Championship of Ohio. Cleveland, O., closing January 25th.—Tournament for championship of Ohio and $1000 in money. Eugene Carter first, T. J. Gallagher second, and Anthony Honing, John Bluim, John A. Thatcher, Harry Choate, Joseph Casper, W. A. Burchard, Martin Mullen and H. Coleman following. Stake in match series was $200 a side, and table a 5 × 10. Carter beat Gallagher by 400 to 346, March 25th, and Honing by 400 to 353, both in White’s Hall, Toledo. In the Globe Theatre, Cleveland, October 17, 1876, occurred the fastest game of the series, which was for $250 a side. Gallagher, 400—17.39—76; Carter, 221—31.
Four-handed Public Game. Tammany Hall, N. Y. City, February 17th.—In aid of the Homoœpathic Hospital Fund. J. and C. Dion, 500—15.15—36 and 56; Daly and Garnier, 354—28 and 34.
First Avowedly Professional Use of 4½ × 9 Table. (It had already been used in declaratively amateur games in New Orleans.) Championship of Indiana, Indianapolis, February 23 to March 1, 1875.—Eight contestants. Henry Bussey was undefeated, while Parker A. Byers, failing to beat Bussey only, made best run, winning average, and general average, viz., 67—14.29—6.66.
But one match-contest is chronicled, and in that, played in Turners’ Hall, Indianapolis, June 24th, Byers beat Jacob Garratt who had been third in tournament. B., 400—10.26—63; G., 201—38.
First Undeniably Professional Match on 4½ × 9. Washington Hall, Indianapolis, March 9th.—$200 a side. Lewis Shaw, 400—13.79—51; Wm. Burleigh, 188—25.
Slosson vs. Rhines. Warerooms of J. M. Brunswick & Balke Co., Chicago, March 24th.—Rhines receiving odds of 100. S., 600—5.13—45; R., 579—41.
Brooklyn’s Only Professional Carom Tournament. Assembly (Billiard) Rooms, April 1–15th.—300–point games, for $600 (Garnier), $400 (Vignaux), $250 (J. Dion), $150 (Ubassy), and $100 (C. Dion). Neither runs nor averages were striking. Games won and lost: G., 5—1; V., 4—2; J. D., U., and C. D., 3—3; Daly, 2—4; Rudolphe, 1—5. J. Dion and Ubassy won in playing off triple tie.
Wm. Sexton’s First Public Three-ball Match. Bleecker Hall, Albany, N. Y., April 5th.—$100 a side, c. b. S., 500 to 462; winning average, 4.32.
Championship of Northwestern and Southwestern States. Warerooms of J. M. Brunswick & Balke Co., Chicago, April 12–24th.—200–point games. Prizes show outcomes of play-offs, every one of the twelve but Miller, Maggioli and Honing having tied. Average of tournament, 5.36. General averages of Gallagher and Burleigh parallel Ubassy and Slosson’s in 1874 for closeness.
| W. | R. | Av. | G. A. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H. Miller ($500) | 9 | 50 | 6.90 | 5.20 |
| W. Burleigh ($400) | 8 | 117 | 11.04[7] | 6.961 |
| H. Rhines ($300) | 8 | 100 | 11.11 | 5.25 |
| Lannie McAfee ($250) | 7 | 76 | 10.53 | 6.98 |
| E. Carter ($175) | 7 | 84 | 22.22 | 7.22 |
| T. J. Gallagher ($125) | 7 | 94 | 11.11 | 6.962 |
| L. Shaw | 6 | 86 | 10.53 | 5.62 |
| F. Parker | 6 | 94 | 8.18 | 5.57 |
| F. Maggioli | 4 | 83 | 9.09 | 4.53 |
| A. Honing | 2 | 44 | 8. | 4.96 |
| H. Liverman | 1 | 34 | 6.06 | 3.78 |
| A. Hoa | 1 | 34 | 5.94 | 3.45 |
7. Hoa’s 5.94 was a loser, and so were Burleigh’s 11.04 and Parker’s 8.18.
MILLER VS. RHINES. Academy of Music, New Orleans, July 8th.—First match for championship and $500. M., 500—5.49—32; R., 304—60.
MILLER VS. MAGGIOLI. Same hall, September 9th.—Maggioli, 500—5.68—73; Miller, 354—36.
