The hatchet. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1883-19??, 1900-06-10
THE SK|LLFUL B|N|hRD|STS
Why So Few Men Become
First-Class Players.
GEORGE SLOSSON'S VIEW
The Foremost Professionals Believe
That Skill Is Largely a Matter Of
Student" SIosson Says
He Began When He Was a Boy.

He Began When He Was a Boy.
"Why do the leading professional bill
liardlsts play so much better than the
leading amateursp
This is a question that has doubtless
been asked hundreds of times by those
who indulge in the "gentleman's
game"
A reporter Of the New York Sun
asked George Slosson, the well-known
professional, who Is known as the
"Student' because it is popularity sup
posed that all his skill was developed
by careful study of every point Of
the game, why it is that so few men
reach the stage of first-class in bill
lizards? This was his reply:
Hundreds of persons have asked me
that question during the past twenty
five years and never have been able
to give them really satisfactory an
swer, In the first place, of course, a
man must have a natural instinct for
the game as one must have strong
liking for music in order to become
great musician. But leaving all that
aside l believe person must begin
at billiards when he Is boy and stick
to it all the time to become a great
player. This was my experience and 1t
has been the experience o. Schaefer,
DAILY, Sexton, Wallace and all the 9TH
er great players of the past and pres
ent. In my own case my father kept
a hotel in the northern part of this
State. One of his bOarders was an old
man we used to call Uncle Jerry, who
kept public billiard hall near by. In
those days 1t was almost a crime for
n boy to be seen in a public billiard
hall, but from running errands for Old
Uncle Jerry, l was frequently in his
place. When he was out of the room
for a minute l would grab n cue and
knock the balls around. l was fascina-
ted with the sport but got little chance
20 enjoy myself with the worries until
l cooked up a scheme which worked TO
perfection for many days.
81 was boy in short pants In those
days. My scheme was simply this: l
said to Uncle Jerry: See here, you are
growing too old to come down early
in the morning to clean up the place.
Give me the key and I'll come down
and do that work for you After lit
tie hesitation he consented, and early
every morning l would go to his bed
room and he would hand me the key.
But, once in the billiard hall. | would
throw q set of balls on the table and
practise as long as | dared. Uncle Jer-
ny was very old and very lame, and he
walked slowly. The hotel was four
blocks from the billiard hall, and by
running to the window every now and
then | could see when he was coming.
Then | woNld put away the cue and
balls and start in to clean up like
good fellow and usually had the job
nearly completed by the time Uncle
Jerry reached the room.
"0ne morning however, he noticed
the table l had been playing on was
covered with chalk marks and dust
and he asked me how that happened
because he had brushed 1t off before
closing up the night before. made an
excuse that thought was satisfactory,
but was caught red-handed the next
morning Uncle Jerry suspected me
and instead of coming to the hall by
his regular route, he went out the back
door of the hotel and reached his place
of business by another entrance. He
was so angry when he saw me playing
billiards that he kicked me downstairs.
1t was nearly a month before | was
able to make peace with the old fellow
but finally he consented to allow me
to clean up the place in return for an
hours practice at the table Soon after
that was regularly employed by him
as marker and from that time to this
l have played billiards nearly every
day. That was nearly forty years ago,
and / play better to-day than l ever
played before in my life.
1T is simply a case of beginning ear
ly and keeping up your practice. Scha-
fer's experience and Days also was
similar to mine Both began playing
the game when they were mere boys
and have kept it up ever since OF
course / learn new things every day.
The amateurs nowadays play better
than the professionals of decade ago.
That is simply because the tools are
better and they get he benefit of all
the things we professionals have
learned from time to time. When / first
began playing billiards the 6 by II ia
BILE with six pockets was used. The
cues were worse than one sees nova
days in the poorest country hotels.
They were simply pieces of ash with
a thin strip Of leather for tip. 1t was
almost impossible to make a draw shot
with them. AS the tools were perfected
we billiardlsts were able to play bet
ter. Had l begun with the cue, table,
cushion, cloth and worries l use now
doubtless 1 would be twice as good a
player as 1 am now.
"The best amateurs of to-day put up
a fast game. but most of them have
other business to attend to, and they
are net able to play steadily. Occasion
ally they go for weeks without touch
ing cue. Then ii takes them week
to catch up TO the point they left off
in the degree of skill.
But" said the reporter. "you have
customers who have been playing reg
ularly every afternoon for ten or fif-
teen years. Why do not they improve?
Instead of averaging two or three at
the fourteen-inch baking game, why
cannot they average ten or fifteen, con-
sidering the amount of time they de-
vote to billiardsY
''In most every case" replied Slos-
son, "they began to play when they
were old enough TO vote. They followed
no particular system ami hardly know
more about the game bow than when
they first handled che, although of
course by constant practice they are
able TO execute better But having
reached a certain stage. they hang
there because they don't know the
thousand and one things which every