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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 206: 1908.
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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.

1907.

Maxine Thomas’s Formal New York Debut. Maurice Daly’s Room, December 31, 1906, and January 1–2, 1907. Style, 18:2. Averaging 16.46, and having 102 for high run, T. J. Gallagher won by 1200 to 889.


Calvin Demarest vs. Ora Morningstar. W. P. Mussey’s Room, Chicago, January 14th to 19th.—Exhibition six nights’ game at 18:2, Morningstar to make 500 points nightly to Demarest’s 300, but failing on the whole by 792. Demarest averaged 16.36 in his 1800, with 152 for high run to Morningstar’s 143.


World’s Championship and $500 a Side at 18:2. (See p. 309 for earlier contests of second series.) Orchestra Hall, Chicago, January 21st, third match.—George Sutton (champion), 500—71—17.86; Orlando C. Morningstar (challenger), 472—72.

Same hall, November 5th.—Fourth match. George Sutton (champion), 500—232—33.33; Jacob Schaefer (challenger), 241—93.

Lenox Lyceum, New York City, January 27, 1908.—Fifth match. George Sutton (champion), 500—93—7.46; Orlando C. Morningstar (challenger), 309—26—4.68.

Madison Square Garden Concert Hall, New York City, March 27, 1908.—Sixth match. George Sutton (champion), 272—83; Wm. F. Hoppe (challenger), 500—99—20.83. The week following, Hoppe returned the emblem to its donors. There being no challenge pending, this closed the second 18:2 series.


Interclub Handicap Championship. Philadelphia, February, 1907.—Game 14:2. T. Mortimer S. Rolls (scratch, 300) was first, with 11.54 for best winning average; J. E. C. Morton second, with 7.24; and Joseph Mayer third, with 5.48. The other contestants were James S. Alcorn, J. Julius Hovey, Dr. W. E. Uffenheimer, and Warren A. Hawley. High runs were lighter than usual in this series, but the general play was better.


18:2 vs. 14:2. L. Bensinger’s Room, Chicago, six nights, closing February 23d.—C. F. Conklin, 1800 at 14:2, with 11.76 for average; George Wheeler, 1419 at 18:2.


National Amateur Championship at 14:2.—See year 1908.


Minneapolis Amateur 14:2 Championship. February.—Defeating J. C. Fremont in the final game, Edward Huyck retained the Brunswick-Balke-Collender medal. Dr. Parker tied Wilmot for second and third prizes.


World’s Championship at 18:1. (Series continued from 1905–6.)—On January 2, 1907, electing to go abroad, Wm. F. Hoppe forfeited the championship and $250 to George Sutton, who was soon challenged by Jacob Schaefer.

Orchestra Hall, Chicago, March 11th.—Contest for 18:1 championship and regulation stake, $500 a side. George Sutton (champion), 448—51; Jacob Schaefer, 500—100—13.88.

Same hall and terms, December 2d.—Jacob Schaefer (champion), 500—88—11.63; George Sutton (challenger), 486—37.

Horticultural Hall, Philadelphia, January 23, 1908.—Same terms as before. Jacob Schaefer (champion), 500—59—7.69; Albert G. Cutler (challenger), 476—56.

Orchestra Hall, Chicago, March 11th.—Same terms as before. Jacob Schaefer (champion), 500—95—14.29; Wm. F. Hoppe (challenger), 423—59. Owing to illness, Schaefer forfeited in May, 1908, to Sutton, who had challenged in the prior February.


French “Amateur Championnat du Monde.” Third and last annual tournament of the series, and held at the Billiard Palace, Paris, closing March 15, 1907.—The victor was Lucien Rérolle, Darantière and Francois tying for second and third prizes. Next to Rérolle’s 17.39, 20, 21.05, and 26.67, Darantière’s 16.67 was the highest winning average. The only triple-figure runs were Darantière’s 130 and Rérolle’s 103. The other contestants were Pasco, Blanc, and Mortier. The last withdrew after losing his first two games, one to Rérolle, and the latter was the only unbeaten player. This was Rérolle’s fourth successive annual triumph, and brought this particular championship to a close, it having been projected for 14:2. The first annual he won was projected for 18:2, and its championship ended with the tournament that instituted it. The other had to be won three times, we think.


N. Y. A. C. Championship at 14:2. May, and again won by Dr. Walter G. Douglas, who in this tournament had but two competitors.


Calvin Demarest vs. Clarence Jackson. Exhibition at 14:2, October 1–4th, first and third nights at W. P. Mussey’s Room, and second and fourth at Thomas Foley’s.—Demarest was to go to 1200 against Jackson’s 800, but failed by 42 points, although making five runs—127, 122, 77, 73, and 64—superior to his opponent’s best, which was 58. The winning average, as near as can be ascertained in penalty of resuming play in an irregular way on three of the four nights, was 9.88. In reason, it should have been higher.


