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Modern Billiards / A Complete Text-Book of the Game, Containing Plain and Practical Instructions How to Play and Acquire Skill at This Scientific Amusement cover

Modern Billiards / A Complete Text-Book of the Game, Containing Plain and Practical Instructions How to Play and Acquire Skill at This Scientific Amusement

Chapter 154: 1889.
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About This Book

A comprehensive manual treats billiards as a disciplined recreational skill, beginning with historical context and equipment and room considerations. It offers systematic, illustrated instruction in cue handling, shot-making, cushion play, and a wide range of game variants and scoring methods, including carom and pool forms. Practical chapters cover evolving techniques, table and cloth care, selection and use of cues, and strategies for counting and position play. Additional sections explain rules, tournament conduct, and competitive records, aiming to guide readers from basic shots to advanced, repeatable strokes through diagrams and methodical practice advice.

1889.

Brooklyn, N. Y., Amateur Annual. Daly’s Assembly Rooms, February 4–14th.—Handicap tournament for diamonds, 5 × 10. Arthur R. Townsend (scratch, 375), winning 3—1, won first prize and also made highest single average (15), highest general average (7.40), and highest run (116). Townsend was tied by Wm. Barnard (375), but defeated him, in playing off for first and second, by 375 to 185.


Third Tourney for Amateur Championship of America. Second and last for Townsend Cup. N. Y. Racquet Club, May 13–18th. Average of tournament (four games apiece), 6.01.

W. R. Av. G. A.
Orville Oddie, Jr. 4 195 17.32 8.56
A. R. Townsend 3 138 11.11 7.57
R. J. Maginniss 2 94 11.53 5.68
H. D. Jennings 1 101 11.53 5.31
Andrew Miller 0 42   4.07

May 12, 1900, a third annual competition having been found impracticable, the club committee awarded the Townsend Cup to Oddie.


Joseph Capron vs. John Donahue. Montreal, Can., September 18th.—$250 a side. Capron won by 500 to about 340, but loser made best run (66).


Schaefer vs. McKenna. November.—Match for $2,500 a side, even up. Death of Schaefer’s wife caused his side to pay $500 for postponement to January, and death of McKenna meanwhile ended match.

1890.

Brooklyn, N. Y., Annual Amateur Handicap. Daly’s Assembly Rooms, March 10–22d.—Average of tournament (five games apiece), 5.10.

W. R. Av. G. A.
A. R. Townsend (500) 4 257 17.24 9.83
Dr. H. D. Jennings (300) 3 91 8.57 4.73
Frank A. Keeney (300) 3 135 5.77 5.49
Herbert S. Haskell (500) 2 171 9.43 6.65
Wm. H. Barnard (350) 1 56 3.50 3.  
George Moulton (275) 1 39 3.44 2.90

J. Schaefer vs. J. F. B. McCleery. San Francisco, May 29th, 30th, 31st.—$200 a side, 3000 points, Schaefer giving odds of discount, 4½ × 9, c. b. S., 3000 (winning score)—average, 751 in actual score (3004)—run, 3000; McC., 15—run, 13.


F. C. Ives vs. McCleery. Same city, same table, a day or two later, Ives conceding 1000 for a stake of $250 a side. Ives, 3000—176.46—982; McC., 1748—717.

Nothing could more fitly close the chronicle of regular three-ball caroms than those McCleery matches. For other than amateurs or rising professionals, the game had lacked approval ever since the spring of 1879. Several of the contests after that were designed chiefly to surpass the “run” and “average” records of one or two professionals earlier in the wonder-working field; and so lamentably did the unrestricted game decline that first-class players, avoiding one another to the neglect of championships, welcomed matches with fourth or fifth-rate ones on 4½ × 9 tables.


Kerkau vs. McLaughlin. Daly’s Room, N. Y. City, purse games. August 16–21st.—McLaughlin, 6000—run, 1290; K., 4749, total. Sept. 6–11th.—Kerkau, 6000—run, 1355; McL., 4520—run, 1349. Averages in both were light for the high runs.