The Washington times., 1903-05-31

contribute a separate paper later. The
| first tournament in America at the
three-ball game was played In June,
1873. on 5x10 carom table. GARNER
won with high run of 119 and a high
single average Of II. October 8. 1873.
| is a memorable day in billiard history,
for it saw the first meeting of Siosson
and Schaefer. those famous knights of
the cue. who for more than thirty years
have been rivals in the very front rank
of professional billiardists.
| The game was played at Indianapolis.
and Slosson won by the score of 500 to
S2i, averaging about five and one-half.
Schaefer made the high run, forty-fve.
Think of the enormous difference be-
tween such a showing ana the magnifi
cent records the same two players have
made in the many years that have in
tcrvened. Billiard players go on i'm
proving; the really good professional
Players do better In middle life than in
their youthful days This is true of
very few things requiring physical apti
tude
The players who were then promi-
nently before the public, GARNER. Daily.
Slosson, and others, played many games
with one another within the next few
years In March 1874. Rudolphe beat
Slosson 400 to 227. and made the very
high average of thirty and one-half; this
game was played on a 412x9-foot table,
the smallest ever used in a public con-
test between high-class players.
New Era in Billiards.
November A, 1874, also marks an epoch
in American billiards; it witnessed the
beginning of the national billiard tour
ney, in which the famous French ex-
pert. Vignaux. made his American
debut
He got first place with grand aver
age Of 10Y. and a high run of 159, excel
lent billiards, but how mediocre when
compared to the same players grand av-
| erage of over 20, and high run OF con-
siderably over 100 and this at 1872.
whereas the games he played In 1874
! were at straight rail- In the tour
nament to which refer ED" Daniels.
an obscure professor" of billiards. had
the high run 24s, and yet he was beat
en- every game he played Rudolphe a
=.
became the technical champion Wig
naux regained the emblem a few months
later and incidentally established new
average for a COOP point game. 1914. Still
later, GARNER beat Vignaux by the very
one sided score of 600 TO 255. and aver
aged 13.
Sexton Upon Scene.
| oh n he
known as very GOOD player. and after
playing in several matches in New York
, he went to Paris and was beaten by
Vignaux who made the high average OF
1917. AT the Philadelphia Centennial
Sexton showed himself 10 be the premier
American billiardist by winning the
series of games from all the celebrated
national players. except Schaefer, max
ing a grand average of 141a. a single
average of so. and a high run OF 2S9
beating in each particular all existing
records. subsequently Rudolphe made a
grand average of nearly II, while Slos-
son. in the same tourney. ran 81. A
very decided advance can be seen.
Tom Gallagher, well known TO al
Scanlon's patrons in this city. first at
tracts our attention in the history
of billiards In the year 1876. when
in match with the famous Eugene
Carter he beat him for the cham
plonship of Ohio and averaged II. Schae-
fer took part in the Tammany Hal
tourney in 1876 and finished away
back" IN 1877 Sexton and Slosson net
in a three nights match Ind Sexton
won. averaging "a In 1880 points. and
making the very high run of AIT.
The Best of Them All.
At ST. Louis in March, 1877, Schaefer
came forward the brightest billiard
luminary then shining, he had single
average of over &c. a grand average OF
rs. and a high run of 429. In January
the Western firm of Brunswick & Bake
got footing in New York. and 1t i'm
mediately got up a big tournament,
which Schaefer won. not losing q
game. and having single average OF
nearly Sc. while Slosson, who was sec
ond, ran 464. and had the very high
general average of 81 3-5 May Is, of
the same year. the Wizard" at Chicago
ran 1000 points in three innings $780,
305) against Slosson. This was the be-
ginning OF the end of straight rail. Wig
naux in 1880 averaged so in 1000.
against Slosson, and ran .531. McKenna
as late as 1887 in 5000 point exhibi-
ton game ran 2.572 and 2.121, and aver
aged 416 2-3.A
have quoted a great many figures.
but l believe they are necessary to a
proper understanding and an inteIIi-
gent estimate of how the game has gone
on from its crude beginning TO the very
great degree OF skill as reflected In the
recent games at Paris.
THREE CUSHION
/ A.