Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-10-27

their breath and when those are re-
membered it seems almost impossible
! thar he should be able to perform such
q feat.
In chatting Of how he learned the
shots he said that while some of the
shots are borrowed from other players
the greater part are entirely new and
origina! with him. Many of these new
shots he discovered by accident That
| IS. while making an ordinary shot he
noticed that some OF the balls We're
pocketed unintentionaily. AS he has
| formed the habit Of noting the position
OF every BAH before he draws back his
cue he remembers where the balls
We're and stops the game then ana
there to make a diagram. When he is
at leisure he studies the situation
knowing that what has occurred
through apparent accident can be &C
complished again under proper con-
, ditions In this way he has learned 4
great many new shots. some Of which
have made him famous.
lie gave up the idea Of playing
straight matched pool games some
time ago as he sees that it is more to
his advantage To give exhibitions. Ere
quently he has occasion to play
matched games and in those cases
when he has a hard proposition to run
up against he drops his trick playing
altogether and begins to practice on
straight pool. This is necessary, he
says. since he uses different muscles
in trick work from what he uses in the
straight pool. In the trick work.
since he moves more balls with the
cue he puts more strength into the
stroke. while in the straight pool he
uses a lighter stroke and it is neceS-
sary to overcome the habit Of striking
hard when he goes back to straight
pool.
Many Of the shots hr performs, while
they appear Very simple. are some Of
the NEST difficult that he has to Do.
Therefore some Of the bystandcrs
frequently remark that the shot is
easy and can be performed by tyro
at the game. These are the people
whom he likes to meet, for in his
courteous manner he turns the cue
over t. them and asks them - make
the shot Ii is then that they find he
is the master Of the game and not they
1t might be supposed that Il man
W no mas SUI II Il hiIpN l'''4Spt va NAitit -
balls viii do had made some study Of
the natural laws governing the move
mcnt Of the worries. This he says Re
has never done. lie says that he can
tell at a glance just where a ball will
go and that all the studying of the
science Of the game he has done has
been in the movement Of the balls.
Of the natural laws he says he knows
nothing.
one Of the tricks Of his work is to
blndfold himself and then after the
balls have been placed in position 10
walk back to the table from which he
has been led and make the shot. One
Of the secrets of this he says. is in his
locating the ball on the table He has
4 certain place where he puts the ball.
and when he returns to the edge Of the
table feels his way along and by
counting the diamonds learns where
the ball is ana then makes his shot.
How difficult this is may readily b'
seen when it is realized that by strik-
ing the cue. BAN lie of an inch from
the right spot will send the object bal
from five to six inches away from tho
spot it is intended to strike half way
down the table. As the ha:is are two
ana one-haIf inches in diameter ant
the pockets are but four and one-hai
inches wide and allowances have {
Re made for slipping of the ball on the
cushion when cushion shot is made
it may readily be seen what a difficul
thing he has to do.
The strain caused by The exhibitions
is something fearful, he says. Whli'
playing he has not the remotest idei
who is around him and 50 intent IS nj:
mind on the game that he seldom hears
t the applause his shots may excite
> When the work is over he is all tree
. out. The next day the only i'll effec
! is a slight muscular soreness
He has his off days in his work th'