A CHAMPION CUEIST

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3087, 18 May 1917, Page 7

A CHAMPION CUEIST

RETURN OF GEORGE GRAY WHAT HE THINKS OF AMERICAN BILLIARDS

Mr, George Qray, thf> champion billiard player, accompanied by his wife, arrived from America. recently, having journeyed this way via fho United tns ;.nr! Canada, in which latter country hf. annexed the championship on route. Asked l«> explain how I,ho championship nov.f>(«iod, Mr. Gray said thai the position was really very unsatisfactory, and wanted organising rather Iradly. "At present," he sa.id. "tborn is no such tiling as a chainpionship of tho world in English billiards, because thn bodies which control billiards »t Home only interest themselves in Great. Britain. For example, tho B.C.C. (Billiards ConIrol Club), of which I am a. member, is nominally the body that finds tho champion of England every year. At. present ho is Inman, who last beat Keeee, but in this instance the cbaimpion id found by means of a tournament, and a player has to bo there to play when called upon to do so, otherwise.ho loses his chance. T might be unwell when called upon lo play, and not boing able to keep my engagement would have to forfeit, tinder such'conditions, can a. pian be said to bo a champion? There are those who play for the championship, who, under ordinary world's championship conditions, would never bo heard of. But at present Inman. is tho English champion, naving held that position when'the committee decided to oloso down on ohampionship tournaments until tho war was over. The B.A. (amateur) champion is A, E. Williams. Claims the Championship.' j

"I claim to be the champion of the world," said Mr. Gray, "and there is my .i£soo to bo playod for against anyone who chooses to put up a like amount. Tho trouble, is that there is no organisation with a big enough outlook to take the matter of arranging matches between champion playors. They talk about tno championship boxing matches of the world being badly organised, but they are not in it with billiards. It was useless my challenging lnman for the English championship, for the simple reason that the B.C.C. would not allow him to play for the title. In any case there is nothing in holding tho titlo except tho honour, and that fades the next year if yon don't happen to bo there to defend it at the tournament." Before leaving England Mr. Gray was engaged in war work, and in connection ■with that work visited nearly every centre where thcro were munition factories. "Eccentric" Billiards. "They are beginning to know what English billiards are m America,'" saiJ Mr. Gray, "Five years ago when I was thero there was one English billiard table in. the whole of America, at least there was only one I could discover, cr anyone in the gamo had ever heard of, and that solitary one was at Maurice Daly's rooms ill 49th Street. I- believe it was sold cheap to Jack Doyle, who has very fine rooms in New York. On my last visit in February and March of this year I found that Daly had established sis English tables in his rooms, and at M'lvor's, another fashionable saloon there were also half a dozen British tables; so you see they are beginning to know that there is such a gamo as -English billiards in existonce. They didn't know that a few years ago, and beliove that it is a corrupt form of American billiards. , 1

"American" billiards I It's a ' curious game to oureyes. There ore really three forms—the carrorn game (all cannons and no pockets at nil), the pool gamo (with pockets), and the three-cushion game (i.e., a player must play off three cushions beforo connecting up his cannon). The American tables are Bmall (10ft. by sft.), and the balls are largo and heitvy. The tips of tho cuos are tho size of a shilling, and, with the weight of the ball to take in, calls for an athlete to play tho game successfully. As a matter of fact, they aro, mostly big hu6ky mon who play tho game. 'They wear a" kind of sweater or a sleeved waistcoat when they play, and tho sfrot is ono of oven strength—push as hard as you can. There is no delicacy, and, as far as I could see, little science needed, savo perhaps knowledge of tho angles, and even in that they are helped by dots along the 6ide of tho table about eighteen inohes apart. I played thoir games to see what they were like, as I know I wouUl bo asked now it compared with tho English game. When I was asked the qncstion, I replied that tho English was a combination of all that was best in . the American games, but played with smallov balls on a larger tabic—which was quite N near enough to tho truth." War Fever in America.

Mr. and Mrs. Gray wcro in New York in February and early in March, just after Count Bernstorft' was handed his passports and had left the country, and they describe tho war fever eg intense. Though thoro was a big 'Gormanic elomont in tho big city, it did. not manifest itself very, much. The. people fieomcd to bo all pro-Ally, and keen on a declaration of war agauist Germany. In ono picture theatre visited tho warning was thrown on tho scrccn: "America is neutral, and patrons aro cxpected to behave as 6Uch." But ono of tho pictures showed a French destroyer dealing with a German submarine, and ono man started to clap. Gradually others joined in, until the whole theatro was applauding and stamping its approval. Mr. and Mra.; Gray also visited Mo'ntreal. Mr. Gray saw several of the "Zoppa" that flew over London from time fo time. One came along • when ho was in the middle of a game, ami as everyino at once rushed out to see tho show tho fame had to bo postponed. Ho 6tood in Leicester Square and saw ono of the big airships go floatfogby spotted by searchlights— a very' "Beautiful and wonderful sight. Big Breaks. Mr. Gray baa the biggest break ever ' made in tho world. tc< his credit. It was 219G points, unfinished, and was made against Cecil 'HaTvison some yearn ago. He has made breaks of more than 1000 over'thirty times, and has .mado 120(1 off the red alone, which is ample proof of his ability as a cueist. Mr. Gray will tour New Zealand for the next month under an\ arrangement with Alcqsk and Co., after which ho will leave for Australia . CHRONIC INDIGESTION BANISHED BY DR. SHELDON'S DIGESTIVE TABTJLES. "For a very long time I have been suffering from acute and chronjo indigestion in its very worst form, causing violent hi] ions attacks ajid headaches ana giddiness, and all the usual - painful symptoms attached thereto/' writes Mre. E. L. Beaaley, 23 John's Road, Belfast, N.Z. "I was constantly taking all sorts of patent cures prescribed and recommended. which only seemed to irritate and make it worse instead of bettor, till I became a physical wreck and not fit to do my daily duties. Hearing of Dr. Sheldon's Digestive Tabules, I decided to give them a, trial, and I nm very sorry I had not heard of them before, aa I should have been saved a great, deal of pain and misery. 1 am pleased to say they have completely eradicated all trace. of the above complaint, and I am now in the very best of health, and feci it a pleasure to be olive, and able to thank you for thi? great benefit and cure I have received therefrom, and I shall always keep a supply of Dr. Sholdon's Digestive Tabules in the home, and strongly recommend them to all sufferers from the above complaint.." Dr. Sheldon's Digestivo Tabules are unsurpassed for the trea-ment of indigestion 3.nd all stomach troubles. Obtainable from all chemists and 6tore-' keepers at Is. 6d. and 3s. 6d. pnr tin — Advt. . A proved remedy for coughs and colds h®= many imitators. This is true of "NAZOL." For your own protection order "NAZOL" by name. See that "NAZOL" appears on carton and bottle. -Advt. "" ' 1