The Washington times., 1903-05-31
SOME BILLIARD HISTORY:
EARLY AND FORMATIVE

In one of my previous papers 1 COM
mented upon the gradual evolution and
final extraordinary change which had
come over the game of billiards from the
year it first began to be played in this
country up to the present time.
The history of any game, or of any
thing which consists in great part of
technique and technical explanations,
must, perforce, be somewhat dull and
uninteresting general reading But
knew of no better ana more intelligent
way in which to illustrate the very
great Improvement In the skill of the
billiard experts than by brief recount
of all the important matches and tour
naments which have been played from
the time, nearly forty years ago, when
the first public games were contested up
to the recent international billiardisttc
and "legalistic'' struggle at Paris.
Furthermore. I believe that very little
is known of the history Of the game,
even among those who have played and
admired it for a very long time, SO that
the imparting of information may also
be one of my excuses for writing down
good many averages, nlSn runs eN|'
First Tournament.
The first tournament for the cham
pionship in America was played on
6x12 table with pockets. This was
in 1868. and Dudley Kavanaugh was
the winner and first American cham
pion OF course such formative con-
tests could bear little resemblance 10,
or comparison with. the highly deyel-
oped games Of today.
At that time the few players VINO
were considered in Kavanagh's class
could average around thirteen or fifteen,
and run not over 800, and this at
style of play where the shots counted
much more than the ''one" OF the french
carom game; the system of counting In
vogue then resembled that of the Eng
lish billiards of the present time Just
how much the improved mechanical IN
strurnents OF play have had 10 do with
the tremendous increase in billiard skill
is question l shall not attempt to
argue here. The style of play was still
the same when Maurice DAILY, subse-
quently a famous professional. made MS
debut in 1865 1t was in November OF
that year that Kavanagh and Pierre
Carme, a French expert" introduced
an innovation" by way of a match on
q SIKH table without pockets; the
push shot. which up TO this time had
been allowed. was barred. but crotch
ing'-long since made foui-was still
recognized as legitimate. Kavanagh
beat Carme 1900 to 1889. averaging 20,
and making high run OF 1872
Played With Four Balls.
This game was played with four balls
of slightly smaller size than those now in
use. The elder Dion began TO be promi-
nent in billiards about this time, and in
q game with Carme. which he won. he
averaged SO. and ran 29T with the balls
'-crotchcd."
McDevitt was another wonder" of
those days, and at Montreal tried TO
wrest the championship from ]. Dion.
but without success, the latter making
what was then considered the enormous
run of 616 with the balls ''crotched" in
a corner of the table. This shot had
been falling into disfavor for some
time past, and for the same reason that
the rail nurse, at much later period
was discarded by all high-class play
ers.
McDevitt made his great run of 1,4S3
with balls ''crotched," and some months
later getting the sphere in similar
position he made 1.45S. This was the
end OF old-style billiards.
The frst-class players soon gave up
both the push" and the "crotched"
shots.
In 1863 however. the carom table had
not yet succeeded in completely displac-
ing the one with pockets, either in gem
eral use. or in public matches and
tournaments. A. P. Rudolphe and Cyril
Dion, the brother OF Joseph. now be-
came aspirants for championship hon
ors. About 1870 the size OF the tables
In use was again reduced, this time
from SIKH TO 5x10, which has remained
generally the standard dimensions ever
since. 1t had come to be recognized that
to reduce the size of the table was to in
crease the skill OF the player
Celebrated Match.
In the fall of 1872. the celebrated
match between Maurice Daily and Cyril
Dion, considered the most brilliant OF the
younger billiardists, took place at Irv-
ing Hall, New York John Heenan, the
famous prize fighter. was the referee
and of him q brilliant historian" grave
~ says that he was the first of his kind
ever TO be accepted as referee of a
"gentleman's game" 1t iSsupposed he
considered 1t an omen of i'll luck, at
any rate the game broke up in row
over a dispute as to whether the marker
had neglected TO give Daily credit for
several points. which his adherents
claimed he had made. At any rate, the
game, which was very near the end at
the time of the row. was declared a
draw and played over" the next
week Dion won
IN 1879 Maurice DAILY became cham
pion. averaging over 26 and running
1876; this at four balls