Evening journal., 1914-07-30
Billiard Players
LEAGUE A SUCCESS
Many Cities Want Member
ship in the New Organi-
ZatiOn
ONE MAYOR PUTS
UP $4OO PRIZE


success Of the recently organized
Champion Billiard Players League,
may be interested to know that their
fears arc groundless. The New
League has already developed into
something far more pretentious than
its organizers had hoped for.
The Office in New York of Burton
Mank, President and Manager of the
League Is literally swamped with APP
plieatons for franchises from all
over the country. In fact, II now
seems necessary to increase the num-
her Of cities originally intended to
/ be visited by the members Of the
League during the coming season.
I The original plans will hardly accom-
modate all those who desire to have
the cue experts play championship
contests. One Of the most enthusi-
astic letters which has been received
by Manager Mank is from Edmonton,
Alberta. In this little Canadian city
the Mayor has agreed to give a prize
OF $400 to the member of the League
making the highest run during the
contest season, provided Edmonton
Is granted a franchise.
The Canadian also suggests that
the tour be so arranged as to include
number of towns in Alberta, and
the other Northwest provinces and
Mr. Mank has taken the matter under
adyisement and may arrange to grant
franchises to several Of the Canadian
towns, continuing the tour north
from st. Paul
That the interest in the movement
is general is indicated by the wide
range which is included in the re-
quests for franchises Even before
the formal application blanks have
been mailed several hundred requests
have been received from all parts Of
the country. The difficult part of the
work at present is to map out route
which will include all those who de-
sire TO be included in the League and
AZ the same time win not make the
tour too long nor the jumps too un-
certain.
The booking department Of the
League Is laying out the tour along
geographical lines that might we'll
! be termed Four-Leaf- Clover
There are to be four circuits Of fifty
towns each. over which the various
/ teams Of the League are to follow
each other al intervals Of about six
weeks. II will be so arranged that
each member Of the League will play
an equal number of games with every
other member. This will add greatly
to the sporting interest in the tourna-
ment as an exact record will be kept
Of the percentage Of games lost and
won by all those who compete.
II will also be arranged that the
fnHmG -.
the same town. This will give the
patrons of each franchise holder an
opportunity Of seeing every member
of the League in one Of the cham
pionship matches The League man
agement has offered three handsome
prizes. The player who wins the
most games during the season viii he
presented with one thousand dollars
il gold. There will also be cash
prizes of five hundred dollars each
Tor the player making the highest
run. On account Of its novelty and
spectacular possibility the new style
game OF l4:1, balk-line, has been
decided upon This game proved
very popular at the recent champion-
snip matches held at the Hotel Astor,
New York. II is considered much
more difficult than the other styles OF
play. Tho players are continually
drivlng and much Of the close play
is eliminated
The tour is to begin October 1st.
at some central place in the middle
vest vet to be determined, or pos
sibly in the Ohio Valley at Cincin-
natl, This town will form the cen
ter Of the "Four-Leaf-Clover." One
Of these Leaves" will extend to the
northeast through southern Ohio
West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware
New Jersey and the New England
states, returning through New York.
northern Pennsylvania and Ohio to
the central point Another Leaf"
viii go TO the east and southeast
taking in southern West Virginia.
Virginia, the Carolnas. touching at
Florida and returning by way Of
Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and
Kentucky
A third Leaf" will extend TO the
southwest through southern Indiana
and Illinois, crossing Missouri into
Oklahama, taking in Arkansas and
the principal towns in Louisiana and
Mississippi. and then returning 10
the central point by way Of western
Tennessee and Kentucky. The other
Leaf" will take in the northwest and
viii include parts of Ohio and In
diana, Michigan. Wisconsin, Mime
sofa and Iowa, returning across Illi-
ncis and including those towns in
Indiana which were not included in
the other circuits.
Each lap Of each circuit will be
completed az the same time and then
the teams will be rearranged and
another lap OF all the circuits will
be begun.
In order 70 make this booking plan
complete il viii be necessary to use
many towns in order TO break the
jumps" and those who have failed
TO make applications for franchises
may be accepted as members even
shortly before the beginning of the
tour.
Another encouraging feature Of the /
venture Is the request for dates for
me eight real championship matches
which are 10 be nlayad during the
season az eight Of the principal cities /
oi the League Already there have +
Deen more than eight applications for /
tnese championship matches but no /
date. ''''0'
The New York Office of President /
Mank is being worked TO the limit I
~ nresent in order to complete the I
prplinnfnar,y vuort, - - -