The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-16
CUE PROGRESS OF AMATEURS
BIG STRIDES SINCE THEIR
FIRST billiard TOURNEY.


From the Old Straight Rail 10 tie ISa
Baik Lane Game mt Averages keeI
Pace With Harder styie Of P1a!
Have Furnished Several Good Pros
From a grand average Of l1.oa at thu
old three ball straight rail game to a Crane
average OF 20 at the 1917 balk line game
Ia a fer cry In billiards. That. however
Ia what the amateurs have done sinot
they have boon playing tournaments
for tho championship. 1t represents
period Of t~wenty-one years. Many am
eteurs with the cue have come and gone
in that time, and Of those in the recen'
championship tournament at the German
Lederkranz in this city not one was II
the public arena twenty or even twelve
years ago. The professionals make g
much better showing in the length OF
their public life, but billiards is their
business.
TIE veterans Of the last tournament
wero Conkiin OF Chicago and DR.. Mia
of this city. Conklin has been playing
steadily since 1900. DR.. Mai played In
a tournament that year with Conklin
but he has not kept it up year after year
since like Conklin. Ferdinand Poggen-
burg, who did not play in the last tourna'
ment, Is a veteran oampaignor OF the
cloth and worries. and his first appearance
In a tournament antedates that Of either
Conklin or Mial. Other leading amateurs,
Edward Gardner, Wilson Foss. Martin
Mullen, Arthur Townsend and Byron
Stark among them still play the game.
but none except Gardner has been seen
In public in some years.
Albert Cutler OF Boston, who used to
play in the amateur Journeys. has be-
come a professional, as has Frank Keeney,
who, however, doesn't play professionally,
but has a billiard room. Al Taylor has
turned professional too; likewise Calvin
Demarest, the young Chicagoan, who
as an amateur was the most skilful cueist
ever In the amateur field. His records
show that. He, however, hasn't made
any more improvement as a player than
Cutler, who, though not one OF the best
amateurs, has improved to such an ex-
tent that he is one OF the leading pro-
fessionals, and the best professional
billiards is considerably ahead Of the
best amateur playing.
Stop by step the advance made In the sol
enoe OF gathering oaroms by the amateurs
made more difficult, 30 they have risen
to its requirements. The first amateur
championship of America was played
in New York in May. 1887, and was at the
three ball straight rail game. The winner
was Orville eddie, Dr., whose best run
was 1873, best single average 1873 and
grand average, 11.o3. The other players
were Alexander Morten, DR.. H. u. Jen-
nings, who is still an active player; j, E.
Soule, c. T. Jones and l.. B, Flanagan.
The games were Of 800 points. In a tour
nament the next year under the same
conditions Oddie won again, beating
c. cambridge, DIR. Jennings and Morten.
His grand average was only 5,8s.
The first known 1872 tournament for
amateurs" took place in Slosson's room
In New York in 1898. Byron Stark was
first, DR.. A. B. Miller second and DR.. A. l..
Ranney third. There had, however, been
q match at 1872 previous to that in which
Oddie won with an average OF 40 for 400
points. The field had broadened out by
1898, in which year Maurice DAILY pro-
NOTED a handicap 1872 tournament. There
were seven competitors-Townsend.
Stark. who won; e. Gardner. Kecney.
Miller, Rannsy and Poggenburg. Town
send made the best single averag &c. $50,
the best grand average. 5.s7. and the best
run, 81. Those averages wouldn't amount
to much in the latter day tournaments.
Before tho National Association of
Amateur Billiard Players assumed COM
plete control OF tournaments the Amateur
Athletic Union had a say. and in 1898 the
first A. A. U Class B tournament It 1872
was held There was Ia general though
slight improvement in the quality Of the
play. Byron Stark, who won, made a
grand average OF 7M and a best single
against him for tae prize were AL Taylor,
J. DeMun.. Smith, .Poggenburg, Miller.
Hevner and Hendriok. The best run was
II. put together by Taylor.
In the A. A. L. Class A ranks were
Martin Mullen. Wilson Foss and Wayman
McCreery They were rated in a class
by themselves, In 1899 they played the
Class A tournament. finishing as
named. Averages were not in accord
third, made the best run, 100, the best
single average, 1888, and the best grand
average. 9.l6. Foss's figures were 1888.
II. 25-S.27. Mullen's were 73-lO, PES. so.
The n. A. A. BIS first tournament was
held in 1900. There were two sets OF
handicap games at li:2, The games were
in Slosson's and Days rooms,
and here are the figures and handicaps,
the order Of the names being al the on.