New-York tribune., 1900-12-09
THE GENTLEMAN'S GAME
THE POPULARITY OF BILLIARD PLAYING
EVER INCREASING-THE PRESENT
AMATEUR TOURNAMENT.

There are many sports and recreations in this
country which have and deserve the patronage
of men OF culture and refinement. yet the game
of billiards has always been referred to the
'gentleman's game" and enthusiasts In other
branches Of sport have never taken offence. The
game is certainly Of the most interesting OF
all STYLES of indoor sport and those in position
TO know say that Il Is gaining new votaries each
day The lively interest shown in the present
Glass B tournament OF the Amateur Athletic
Union at the Knickerbocker Athletic Club. in
this city is an indication at least that the game
has lost none Of It's attractiveness. This tour
nanent has brought together some OF the fine
amateur players Of the country and the winner
will be entitled 10 take part in the Class tour
nament to be held at the same place In Febru-
ary This latter tournament will bring together
the most expert players OF the United States.
and the interest in the outcome is almost as
great as 1t was a few years ago when Frank
Ives and Wizard" Schaefer met TO settle the
question Of supremacy.
Those who are competing in the present tour
nament are A c. Cutler. Of Boston. who is the
favorite with the experts; w. w. Kellogg and
Charles s. Schmitt. of Chicago; William Paige.
OF Boston; Frank Billeter. of Minneapolis. and
John A. Hendrick. Florian Tobias. L. A. Ser
vatius Samuel @. Estabrook, I. A Names and
Edwin o. Presby, all of New-YOrk.
Even the novice who hopes some day to be
an expert will watch the work Of the cOmpeti-
tors and criticise the execution of each player
with a degree of nicely seldom seen in any other
snort In speaking about billiard players the
other night Thomas Gallagher, of Chicago, the
veteran professional, said:
..Riliards is one OF the most strategic Of
games. I have often heard men say that ball
plaver must be born. that he could not be made.
IF this APPLIES to baseball at all II applies with
double force to billiard playing. OF course some
men can never learn TO do anything WELL but
mighty few of them ever learn to become really
good billiard players / do not know why 1t is
so but the average player will become just so
proficient say in a year two. and he never
gets any better no matter how much he may
play There are thousands OF men In this coun-
try to-day who do not play any better billiards
than they did ten or twenty years ago. The
game requires a quick eye capable of gauging
distances to a nicely: supple wrist and an even
temperament Frank Ives who the great
est player OF them ALL OF remarkably even
temperament with wrist of steel and eye
like a hawk He bounded 10 the top Of the lad
der In an incredibly short time. and was the
champion Of them all before anybody realized It,
Ives was little fellow. yet he sometimes used
a cue weighing twenty-three ounces Most men
are content TO use cue weighing anywhere
from eighteen to twenty ounces Most OF the
cue Weighing from twenty TO twenty-five
ounces The poorer the player the lighter viii
he his cue as a general thing. You will notice
another peculiar thing about good players. They
They believe that the little white speck in the
other ball destroys Its evenness.