The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-10
ALL In READINESS
FOR BIG CUE WAR
Six of the Best Billiard Players of
the Country Play in Chicago
Next Week.

Chicago. March 1O.-Six Of the leading bill
lafdsts of the country will begin a tournament
next Monday night to decide the national anna
:tear championship of the United States in
four teen-inc balk line billiard contest in Class
A. The tourney is given by the National Asso-
citation of Amateur Billiard Players. and is held
under, the auspices of the Chicago Athletic asso-
citation.
The games will be played in the big gymna-
sium of the clubhouse. and seats for 900 spec
tators will surround the playing table in the
form of an amphitheater.
The starters of this year the most repre-
sentative players of the country chosen from the
far. east and the far west. and from the
trail part of the United States, and selected
with great by committee of competent
judges, who have passed on all the qualifications
of the entrants before the entry was accepted.
Only two players from city have been chosen.
and the men have been selected from the cities
where the game Is the fastest and the men have
proved beyond doubt their superiority to all
other players.
associa ton, and three of the men who have won
the Championship title In former Journeys are to
be starters in the coming contest.
All Old Heads.
The men who are entered for the tournament
are: d. W. Gardner Passaic, n. j.; ]. +. Pog-
genburg, New York; c. f. Conklin. the present
champion, from Chicago: H. A. Wright, San
Francisco; Clarence S. Norris of New York and
Calvin Demarest of Chicago. Five of these play
ers entered for last years tournament.
which also held at the Chicago Athletic as
socfations clubhouse, but only three of them
played in the tourney, Poggenburg and Wright
were both called home by illness in their fam
lilies and did not take part: Gardner. Conklin
and Norris the three that figured in last
years championship.
Gardner, Conklin and Poggenburg have all Won
the title once, but the title has never been
won more than once by the man. a
champion is due for the coming tournament
unless the precedent Is broken. Wright and
Demarest have never been tried out in a cham
pionship tourney. and their mettle has not been
put to the severe test as yet that it will have
to undergo in the coming contest.
Demarest is the youngest man of the starters.
and his game Is remarkable one considering
that he is only boy still under 20, who has
played for less than three years. His work
during the past year has been nothing less than
phenomenal, however, and the committee chose
him in preference to older players because of
his remarkable showing.
Rich Prizes Offered.
The Billiard Players association is offering
trophy for the tournament that is to be won
twice before it becomes the property of any one
person Last year the players had the Brooklyn
Eagle gold cup to be played for but the terms
under which it was to be won were so severe
that it was decided to wipe the cup out last
summer. and so the five men that had a leg
on the cup met in New York and played off fol-
it. and 1t by Poggenburg.
1.-The cup offered by the Billiard Players asso
citation is given by the manufacturers In add
Fation to this cup, the Chicago Athletic associa
ton will give beautiful cup to cost $1,000 fol
the first prize, and three other prizes to the
second, third and fourth winners. The special
prizes are to be given by the c. A. A. for the
player making the high run during the tourna
ment, the highest single average and the high
est grand average.
81 The first game of the tournament will BIZ
played Monday night at o'clock. The game:
will then be played every afternoon and evening
after that until the close.
Harry A. Wright of San Francisco and Edward
W. Gardner of Passaic. n. j., will meet in thu
opening game. Tuesday afternoon the loca
cracks. Champion Conklin and Calvin Demarest
will clash and Tuesday evening J. Ferdinand
Poggenburg and Charles Norris. the New Yorl
experts will
. The drawing for the first three games tool
place at meeting Of the tournament committee
today. The refereeship left until to
morrow for decision.