The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-11-06
BILLIARD GROUP | BACKSDRIVE FOR |5,OOO,OOO PLAYERS
Worlds Best Opponents to Help Teach Game to
 the Public
(speclaI 10 The Democratl

Chicago, Nov. 64-<t3illiatds, one of the oldest of modern sports, embafks, this week, on an ambi- tious campaign to return to the days when it was a participant's rather than a spectators sport.
 6,OOO,00O players in 1905!!! That Is the objective of the National Better Billiards'' campaign, which has been launched by the National Billiard association from its head quarters in Chicago.
 Officially, the drive got off to start last week when R. F. Ben- singer, president of the Brunswick Baike- -Collender company, who is supporting the drive with an ex- tensivc newspaper and magazine advertising campaign; gave a din- ner for the officials of the Nation al Billiard association, and the twenty-one players taking part in this program.
 Cream Of The Crop
 Tn this group of players were such well-known experts as Willie Hoppe, worlds 1S.1 balkline and cuShioh-ca champion; Welker Cochran, worlds 1S.2 balkline champion; Johnny Layton, worlds 3-cushion champion and former pocket billiard title holder; Ruth McGinnis, women's ace of pocket billiards; Andrew Ponzi, present worlds pocket billiard champion, and Chas. c. Peterson, who can make the ivory spheres do every thing but climb up his cue.
 The tour of the twehty-one play CTS, which will last until about June 1st, will enable every town and hamlet in the country to see these billiard players in action. However, the principal objective of these touring artists will not be exhibitions or competitions. It will be to teach the public how to play and enjoy the game.
 As c. A. Storer, president of the National Billiard association, put it:
 we have a sport here with distinctly American appeal to it.
 Designed not for experts or champions, but for the general public, and with the aid of these distinguished players, we hope to help the public to learn how to thoroughly enjoy the game of bill- iards.
 Year by year we find great American sports becoming highly centralized, and more concentrated: The result is," said Storer, that while the general public sits on the sidelines. We have notable ex- amples of this in football and base ball.
 For The Public
 ttrr1o nhioot Una National Better Billiards' campaign is not to create more champions, nor. to build more experts so that, people may sit on the sidelines and cheer. We want actual players to be specific, 5,0O0,000 of them in 1885.
 ''To this end, we hope to organ ize competitions and tournaments for the amateur. We want to in- terest women as we'll as men, as this is a recreation in which wom- en con indulge on an equal plane with the men. In short, we hope to bring this game to the American public, in such form, and under such conditions that all may thor oughly enjoy participation in it."
 Besides those players named above, the following also attended the dinner;-
 J. N. Bozeman, Jr., Frank Tab erski; Geo. (Handless) Sutton; Chas. Seaback; George Kelly; Kim rey Matsuyama: Robert Moore; James Caras; Wm. Mosconi; Ora c. M0ringstar; Erwin Rudolph; Allen Hall: George Spears; P. Nat allie; Erich Hagenlacher; Mrs "Q" the mystic of billiards.
 Billiard rooms throughout the country are cooperating in the drive and are inviting the public to take lessons, without charge, from the experts when they appear in the various towns.