New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-29
amateurs Shine
With Cue and Ball

with all tho activity in billiards during
the past year the one thing that stood
out most forcibly was that the amateurs
surpassed the professionals in the matter
Of performance II Is tho average and
the ability 10 count high runs that speak
for achievement with the ivory spheres
The basis of comparison was furnished
by the 1S2 balklinc tournament by which
William r. Hope again captured the pro
fessiuual title a little more than month
ago at the Hotel Astor In this city.
Hopes grand average was 1885, his best
single average % III and his high run
122. Albert Morter won the international
amateur championship held in Paris
IN April with figures that surpassed
Hopes. Mortier's grand average was
173S, his best single average 20 and his
highest run IFS.
Professional matches during the past
year failed to show the players al their
best. Orlando &. Morningstar won the
ISL balkline title from George Sutton
i'm MAY with the rdicuiously low winning
average Of sos. His high run was only
- and Sutton's best run I'm this match
was g. When one considers that sutton
two months before this had taken the
title from Hoppe with an even average
Of 10 it recalls the performances Of the
late wizard Schaefcr and Napoleon Frank
Ives who never fell to such figures az
these.
Hoppe counted the best average In an
1872 balkline match during the year, that
of 29.45. in defeating Sutton for the cham
pionshp m February. The next best
average TO that was made by Slosson, Of
q $40 in the recent tournament. while
Morningstar In the same tournament
counted the record run of the year. of
l67. II is the opinion Of the professionals
that lack OF sufficient match play has
caused the diminishing of their skill.
As the amateurs have now advanced
to the 1872 balkline game. the perfor-
mances in Paris were especially note
worthy Mortiers single average of ~
was backed by a grand average almost
equal 10 Hopes, while his run of IFS
surpassed that of any Of the profession
ais, as did his single average.
The American. j. Ferdinand Poggenburg,
came next to Mortier so far as perform
ance figures were concerned, as his best
single average was 2S.57 and his high run
40. while his grand average OF 1881 was
better than that of Cline, Sutton or
Taylor in the recent professional tourna-
ment, while the others barely topped his
figures. Poggenburg finished only eighth
in the French tournament, although he
won the American international decided
in February, after n tie with Charles f.
Conklin.
The American amateur honors went to
Morris -. Brown. who performed most
consistently, and who counted an average
of 1912 and high run OF SIS I'm the field
which Included Percy Collins, Poggen-
burg. Conklin Joseph Mayer. DR.. Walter
g. Douglas and Or. Walter IT, Ufen-
heimer. George +. b. Clarke won the
Glass championship. his best average
being S.51 and his high run 81. while
clyde e. Terry captured the Glass G
honOrs.
Throughout the year there was an ever
increasing interest in the old game OF
pool which has been rechristened pocket
billiards. From the professional side the
attention OF lovers of this spectacular
game was increased by tournament held
in March in Philadelphia, which was won
by Edward Ralph. with Mature. DE ORC.
sherman. Weston, Wilson. King and De
Laugh finishing in the order named.
De orc regained the title In June, and