MISS ROBERTS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2012, 20 March 1914, Page 2

MISS ROBERTS.

LADY BILLIARD PLAYER. '''. | It is an uncomnrou calling that Miss. | Ruby itobcrts, the world's iady chain-', | piou .billiard player, has chosen, as wo-' I men so far tio not appeal - to be in a. | hurry to jnako their prafessKmnl entry . | into the- world of billiards. As a matter | of fact, it i.l swd that, vefy few women, J lor soni2 reason or other, really I linguist themselves ,at the game. Pes- | Siluy the- re.tsan ior that in this coini- § ' try may lie'in the iapt that women as a | tule have not tile time to give to thtt | game, it certainly caaiitvt Bo for auy | ' moral reason, as* although the biiliar-ct- | room was once- largely thought of in | connection with hotels and pviolis places, | many homes hiJve their .own billiard- | roam, to say nothing of every well- I equipped Y.M.C.A. building.' | . Miss Roberts, who is at the present | time visiting Wellington,' has been, a j professional player'for-three years, awd j (hiring that time has been associated i with some of tlio greatest world play era!." ' She is a.nicca of Oharles Memmott, ex-. Australian riiaiKpioii, wJm. trained her, ' ami afterward?,, us it professional playor-j. ' she toil red the wo fid with John Roberts,' ' wins was for years-the greatest playei , in the world. Curiously enough, though . of the same name, Miss Roberts is not ', connected in any way with the'chain- '. piOH, While in. London slio' played against ' and belt MadaifUi Strabet > oils of the : best exponents of the gaine in that city, ; and also'against Miss JKya CoUinSj another expert. .Beth'these ladies teach j at several 'of the Women's Clubs in -j London* including the ■ Lyceum Club. They ware tK'e''«nly two j/fofossionals' of her own ; se-if that -Miss'lto-hcrts played. Among t'do meh'that she met, how- J ever, were Claude- FaHsner {choittpiaii c f the vVest of England), W.-Oablc, ,}'. W. Vino, 1L Dawson, Harry Taylor (the boy champion), and several others. With the two first-named plajers,she was givefl Wif ■ the points to begin with, 4'oijo out; of 8000, and in her matches with Mr. Cook she made seven, breaks over 100. ' Tile l.'.ighect break wljielt she has yet made was 231. This was in a private 'game-

Her travels took her through lSiiftlaiid, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and ia between matches she taught at s.ev--era! private homes, iiiciudiiig the Harnttuvortlis' liom« at Hove, Brighten, witoro tho ladies of the .family were her pupils in the afternoon. In the .evenings she plated against tlje news'iJaper magnate, and enjoyed soaio excellent games. Tire tour with Air. Roberts also took her ■ into the. East, where billiards aw tile great pastifflfe of the > white' people* Through China, India, Bjiniwii,, cad the Straits Settlements they went,"'' slid had a most interesting time, the matches taking place at the military or other ciutei. Naturally, since Wfliards were the. chief amusement, there were good players t<j be met* and it formed no slight sensation whenever Miss Roberts used to leave tho groat player- heliiud- with a succession of breaks.

Miss Roberts is a. firm advocate of t'lin; game as I.)eMig one .particularly, stiiterl for women.. As a means of physical cultlire, sho thinks it excellent. Tiro different . postures' that tho game induced brought into play nearly all tho muscles, olid ten there were thft itu-woer : of ■times that- one walked ■ round tte table, "Of' course, oiie. injist have oxteMctifc health," she remarked, "That is Visscli- , tial. if que wishes to d-ist-mEuish oneself at it." 'Ift her ftpiiiipit tlie deljcate.toijch ; ■• that, women have, a-iid the graceful positions of wlne-h they wsre capable, partteuiarly" adapted them to tho game, as ' well' as theif .liatural qiialjtiC3 : «f . palieirce'< and judgment. "It. should . certainly v be most csoellont training to? Ihant,"'she\ continued, "Every muscle is bfougM into play; tho mind aad eye mn trained at ono and the saijm time, a deftness ni touch is cultivated, and, '■ best of all, eyarjr eaio and worry lias to, he driven,from .the.mhid or the res-tilts arcs disastrous to one's play." In answer i« a qiuerj - as to whether sho suffered from ftcrvousnflss at all, tho lady champion' confessed that sho did when playing in a. great gamo anil was ivofc doing well. "iHffore'h't 'tables, and diffotent swrtutidiiifts do make a Idiferenco then',"' sho «aid> "'especially | when one has.- beoii doing some. hafd i travelling," WJiile'slle Was-in Ktiglafld, Miss Roberts -wrote some articles for' the "Ladles' Field" on billiard playing, and was greatly encouraged by tho interest frith which' they were roeeivtA Mts. Rob« crts travels with her daughter. mlv,;r.'v' '■-'' i< :