El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-12

later, while Mr.. Wilson was with Han
ma g. Hagg of Chicago, Ives went tt
that city. He had beaten Thomas Bur
leigh out of the State championship o
Michigan at billiards, and had also wor
his spurs as bicycle and basel ball play
err. He was catcher, doing grea
work on the Petoskey team, and later
he vas catcher for the Lima, Ohio
team. On reaching Chicago he went
to see Mr.. Wilson-but let Jack tel
about that:
81 was glad to see Ives" said Mr.,
Wilson. CATER supper we went over
to George Slosson's billiard hall at u
Monroe street, and I introduced the
country boy to Slosson. Arson, the
HARDEST, was playing with some one.
Ives got interested in the game, and
when L left he said:
"'Jsck, believe I'll stay here and
watch this game
Remember, he was a stranger In
Chicago. Well, when I went over to
Slosson's later that night Anson and
Ives we're playing, and George Slosson
had stopped work and was looking over
play. Ives beat Arson ten games
at $40 game. Then Arson quit.
"The next day Ives came to see me.
He was all smiles-in perfect elee.
"'What do you think, Jack? Slosson
has engaged me to stay in his place.
and he is going to give me S25 week
-just think of that, will you? And
he's going to let me practice with him,
too.
HE was the happiest boy I ever
saw" continued Mr.. Wilson, lover
Ill oto
with Slosson some time, and then be
went with Jacob Schaefer and Burns.
He improved in his billiards right
along. It was not long before Shaefer
introduced Ives to the public in series
of games with himself, Schaefer play
ing 600 to his 400 nightly and advertis-
ing Ives as the Young Napoleon of
Billiards. Ives began doing fine work
and Schaefer's place was crowded
nightly. The games we're I4-inch balk
line, and Ives held his own with the
champion"
Not many months PASSED before
Ives was matched to play Eugene Car
ter. The game was 14-inch bslk line,
400 points. Ives won, the score being
500 to 487.
"Some time afterward," said Mr..
Wilson, elves went over to England
and defeated John Roberts. the Eng.
lish champion, at his own game. He
had issued a challange to anybody to
play $4,000 points on a 6x12 pocket
table. English, you know Ives beat
him with ease, his best run in the game
being $500 points.
"As all the world knows, Ives went
over to France and defeated Vignaux
on his own ground, and then returned
to America and defeated both Slosson
and Schaefer, one of whom had en-
gagged him as countrylboy to work in
his place-the other who was his mas
ter in billiards-who taught him the
game-so to write.
"When Schaefer brought Ives to
Atlanta several years ago Jacob said
to the audience:
s. L have the honor to introduce to
you very promising pupil of mine.
Whereupon the Every promising pu-
pill of mine" took up his cue and pro-
,eeded to defeat his teacher in. q very
fine exhibition game.
I asked Mr.. Wilson to give me his
estimate of Frank G. Ives as billiard
player.
He said: 81 regard him as the great
sst player who ever lived. He was
simply q marvel. He always said, Il
lsy!' It was his mbition, and he got
here. Why, just think of it!
Less than twenty years ago he was q
little country boy, knocking around
4 country billiard saloon. He dies at
The age of 33, after winning with ease
The championship of the world. He
could beat any body at any kind of bill
isrds. Sexton held the record for
cushion caroms. His run was II. Ives,
in an exhibition game in New York,
ran S5 at cushion caroms. It stands
In broken. Schaefer averaged 100 at
l4-inch balk line, anchor nurse allow
I'D. So did Ives.
"But Ives went world further. He
averaged so. anchor nurse bar
red, in l4-inch balk line game. 1t
stands unbroken. He made run of
359 at 14-inch bslk line, ISL of the
points being scored without the balls
the cushion. Who else could
,ouch that? And then, to crown all,
ne made the marvellous average of 81
2-1O in q game at 1S-inch balk line in
New York, the most wonderful aver
age ever made in the most difficult
form of the game of billiards yet play
ed.n
Ives played with short, heavy cue.
He was a quick player. He was a play
ar of few words-a silent man. He had
Drown eyes of marvellous precision
The eye having much to do with good
billiard playing. He was not strong
nan physically, but had full, pleas
mt face. He was a good looking, boy
sh looking. quiet sort of man, who
'vidently had purpose in life. He
made and spent thousands. He died
worth about $50, ZOO. Houston Post.