Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-21
FOR 1872 BILLIARD TITLE
Six Experts Matched in the TOurna-
ment This Week.
VETERANS AND YOUTHS MEET
History OF Championship Play at This
style of Game aud ChRrncteris-
tics Of Those who VIII
Compete.

of the world at 1872 balkline billiards Is
about to be subjected to another tussel
among the leading cue experts. George
Slosson, George sutton, Albert Cutler,
Calvin Demarest. Harry Cline and Firmin
Casslgnol are the entries for the tourna-
ment that will begin tomorrow night In
Madison Square garden concert han, the
most historic in the world for battles with
the ivory globes. Cassignol is the foreign
entry in the tournament, which will be
under the auspices Of the newly organ
tied Roomkeepers' association. William
Hoppe and Orlando Mornlngstar, owing to
differences with the Brunswick-Balke-Col
lender company, will not compete. There
is plenty Of class without them.
This viii be the fourth tournament for
the 1872 title. The first was played in
Paris in 1903, the contenders being sutton,
Slosson, Cure and Vignaux. There was
a three cornered tie among Cure, Sutton
and Vignaux for first place, and Vignaux
declared that he had won because he made
the best general average. He declined to
play off, and, taking the matter into court,
was sustained. He derended his title
against sutton in January, 1894, and de-
feated the American in a 500 point match
by the narrow margin Of four points.
VignauX's term as champion having ex-
pired, there was another tournament for a
new trophy in 1906. II was held in Madi-
son square garden. and the entries were
Slosson, Sutton, Schaefer, Hoppe, Cure.
Cutler and Morningstar. They finished
as named. Two matches followed on the
heels Of this tournament. In the first.
sutton wrested the championship from
Slosson, and in the second, Sutton sue
cessfully defended his title against the de-
signs of While Hoppe.
In 1907 interest in the 1872 title quickened
again and there were four matches that
year for the championship. Morningstar
went after Sutton and was beaten by him
in Chicago by thirty-eight points. Next
Jake Schaefer tried his hand and Sutton
beat the Wizard in Chicago by a score of
900 to PAL. In January, 1908, the fifth match
was played. 1t took place I'm Lenox
lyceum and the few spectators who were
there will remember what a slow, tedious
match 1t was. The hall was cold and
players, spectators and ivory all suffered.
Sutton won by 191 points. Hoppe took the
title away from Sutton in March Of the
same year in New York, the score being
500 to 272. Hoppe returned the trophy to
the donors, and there being no challenge
the 1872 series for the time being was
closed.
Play il Revived.
Play for the 1872 championship was re-
vived in the spring Of 1909. and this time
in Madison Square garden Morningstar be-
came the champion. Sutton, Slosson, Cure,
Cutler, Demarest and Cline finished be-
hind him In the order named. 1t was the
first appearance of Demarest and Cline in
championship tournaments for profess
sionals. Demarest had cleared up every
thing in the amateur ranks. but the tourna-
ment showed that there is a wide gulf be-
tween amateurs and professionals in skill.
That is the history Of 1872 championship
billiards. This time Casslgnol, the French
man, is the newcomer to championship
Journeys. The field ranges from veterans
to young bloods. Slosson is the veteran of
the company. He is the old war horse and
In his time has been champion at 1872, 1871
and cushion caroms. There isn't a gamer
or better uphill player in existence than
the Student or a better general. He is
painstaking, careful and a strong executor
all over the table. He takes advantage
Of all the phases and conditions of a match,
is a good nurser when he wants to be and
an effective open table player. He uses the
forearm stroke. In the last tournament he
made a high run Of 25 and a single aver
age OF so.
Sutton also is a seasoned player, though
not as long in harness as Slosson. He Is
the best nurser Of any Of them and on this
account is likely at any time to make a
decisive run. He plays away regardless of
what his opponent is doing, and takes all
sorts Of chances to get the balls for nurs-
ing. Yet he is a good open table player
md aAAa aN NhA vnng-a M .4-V- t.
little jab sort of motion with a rather FREQ
wrist. Sutton holds the record average
1OO-and has made runs Of 234. 232 and POP
In tournaments or matches. He made one
grand average of 20 %.
Cutler OF Boston Is Of a younger school
Of players, but has had considerable tour
nament and match play experiences. He
has put up some stiff battles, being beaten
only 500 to 476 once in an 1871 match by
Schaefer. He plays well all over the table.
is pretty reliable, and a superb masse
player as well as strong on draw shots.
He has a good physique, but In tempera-
ment is inclined 10 a certain degree OF
recklessness, or rather lack of the intense
application such as was a prominent char
acteristic OF Frank Ives.
Cline is an attractive player-has a taking
style. He has a clean swinging wrist stroke
OF the ola sexton ana NignauN school.
He knows the shots, Is clever at open play
and nurses well, but does not take re-
verses as philosophically as he might to
advantage. Demarest, the youngster Of
the crowd, is also the most pyrotechnic
performer. He hasn't been in the game
long enough to realize the value of an
inning. He is chock full OF confidence,
probably the best OF them all. He nurses
skillfully, with a fairly wide nurse, and
likely at any time to let go with a big
run. He has a light touch, free, clean
stroke, plays fast and drives pretty ac-
curately, but perhaps too frequently.
Cassignol Is an unknown quantity. so far
as American tournaments are concerned.
He recently averaged % in a 1,OOO-point
match with Gibelin. which is first-class
cueing. He is a good masse player and
has a pleasing way about him at the table.
He is well up In the technique Of the
game, and when he has the balls in posi-
ton for close manipulation holds them to-
gether well and counts rapidly.
PURDUE COLLEGE OUTCLASsED