New-York tribune., 1911-12-24
A NEW NAME FOR POOL
Stigma Attaching to Old Term
Makes 1t Necessary.
SEARCH BEING ORGANIZED
Pocket Billiards" and "Pyra-
mids" Are So Far Favorites
in the Hunt.

1t has been decreed by those who WELD
the willow cure as n kingly sceptre that
the territory of pool is hereafter to be
known as pocket billiards in the domain
of sport. Indeed, not only in the games
upon the green topped tables, whereon the
ivory globes roll so smoothly, but in other
branches OF sport there is a disposition 70
make changes, with the expectation that
by so doing odium that may be attached
thereto and an unreasoning prejudice may
be overcome 1t is in it's way an iIlustra-
ton of the adage: Evil associations cor
rupt good manners" Those who are ad-
mirers of the 15-ball game and its fascina-
tons upon the pocketed table resent the
insinuation that it IS anything other than
eminently respectable. But without any
fault of its own the name pool has fallen
upon evil ways. 1t has been besmrched,
and so it is that in its regeneration to re-
spectability il is TO go forth among lovers
Of pastimes in tho nome, the club or in
public under it's new name.
To many minds uninformed the mother
solctous for her son, for instance, the
term pool" stands i'm the daily newspaper
as a synonym for raid by the police upon
disorderly places. Even those who regard
themselves as fairly liberal minded have
stunned pool, although they admit its
manifold attractions as compared with
billiards. without reason, the name pool
has gradually taken on a monsters shape
seemingly wreaking with vice. And then
suddenly those who have had the welfare
Of all forms OF billiards at heart have be-
come awakened to this state of feeling
Furthermore, there was a new element
which recently has forced itself with com
pelling attention before those who favored
pool and championed its respectability. The
so-called poOlroom, apparently innocent
enough, with its equipment OF few pock
eted tables, began to play an important
part In the criminal history Of cities and
towns. The police were cognizant OF these
facts before the general public. The pool
room had become a blind for worse things.
II was the resort Of petty thieves of the
younger class and crooked gamblers, and
so, as the evidence has piled up during the
last few months. the decision has been
made to change the name and thus sep
arate il from an element which would soon
have caused its stanchest advocates to
blush.
\ sort Of sentimental antipathy toward
pool is not new. In the cities the 2L,-cent-
cue rooms long ago fell into disrepute.
The village room that was its prototype
has been known for a generation as a
place where the boys big enough swsg-
gered, oftimes made undesirable COM
panions and caused heartaches to the
mother at home whenever the sons were
known TO have spent an evening there. So
1t was that it required a tremendous effort
on the part OF the Young Mems Christian
associations Of the country 20 see that
there was no harm in the game when
played amid proper surroundings. 1t was
only the boldest of the associations that
dared install the tables in their rooms The
associations had for years advocated and
supported bowling, but no one had ever
heard Of a bowling alley being ralded by
the police
Strangely enough. il was from the
Young Mems Christian Association that
the first move came toward a change of
name. In several OF the large cltles-New
York, Boston, Cleveland. PHILADELPHIA.
Chicago and elsewhere-it had collected a
mass OF evidence supporting the theory
That change would be beneficial To
begin, the name pool was misnomer. II
savored Of the gambling OF the racetrack.
There were plenty OF good citizens who
failed completely to deferentiate between
q poolroom where betting upon horse races
was conducted, and which were often
raided, and poolroom for that form OF
billiards ~ conducted In one OF the Young
Mems Christian Association buildings
Many Of the straitlaced merchants and
citizens, therefore, withdrew their sub
scrption OF funds toward the work OF the