The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-27

With Cation, Day. Ellison, holland and
TIorgsn in St Louis, the Worlds Fair
city has an array OF three-cushion players
equal to any in the United States.
Cation is by odds the best OF the lot.
He is probably the greatest three-cushion
player in the world. Although Lloyd
Jevne holds the title of worlds cham
p.on at the angle game, he does not want
any Of Cations game. and many experts
think that Cation can defeat Jeyne In q
match game.
Jeyne,s recent defeat Of Sanchez, the
spsniard three-cushion player. indicates
that the Americans are better at the game
than the experts Of Europe.
On the Continent. Sanchez was thought
inyincible until he was defeated by Jevne.
Before the match the Spsniard was
backed at odds against Jevne. Europeans
thought the former Grand Billiard Hall
player was not in the same class with
the Spaniard, and backed their opinion
with their money.
AS the match progressed and Jeyne
showed he was master OF Sanchez. the
latter lost the sympathies of his former
friends. With Jevne at Paris, Cation Is
undoubtedly the greatest three-cushion
player In the United States. Billy is in
St. Louis looking for matches with three
cushion players. but has found none. Jonn
Morgan Is the only player in the city who
could give Cation hard game.
At the angle game Morgan Is good
player He has developed q precise stroke
and his execution is better than many OF
the older players. Morgan Is big, strong
man, with nerves Of iron, and in the heat
OF the most exciting game refuses TO go
up in the air. For the short time he has
been playing he has made wonderful
progress.
mere novice at the. billiard game. His
training at the Grand Academy has de
veloped him, until he is now the best
local three-cushion player, as well as the
Day is also good three-cushion player.
but Frank leans toward the balk-hne
game. He has not the snap in the three
cushion game that characterizes his Work
in the regulation balk-line game.
holland has not entered the professional
ranks, but he is by all odds the best
to overcome big leads has>won him many
tournaments, and gives to his friends
hope for victory In the present three
cushion handicap tournament at the
Grand.
Ellison is not q three-cushion player.
but he knows enough about the game 70
play the best players at the Grano Close
games. Jesse Leon. who has been playing
in the academy for the last two years,
gives promise Of becoming a great player.
Leon Is clever manipulation OF the cue,
and with little more experience should
make the greatest three-cushion player
developed In ST. Louis in the last decade
Straight Rail Game Popular.
II seems that the old style of straight
rail billiards is again coming into vogue.
A tournament was recently played In
Chicago at that style. and the players
were brought to the realization that the
rail game is in reality the most difficult
game on the table. and is possessed Of
wondrous complications that bewildsr
the brain of even the expert player at
balk line. So general has been the inter-
est in the rail game that the trammels of
the chalk lines are being done away with
by many OF the players who were former
ly exponents OF the balk-line method Of
play. There has been some controversy
as to who was inventor OF the balk-line
ana its origin, and the reason of the chalk
square upon the table Some have claimed
that It was done to limit the counting of
Jacob Schaefer, and that 1t was first
aimed to control his playing of the IA
nous rail nurse. In speaking Of the matter
Benjamin Garno. the veteran biliiariist
said:
..Schaefer was not known as q player.
outside of Leavenworth, Kas., when the
balk line was first brought to public notice.
When 1ts rules were framed tnere was no
thought Of him at all WHEN they were
appropriated In Chicago in 1883, as mere
matter of form, there was again no refer
ence to Schaefer, save that, to favor him,
one or two rules were changed. The
others can all be found copyrighted In 1850
It was under that code, word for word, as
It now stands at the present day. that
Schaefer won the championship from Sex
ton in the winter Of 1S79-S0. 1t was under
IT, also that Slosson beat Schaeffer when
ever they played for that championship.
or three times altogether, beside beating
him at Chicago two matches out OF three.
Balk-line was not devised to stop
strengthening. There was then no