C. F. Conklin vs. Clarence Jackson. Chicago, week ending October 26th, four nights of exhibition 14:2 alternately at Thomas Foley’s and A. M. Clarke’s Room, Conklin playing 1200 to 1000, and winning by 23, with an average approximately 10.50. High runs—Jackson, 80; Conklin, 79.


Amateur Championship of Oregon. Portland, Ore., October, last of the three 14:2 contests for the gold medal.—W. C. Duniway, who had won the other two, was also victor now, with an average of 5.13, although MacBisaillon, his opponent on this occasion, made the highest run (41) when he had but 50 to go to Duniway’s 9. The final score was 200 to 198.


T. J. Gallagher vs. Ora Morningstar at 18:2. Maurice Daly’s Room, New York City, October 28th to November 2d, the latter to play 2500 to 1800.—Gallagher, 1800—150—16.09; Morningstar, 1467—79.


Gallagher vs. Ed. McLaughlin. Maurice Daly’s, New York City, November 4–9th, six nights of 18:2.—Gallagher, 1800—80—14.06; McLaughlin, 1571—105.


“Imperial” Class B Tournament at 14:2. L. A. Curtis’s Room, Boston, closing November 6th.—Prior, who won his whole five games and made the highest run (36), was winner of the gold watch. Parker, beaten only by Prior, was second, besides being high in both averages, 4 for single and 3.42 for general.


Trenton, N. J., Tournament. Held in November, and tied for by three whose playing off placed them in this order: Wm. Allen, of the Mercer County Wheelmen, first prize; Whitehead, second; and Fischer, third.


Foley’s Class A 14:2 Handicap. Thomas Foley’s Room, Chicago, ending week of December 11–16th.—Ten competitors, with Clarence Jackson as scratchman (300). With 84 and 17.65 as the highest run and winning average of the tournament, and with a general average of 10.96, Jackson won every game but that with A. J. Brown, who tied W. K. Cochrane for third and fourth, Percy Collins being second. Collins and Brown were at 260, and Cochrane at 200. Brown had second highest run, 56, and Collins second highest winning average, 10.40.


George F. Slosson vs. Albert G. Cutler. Slosson’s Room, New York City, December 9–21st, two exhibition games at 18:2.—Slosson won the first by 1800 to 1430, and the second by 1800 to 1518. Neither game went beyond 10 in winning average, and the highest runs were 77 by Cutler and 72 by Slosson.

1908.

World’s Championship at 18:1 and 18:2. For contests in 1908, see pp. 312–13.


Crescent A. C. Annual 14:2 Championship. At Brooklyn, N. Y., ending January 3d.—Tournament won by Dr. H. D. Jennings from E. A. Clough (second prize) in final game, increased from 200 to 300 points. Jennings, 300—41—5.77; Clough, 145—29. The highest average of the tournament, 8.33, was by Jennings in defeating Banker by 200 to 49.


Knickerbocker Annual 14:2 Handicap. F. A. Keeney’s Room, Brooklyn, tournament closing January 1st.—J. Ferdinand Poggenburg (400), Chas. E. White (250), Frank Boyd (225), and Walter A. Leonard (220) tied for first four places. Playing off the ties made the winning order White, Leonard, Boyd, and Poggenburg. Naturally, the scratchman (Poggenburg) made the highest run and average, which were 136 and 11.11 in his last regular game, won from Boyd by 69. The second highest run was 69, made by J. M. Millette (230) when averaging 5.90 in defeating Poggenburg by 111. The other contestants were Christian Scheidig (250), Dr. H. D. Jennings (230), and John A. Keane (185).


E. W. Gardner vs. Ferdinand Poggenburg. Tim Flynn’s Room, New York City, January 31st.—Match at 18:2 for one hundred cigars. Gardner, 400—89—11.76; Poggenburg, 345—60.


T. J. Gallagher vs. Ora Morningstar. February 3–7th, match of single games of 400 points at 18:2 for a purse subscribed by patrons of Maurice Daly’s Room.—Gallagher won the three middle games, and Morningstar the two at the extremes. The highest run, 136, and the highest winning average, 28.57, were made by Morningstar in the final game, which was of no use to either. Gallagher’s best run and highest winning average were 85 and 26.67.


California 18:2 Handicap. W. H. Berry’s Room, Los Angeles, January 27th to February 1st.

W. H. R. W. A. G. A.
H. A. Wright (400) 1 111 14.81 15.17
George Kennedy (300) 3 57 11.54 9.48
Wm. Maguire (300) 1 65 11.11 9.82
Frank A. Du Bois (200) 1 52 9.09 5.80

Kennedy and Maguire rate as professionals. The one victory of Du Bois, with its average of 9.09, was over Wright, all of whose games were so near victories that his general average surpasses his highest winning one.


