Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-31

ever has been played for. II was for $3.50
a side. Il was originally for 5000 a side.
but was increased in the hall just before
the contest began by five separate wagers
Of 500 a side.
The match took place in Detroit In 1859 on
q 6xi2 pocket table and with push strokes
and crotching allowed. Phelan won. 1900
to 1905. lie made runs OF 10. 1Oi, ae and 81,
while Seereiter made clusters OF 157. $50. 20
and 50. Phelsn averaged u S2-le4. Differ
ent carroms had different values, from
white TO red counting two points and
from red TO the red three points.
Phelsn came to this country from Ire
land. He was a careful. methodicsl player.
resourceful. nervy and a good general.
seereiter was considered a more brilliant
player and a better executor. but Phelan
beat him through the qualities mentioned.
There was nothing snowy about his style,
but he got there. He was the cock of the
walk in his day and exceedingly popular
among players and patrons Of the game.
One of slossOn's stories.
In 1s6s George Slosson, then IA years old,
was working in the billiard room OF the
Kennard house in Cleveland. Perched up
on a box one day. he was knocking the
balls about when a party Of men passed
through on the way to the bar. one of
them stopped to watch the player, who
looked and asked:
Like to play a game, sir?'
mo. sonny" was the answer. Il don't
believe | care to play
The youthful Slosson heard the men
laughing in the bsrroom. but didn't know
what is was about. A few minutes later
they passed through the billiard room again.
4 aud Al. - --N.r, Gr..... ia aIa.....l
stopped and said he would play a game.
Slosson won-because his opponent let him
he found out afterward. As the party
was passing out one Of the members in
formed slosson that he had been playing
with Michael Phelan.
Imagine my feelings says the student
In telling the story, for in those days
Phelsn was looked up to in billiard circles
by me at least, as little less than a god
Phelan took a good deal of interest in
Slosson and later had him come TO New
York to work in the same room which
he now owns.
Dudley Kavanagh, who knows more
about the old time billiardists than any.
body else and who was a contemporary
Of Phelan and Seereiter, says that the
Improvement that has been made in bill
hoibS 10 NuO W CNAtl machinery Idlllel
than better players. BY machinery he
means tools, especially tables, cushions and
cloth.
Were Phelan playing today and with
the same advantages he would be a better
player than the present day experts said
Mr.. Kavanagh. HE was schooled better
The old time players were more consistent
performers than those OF the present. II
a man showed good work one day it was
a pretty safe bet that he could do II
again the next day. They we're all match
players. all money players, in those days
Cushions of Those Days.
professional billiardists were better exc
cutors then than they are now. They had
to be. 1t was all execution with the cue
ball In the old days. Take the first shot
for instance, from the string line. As the
game is played now the expert shoots 10
make his carom and to bring the first
object ball around with him. That couldn't
be done with the old style OF cushion. A
man was lucky IL he could drive the first
object bail three feet.
Il have at home a piece of an old time
cushion, and it is made entirely of cloth.
There was no rubber in the cushions in
those days. After a while a piece of ordi-