Los Angeles herald., 1905-03-13
BILLIARD|STS TO
GET TOGETHER
ORGANIZATION TO BENEFIT
AMATEUR GAME
Future Tournament Expenses to Be
Paid by Subscription and Conn
petitors Are Expected to
Contribute

Contribute
After many seasons of vicissitude the
amateur billiard players have agreed
upon a scheme of organization, national
in its scope, which will, II is thought
overcome the many and varied failures
and disappointments of the past. The
new organization is to be founded upon
the experiences of the National Asso.
citation of Amateur Billiard Players
since that association began to manage
the national championship tournaments
six years ago. The movement is only
the application of the general principles
of the Amateur Athletic union to the
billiard players and followers of the
sport in this country, 1t was devel-
oped by ]. Ferdinand Poggenburg, Ed
ward w. Gardner and William H. Sny-
DER at the recent meeting of the anna
tour association held In the billiard
room of the Liederkranz club, Fifty
eighth street and Park avenue, New
York.
In a sense 1t is only history repeat
ing itself and returning to first prin-
ciples on the part of the amateur
wielders of the cue. DR.. Ambrose l..
Ranney made a heroic effort to bring
the billiardists under the government
and direction of the Amateur Athletic
union. He was successful in so far
that all of the championships held un-
der the jurisdiction of the union were
made to pay for the expenses of the
tournaments. Opposition to Amateur
Athletic union government of the sport
the officials of that organization de-
cided to withdraw their jurisdiction, as
they did not wish to control a sport in
which the players were not in full ac-
cord with their work. After the with
drawal of the Amcteur Athletic union
the sport passed into the hands of
the then newly created National AS
sociation of Amateur Billiard Players
Cost of Championships
Several championships were held at
the Hanover club, Brooklyn; one at the
club, New York, and last
month at the Chicago Athletic asso-
citation, Chicago. All of these tourna-
ments cost the clubs holding them in
excess of $4,000. 1t was this feature
that caused some acrimonious feeling
last December and resulted in the
championship for this season being
passed on to the western metropolis,
after it had come to be regarded as
an annual fixture in New York. 1t is
reported that the Chicago Athletic
association was even out of pocket
more than either of the eastern clubs,
and that they do not care to hold the
again at loss.
Faced with such condition of af-
fairs, several methods of establishing
a fund to provide for the amateur
championships were outlined. The idea
of securing annual subscriptions from
but the matter of the constitution and
bylaws of some of the best disposed
and wealthiest organizations prevented
the appropriation of club moneys for
such a purpose. Then the personal
idea was thrashed out, but
with little better success. The appli-
cation of the Amateur Athletic union
was broached by Colonel
Louis M. Hamburger, the head of the
billiard committee of the Chicago Ath-
letic association, in letter to j. Fer
dinand Poggenburg, the president of
the National Association of Amateur
Billiard Players. Colonel Hamburger
stated that the western billiard play
ers wanted some such action taken,
and that they were willing to heartily
work to bring about its successful op-
Benefit of Cooperation
The support of the westerners led to
the recent decision. All of the anna