MAGGIOLI VS. BURLEIGH. Oddfellows’ Hall, New Orleans, December 9th.—B., 500—9.43—69; M., 365—33.
BURLEIGH VS. SHAW. Chicago, February 19, 1876. S., 500—8.62—67; B., 485—87.
As a changeful championship, this has always stood unmatched. No one man won two successive contests.
Garnier vs. Vignaux. Tammany Hall, April 28, 1875.—$500 a side, c. b. G., 600—13.04—90; V., 258—33.
Garratt vs. Choate. Academy of Music, Cincinnati, July 29th.—$250 a side, c. b. G., 400—6.90—75; C., 304—27.
Anthony Kraker vs. Deery. Palace Amphitheatre, San Francisco, August 14th.—$1.000, c. b. K., 600—5.77—38; D., 598—48.
“The Garnier Tournament.” Tammany Hall, N. Y. City, November 15–22d.—For a purse of $3,000, presented by the late George L. Lorillard through Albert Garnier; 300–point games. Ties for third, fourth, and fifth prizes were not played off, the aggregate $1,000 being divided equally. The tournament stands alone not only because its winner’s general average is surpassed by those of four out of his six competitors, but also because his best single average is lower than that of any other player who won one or more games. Average of tournament (six games apiece), 9.81.
| W. | R. | Av. | G. A. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Dion ($1,500) | 5 | 122 | 14.29 | 9.43 |
| C. Dion ($1,000) | 5 | 89 | 30. | 10.78 |
| A. Garnier ($333) | 3 | 119 | 30. | 11.13 |
| G. F. Slosson ($333) | 3 | 104 | 16.67 | 8.60 |
| Wm. Sexton ($333) | 3 | 136 | 15. | 10.96 |
| M. Daly | 2 | 124 | 23.08 | 12.32 |
| A. P. Rudolphe | 0 | 67 | 6.75 |
Schaefer vs. A. Kraker. About this year, Schaefer played and won a $500 match in Virginia City, N. T. (we think, having no record but memory), averaging 12 or 12.50 in 500 or 600, which was high for that region, high for himself, and high for his surroundings, unsecreted pistols stimulating him to unusual efforts.
Shaw vs. Carter. Adelphi Theatre, Toledo, January 7th.—$500, 4½ × 9, c. b. S., 500—15.13—108; C., 311—89.
Rudolphe vs. Daniels. Bumstead Hall, Boston, January 20th.—$500, 5 × 10, R. giving odds of 150. R., 600—13.04—68; D., 426—44. This match came of a billiard-room encounter between the pair in N. Y. City, Daniels receiving odds then, also, and losing.
Sexton vs. Slosson. Tammany Hall, N. Y. City, January 27th.—$1,000. Sexton, 600—15.38—73; Slosson, 482—110. It was this match, with its high winning average, that determined the choice of Sexton over Slosson to go to Paris as challenger of Vignaux to the last game for the first world’s championship, which see under 1873.
Schaefer’s First Public Match in the East. Ford’s Opera-house, Washington, D. C., April 26th.—Announced as for $2,500 a side. Lewis Shaw, 600—10.72—69; Jacob Schaefer, 547—76. It was because of Shaw’s victory that he, instead of Schaefer, was admitted to the Centennial Tournament of May following.
Centennial Tournament. Horticultural Hall, Philadelphia, May 15–27th.—300–point games. This tournament took its rise in a purse of $1,000 proffered by Frank Queen, editor of the New York Clipper, to whichever billiard manufacturer should add most. H. W. Collender added $4,000. J. Dion, Daly, and Rudolphe played off their ties in Irving Hall, this city, June 5, 6, 7, with the results shown here in apportioning the prizes. Nine games apiece. Average of tournament, 10.07.
| W. | R. | Av. | G. A. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wm. Sexton ($2,000) | 8 | 287[8] | 60.[8] | 14.73[8] |
| A. Garnier ($1,200) | 7 | 176 | 37.50 | 13.78 |
| G. F. Slosson ($800) | 6 | 103 | 21.43 | 13.48 |
| J. Dion ($600) | 5 | 106 | 50. | 14.26 |
| M. Daly ($400) | 5 | 153 | 23.08 | 13.04 |
| A. P. Rudolphe | 5 | 175 | 23.08 | 12.66 |
| J. Bessunger | 4 | 91 | 12.50 | 7.83 |
| C. Dion | 3 | 86 | 15.79 | 8.72 |
| L. Shaw | 1 | 62 | 6.98 | 7.26 |
| M. Foster | 1 | 79 | 6.38 | 7.29 |
8. Beating record—Daly’s 212, Garnier and C. Dion’s 30 and Daly’s 12.32.
The runs of 251 and 287 by Sexton were the first public exhibitions of straightforward railing (term shortened to “straight rail”). Before that, players hugged the rail, or cushion, by close nursing, not going far forward, and especially aiming to keep near a corner.
