Evening journal., 1918-12-02
MARKED CHANGES
IN BILLIARD GAME
Its Development Rapid:
Has Become Most Popular
of Indoor Sports
ROBERTS, ENGLISHMAN
STARTEDIVORIES GOING

Half a century ago John Roberts,
then the billiard champion Of England,
arrived In New York TO begin his MEM
Orable series OF matches with the best
American cue sharks Of the day.
The next few days offer several other
interesting anniversaries showing the
development Of the most popular Of in
door pastimes. On January q, 1869, Jo-
seph Dion defeated Melvin Foster In
four ball match for $1,000 in Montreal.
In January, 1867. Just forty years ago,
the late William Sexton defeated
George r. Slosson by GOO to 1872 at three
ball billiards in New York. In 1885,
thlrty-one years ago, the late Jacob
Schaefer defeated .Slosson, 500 TO 40 in
a i2-inch balkllne billiard match tfor
81 600 played in Chicago. In January,
1908, at New York, George sutton sue
cessfully defended the 1872 title against
Ora Morningstar, 500 10 800.
Many and radical have been the
changes in the cue game in the half
century covered by these scattered rec
ords. Record balkline was FIRST played
in 1888, when Maurice Vignaux. the
Frenchman, made a record run OF PIG
at 1872 In Chicago. Three cushion car
rom, which has lately become very
legitimate billiards, was introduced 10
Chicago forty years ago.
The French carrom game with It's
American variations has long held the
lead In the hearts OF American billiard
lists, although the English game, with
its monstrous tables, has been rapidly
gaining in popularity since Melbourne
lnman's visit.
Billiards had about as many American
deyotees pr0pOrtlonately 10 population
nfty years ago as now, as evidenced by
the size OF the rooms in the larger cit
les. In New York there was the IA
nous Phelan place, with twenty-nine
6xi2 tables. Major Walker had a twen-
ty table room in New Orleans, which
was famous all over the south. The
Mussey room in Chicago, the Davis
place In Pittsburg and many others
were almost equally well known.
France, England and Germany all
claim TO be the birthplace OF billiards,
but the BEST authorities ascribe the in
ventioh OF the game TO Henrique De-
vigne, a French artist, about 1874.
" AAaANHNA Va - AAAAAaAf AAAa rAAAAa NAAA
became popular and was introduced IN
America at an early date.
Some idea OF the changes made IN
billiards in the last half century may
he gained from the following extracts
from an encyclopodaedic article on the
subject published in The early COS:
"a game played with ivory balls on
a Nat, oblong table covered with green
cloth, having raised,' elastic cushioned
edges, with ssmi-circular aperhres, |
one at each corner and two facing each |
other at the centre Of the long sides. !
The dimensions Of full sized billiard |
table are i2 by 6. The balls are driven |
by a cue OF mace, as they are respec- |
lively termed, the cue being by FAR
the superior instrument Of the two; |
the mace being the implement for nov
ices and is especially suited 70 the lat
ter The game consists in striking one
Of the other balls, at which the striker
aims with his own ball, in such man
ner as to force that ball OF other balls
into one Of the pockets. The principal
games are the English or three ball.
the American or four bah, the Russian,
the Spanish and the pool games"