
champions before John L. Sullivan was ever
heard of before Edward Hanlan. the oarsman;
Snapper" Garrison, the Jockey; LitueHeld. tho
sx-day walker; Maud s., the trotter, OF Iroquois,
the thoroughbred racehorse, were ever known TO
fame Champions have come and gone died or
passed into oblivion, but Schaeier and Slosson
are still doing business at the same old stand.
Search throughout the list Of pugllists athletes,
cyclists skaters, trap shooters oarsmen. baseball
players, and not single champion remains who
was at the top of his heap in 1873, the year that
Slosson and Schaefer first met at Indianapolis
The Student won that game and since then
they have met In matches or tournament games
upward OF nifty tines So evenly matched have
they always been that the record shows almost an
even break. They have played all styles OF bill
llards starting with the threeball. straight rail.
which they quickly outgrew, and ending with
tho l8inch balk.lino game. the most dimcult oil
the open table systems These two old WARRIORS
have set the pace in billiards, becoming no pro-
hcient in the various styles Of games that they
were forced 70 invent others more difficult or rather
with more restrictions in order that the monotony
OF long runs would be eliminated. Having CON
auered all there Is To conquer, find them going
back TO the old cushion carrom style which was
90 popular in tho early eighties
There wasn't much doing in billiards before
tho sixuce During the Civil War the game was
played on large table having pocket In each
corner. In those times the mnsso shot was UNI
known, as the players had the privilege Of showing.
The "jawing" Of balls--that is, wodging two OBJ
iect balls, while touching each other. against tho
sharp points Of both Jaws OF a pocket-was also
allowable. Under these favorable conditions tho
old-ume experts had little difficulty in making on
extended run. John McDovitt for instance. In
his contest with William Goldthwaito in Cooper
Union Hall, January. 1858. scored a run Of LASS
points, and subsequently Lannio McAfee Of Davcn-
port Iowa, succeeded In rolling up 6,002 carroms
With the Jaws barred John McDeviu ran 1.468
points during q game with Joseph Dion at Liberty
Hall. Chicago. September, 1858 These points
were made for the most part by the push shot along
the rail
Because Of these and similar performances IL
was thought by the experts and critics Of that
period that II was about time officially 10 abolish
these systems OF scoring carroms Realizing this.
McDcuu who then champion Of America at
four-ball cnrom billiards and holder Of tho cham
pion cue. resigned tho championship and turned
the cue over 70 Phelan Il Collender. tho billiard
table manufacturers, as he did not wish " stand
In the way OF the advancement OF the sport He
retired from the arena and with the famous "Dia-
mond Cue Tournament" held in Irving Hall from
April 20 10 May 10. 1859 there dawned q new era
In billiards The push shot and tanning OF balls
were officially prohibited. Single carroms wero
made TO count three and double cauoms 81 z points
instead Of two and three as had been tho custom
since the four-ball game had come into fashion.
and soon greater runs were scored at push. barred
billiards than at the old game
II was not until 1873 that the three ball carrom
game was officially proclaimed TO be the standard
for professional matches in America. This
was effected through the holding of an interna-
tional tournament at Irving Hall from June %
to 80 OF that year. In this tourney the games
were played on 51l0 carbon table the same size
as used in oil championship games nowadays.
Tho old style game had always been played on
a o'ixll. four pocketed table In the internn-
uonal tournament restricted spaces were for the
first time introduced in tho shape Of a.. inch.
squares marked In the corners Of the table in order
', .I prohis,; The ,rro'GhinE" Of the balls m.
the crotch was that a player was only allowed
TO make three shots with the object balls within
tect balls outside the square on the third shot
MS hand was out, the third CARTON could not ho
counted and his opponent went on Ia play with
the balls in tie position he found them.
players was introduced 4 tournament was
organized by several billiard table manuiactur.
the 1879 affair This tourney was made memo @.
the famous French expert. who Arrived IN ,bi.
country only ten days previous 10 the opening
81 the tournament The games were played
The restricted spaces were on a trang ular basis
Chalk lines were drawn across the tab 81, inches
S paying Of s balls e as sGs ifS in 'Ss
men square Long before this single cartons
were made 10 count only one point As the e1-
the triangle was gradually made larger and
IN lo.S, the lines were drawn from point four
,sch inches on INC short rail 10 point twenty.
eiEni inChcs on the long rail. while the player
could only count once without sending al least
one OF Ne object balls outside the line
IN 1881, these lines were further extended 10
isA3o inches and again in 1881 IL 2ONiO inches
doubtless they would have been extended " the
centre oi the ais, 2sN5d inches had not this
style known as the Champions game" given way
10 the present baik line system:
The purI osc OF these corner lines was Of course
to handicap run making, hence the experts were
forced u play u a great extent on the open table
anu This caused them 10 use their ingenuity in
other directions The balk line game had in
me meantime become popular with The public
and the great experts thought fayorably Of the
idea II had been ngitated by both professionals
then drawn six inches from the cushions com
pletcly around the table. The professionals Of
the time rejected this innovation because they
thought the Triangular and four and onc-haif
The idea was however thoroughly discussed
during the succeeding years and In 1870 con.
centratcd move was made ~ get the experts inter.
cstd, but the effort was failure.
Cushion carrUms began 10 be popular and for a
number al years this was the leading style uf
game for match play. DAILY, Sexton, Schacfrr
and SlUsson were the foremost masters at cushion
CartOnlS
Finally, in 1883 balk lines were made accept
able 10 first ralcrs through tho addition Of two
short lines in the corners Of the table which were
made Ia join the continuous lines thus forming
four small squares IN the corners Of the table and
four oblnng spaces along the side and end cllsh.
ions. The lines forming these eight restricted
spaces were drawn eight inches from the ctIsh-
ions and all WAS ready for the eight inch balk
line game Of billiards, Within any one II the
spaces player could make only two rarroms
without driving out al least OF the object lis
thc cue ball cuts no figure with the linrs> on the
second stroke. II one object ball was driven out
Of any one space within which both had been
gathered and then after hitting a cushion return
10 the same space, two more shots We're permits
sblr aud thereafter ad lhium as long a, the skill
Of the expert would permit
When the rules were inside acceptable Ia the
great experts who III thnsr days were ms hand
Ia handle as primR dunnas, a tournament was
organized by the leading manufacturers uf the
time ~ promote which they subscribed So 800
In cash prizes This affair first introduced Ia
II h,.lJ