The Washington herald., 1916-10-17

There seems to be a growing suspicion
among quite number Of the local duck
Primers that there is a movement on foot
among the bowlers OF New York State to
freeze out the duckpin game at the COM
ing tournament to be held under the aus
pices of the Atlantic Coast Bowling As
sociation, at Syracuse, next April. Just
why this rumor should have been given
any credenCe whatsoever, especially
when 1t is made known that the small
pin game is slowly but surely taking hold
in the Empire State, is hard to see
In New York City alone, 1t has been
claimed that there Is a growing demand
for the duckpin game and that the al
ley owners are meeting this demand by
installing the small pins and balls
Without the duckpin and candle pin
entries. the Atlantic Association cannot
very we'll hope to hold a successful tour
nament, as It was the small pin devotees
who practically made the tourney held
here last spring.
Should the New Yorkers try any such
trick as this they will not only lose a
large batch Of entries from the National
Capital, but cannot hope to pull many
entries from the New England States,
where the duck and candle pin game is
rolled almost exclusively.
Selecting some particular player who
stands out as possessing A little more
class or having the edge on all others
of the National Capitals large field of
billiard followers. would hardly be other
than the expression OF a personal opinion
And so 1t would be with the three-Cushion
and pocket game. Individual tourna-
ments, at all three styles of the game,
could not help but to create a lot of
enthusiasm and at the same time give
a line as to Just who ranks at the head
in each style Of game. At the present
time the fve-men team elimination tour
ney being held at Sherman's parlors is
the only tournament OF any kind being
held in the city, and it is not OF such
character as to give a line on the merits
of any individual player.
Surprise seems to follow surprise in the
billiard world. Such has been the case
with most Of the billiard matches and
tournaments that have been held in the
last eighteen months or So This applies
to three-cushion and pocket billiards
rather than to balk-line. and it would be
right in keeping with things cueistic If
the veteran George Sutton beat Willie
Hoppe in their coming match for the title
at st. Louis the latter part Of this month.
Sutton in his practice games for the
match is making runs as high as 300, and
there seems to be ring of confidence in
MS DOdSI lndI may DOue no SOOQ lot the
champion that he will take Hopes meas
ure. The match calls for 1,5OO points at
1872, the opening block of 800 points to be
played on the night of October q.
new national pocket billiard champion
has appeared upon the horizon in the per-
son Of one Frank Taberski, of Schenec-
tady n. Y. Unknown, unsung and un-
heard Of six months ago, this young Pole
invaded the Middle West and after pol
ishing OF Jim Mature, Johnny King and
Benny Allen, he then journeys over to
Sedalia, Mo-, the baliwick OF Jack Lay
ton, and in a match for the title wrests
the laurel from the brow of the then
champion. Those who have seen him in
action claim that his play shows more
neatness of execution, more precision, yet
at the same time more daring, than that
ever exhibited by De Oro. Allen, Layton
or any of the other former title-holders
when they were at their. best.