First of Long Games in Tournaments. Irving Hall, N. Y. City, June 8–16th.—$1,500 in prize-money, 600–point games, one a night, instead of two short ones. In playing off ties, Rudolphe averaged 25 and ran 127 against Sexton, while Slosson against Garnier ran 311, thus beating record, which was Sexton’s 287. Average of tournament was the high one of 15.88. Garnier’s 17.84 eclipsed the general-average record, which was Sexton’s 14.73.
| W. | R. | Av. | G. A. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rudolphe | 2 | 102 | 21.43 | 16.71 |
| Sexton | 2 | 125 | 20. | 14.56 |
| Garnier | 1 | 121 | 22.22 | 17.84 |
| Slosson | 1 | 152 | 20.81[9] | 14.66 |
9. Either losing average or error.
Daly vs. C. Dion. Tammany Hall, N. Y. City, June 12–15th.—Five nights for $200 a side, c. b. Dion, 2000—12.99—121; Daly, 1141—128.
The Only First-class Tournament in California. Platt’s Hall, San Francisco, July 31st to August 4th.—600–point games for announced $3,000 in prize-money. Average of tournament, 17.44. Ties not played off.
| W. | R. | Av. | G. A. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garnier | 2 | 139 | 21.43 | 15.47 |
| Sexton | 2 | 120 | 19.35 | 16.16 |
| Slosson | 2 | 230 | 20. | 18.80 |
| Daly | 0 | 184 | 14.29 |
Slosson’s general average of 18.80 surpasses Garnier’s New York record of 17.84. The two tournaments themselves were record-beaters for coincidences. They were the first with long games at three-ball caroms, 600 points in each, and neither came anywhere near paying expenses. The single averages of the winners-in-chief in the two cities were precisely the same (21.43) in exactly the same number of games. Finally, the player who had made the highest single average in New York made the highest in San Francisco also.
Daly vs. Slosson. August 12, same hall and c. b. game as foregoing.—$500 a side. D., 600—13.95—153; S., 364—47.
Louisiana Championship. No record of tournament, if there was one. A change seemingly made to 5 × 10 table.
New Orleans, June 6th, first match, stake $50 a side. Louis Abrams, already champion, 300 to Chas. Quaid’s 143, winner’s average and best run being 8.33 and 50.
August 4th, Abrams, 300—5.88—55; John Miller’s total, 249.
October 4th, Henry Miller, 300—6—63; Abrams, 244—23.
December 4th, Maggioli, 300—10.71—58; H. Miller, 253—61.
This was the sixth match, and seems to have been the last.
Schaefer’s First Tournament. Tammany Hall, N. Y. City,
November 20–28th.—Four money-prizes, aggregating $1,500, 300–point
games on the usual 5 × 10, but with 25
16 balls. Slosson having
gone South, but one tie game was played, and that, increased to 600
points, was won by J. Dion, who also received the special prize (a
billiard-table) for best general average. Six games apiece, averaging
9.30, a drop due less to lesser runs on balls together than to missing
on smaller balls far apart.
| W. | R. | Av. | G. A. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Dion | 4 | 195 | 17.65 | 10.94 |
| Rudolphe | 4 | 134 | 21.43 | 10.04 |
| Slosson | 4 | 122 | 16.70[10] | 9.73 |
| Garnier | 3 | 181 | 16.67 | 8.71 |
| Daly | 2 | 123 | 11.54 | 9.34 |
| C. Dion | 2 | 136 | 13.67[10] | 8.79 |
| Schaefer | 2 | 155 | 12.50 | 7.60 |
10. Losing averages.
First Public Handicap Tourney at Game. Begun in Academy of Music, Cleveland, O., December 27th.—A Honing (275), $250; T. J. Gallagher (350), $200; J. Randolph Heiser (275), $150; Eugene Carter (300), $100. J. A. Thatcher (275) was the other competitor.