The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-10-24
Billiards

On Wednesday and Thursday of last
Week George F. Slosson and Jacob
Schaefer were beaten by George SUIT
ton and Willie Hoppe for the 1872 and
ISL billiard championship of the
world. With these defeats the two
veterans Of the game, in all likelihood,
bid farewell for all time to the su-
premacy they have held these many
years. This is not to say that they
will play no more or that they will
win no more-they will do both. They
are still stars. But their day has al
most passed. and we are reminded
that a new era in the "gentleman's
game" has arrived.
No names in the history of the game
stand out as prominently as these two.
There have been others as great, but
none SO long and so constantly identi-
fed with the game. Ives was more
brilliant than either. and many critics
class Sexton above them, but for
period OF over thirty years these two
men have been in the front rank.
George Slosson played his first pub
lie match in 1870-thirty-six years
ago. Jake Schaefer made his first ap-
pearance in 1s72-thirty-three years
ago. And during all that time they
have been at the top.
Slosson and Schaeffer have played
together oftener than any other two
men in the game. There are public
records of fifty-one games between
these two men and of these fifty-one
contests Schaefer won 26 and Slosson
rs. These games comprised every va
riety OF billiards, beginning with the
old four-ball game or a pocket table,
and running through three-ball car
oms. cushion caroms. restricted car
oms. 80 balk line; 14.2 balk line, 1871
and 1872 balk line. Both men have
held worlds championships over and
over again. and Slosson won the 1872
championship only last April. playing
as grandly as ever he did in his life
This title he lost to George Sutton
Thursday night.
Schaefer has always been more gen.
orally popular than Slosson, except in
New York City, where the student"
Is a hero. Schaefer's spectacular
style of play appeals more to the on
locker than Slosson's slow, deliberate
movement. Schaefer always played
billiards naturally, by instinct. Slos-
son played automatically, and had
every shot on the table studied out
scientifically
Schaefer was the more brilliant
player, but Slosson at his best the
more mastery. No man who ever
played the game has ever had q finer
or more absolute knowledge of the
gnales of billiard table than Slosson.
Siosson is about the only player of
his kind in the history of the game.
Against the native gift and inspiration
Of men like Schaefer and Ives he
matched his intellect and that he was
able to play on the same plane with
these geniuses of the cue is one of
the wonders Of the game.
Slosson and Schaefer were the prac-
teal creators of modern billiards and
the game was gradually developed by
them to meet their needs.
The first public match in which
George Slosson appeared was held on
Oct. 10. 1870, at Springfield, Mass.
Frank Dennisop gave Slosson odds of
300 points, and beat him 1000 to 684.
The game was the old four-ball game
on 5x10 carom table.
Jake Schaefer's debut was made at
Indianapolis, July Is. 1873, when he
beat Byers 300 to 1873 at the three-ball
carom game. The first time that Slos-
son and schaefer ever met across the
green table was on Oct. s. 1898, at