Championship of Wisconsin at 14:2. Coleman & Perrigo’s Room, Milwaukee, Wis., tournament ending February 25th in the sixth regular game, which, between James Brown and Alexander Emslie, determined first and second places, Brown winning by 300 to 147, and making at once the highest run (36) and the highest average (7.32) of the tournament. With Thomas Bigelow, winner of third prize. Brown and Emslie represented Milwaukee, Charles H. Schweizer coming from La Crosse.

W. W. A. G. A.
Brown 3 7.32 6.00
Emslie 2 5.45 4.64
Bigelow 1 4.76 4.29
Schweizer 0   3.14

Roomkeepers’ 18:2 Championship of Wisconsin. Tournament closed April 22d, Milwaukee, with decisive game: H. A. Coleman, 300—47—6.98; John Hahman, 221—32.


National Amateur Championship at 14:2. Instituted March 12 to 21, 1906 (see that year), this was continued in March, 1907, at the rooms of the German Liederkranz Society, N. Y. City, with the results in the table first appended, and concluded at the rooms of the Chicago, Ill., Athletic Association, March 14–23, 1908, as set forth in the second table.

W. H. R. W. A. G. A.
Calvin Demarest 5 115 27.27 14.85
C. F. Conklin 3 68 12.00 9.18
E. W. Gardner 3 101 10.71 9.32
J. Ferd. Poggenburg 2 101 21.43 11.55
Dr. L. L. Mial 2 94 14.29 9.51
T. M. S. Rolls 0 96   8.10

Conklin and Poggenburg defeated Gardner and Mial in the extra or play-off games, Poggenburg running 115 and averaging 42.86. Neither the average nor the run counts against the figures in the table. Nevertheless, the 42.86 was the highest of record for a player of Poggenburg’s class.

The regular games, 300 points up, were fifteen. In Chicago they numbered the same, but were 400 points up.

Demarest’s victory in Chicago closed the series by making him owner of the emblem, with 202 (in his tie game with H. A. Wright) and 57.14 (in his regular-schedule game with E. W. Gardner) as the highest record run and single average of his class at 14:2. The same is true of his general average of 21.22, which, could his two tie games be computed with it, would be transformed into 23.19.

W. H. R. W. A. G. A.
Calvin Demarest[13] 4 170 57.14 21.22
H. A. Wright 4 133 30.08 16.14
C. F. Conklin 4 141 15.39 12.11
E. W. Gardner 2 75 13.80 11.01
J. F. Poggenburg 1 116 21.05 11.29
Clarence Jackson 0 56   10.85

13. Lost to Wright by 133 (average and high run 16.67 and 83 for winner, and 11.13 and 66 for loser), which caused a tie among himself, Wright, and Conklin.


American Debut of Firmin Cassignol of France.—March 2, Geo. F. Slosson’s Rooms, N. Y. City, beginning a series of 18:2 exhibition games with the proprietor.


New French Championship at 18:2. Tournament held in Paris, France, April 3–10, 1908. The general average of Rérolle is closely approximate only, all known on this side as to the final game, which was between him and Robert Mortier, is Rérolle’s recollection that Mortier averaged 25, and that he himself did not make half the game. Points were 400, and balls presumably 61 millimeters. Games, 400 up.

W. H. R. W. A. G. A.
Mortier 5 118 25.00 16.26
Rérolle 4 175 20.00 14.02
Blanc 3 98 22.22 11.79
Darantière 2 121 21.06 13.59
De Drée 1 79 7.55 7.94
Labouret 0 58   6.37

International Tournament for Amateur World’s Championship at 18:2. Held in the large hall of the German Liederkranz Society, N. Y. City, five competing and finishing in the order given in the subjoined summary, viz., Lucien Rérolle, Toulouse, France; Calvin Demarest and Chas. F. Conklin, Chicago, Ill.; and E. W. Gardner and J. Ferd. Poggenburg, N. Y. City. Apart from the championship emblem, which, the gift of the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co., and formally presented by the National Association of Amateur Billiard Players, is subject to annual competition until some one player shall have won it twice, the prizes were at the choice of the players in the order of their standing as winners of games, which were 400 points up, April 28 to May 7.

W. H. R. W. A. G. A.
Demarest 4 151 28.57 20.00
Rérolle 2 103 15.38 13.44
Conklin 2 59 13.79 9.93
Gardner 1 62 10.53 8.50
Poggenburg 1 55 11.76 9.47

In playing off the ties, the winners, Rérolle and Gardner, both surpassed their prior best winning average by respectively making 16 flat and 10.81, Gardner also making his highest run of all (83, which is a record for him), and Rérolle his second best (91). Demarest’s general average is record high, but his single average of 28.57 and his run of 151 are second best.

Conditions of the tournament barred “anchor” and imposed balls of a diameter of 61 millimeters, or 2⅜ in. plus. Games, 400 points.