BILLIARDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1234, 16 September 1911, Page 12

BILLIARDS.

THE GOOD STORY OP A CUE. [Br Makker.'J For tlic first couple of (lays, in his recent match with Lmdrum, Steveuso.ii had both his cues 111 hospital-he could not get a decent tip for his best one, and the j other lie had the bad luck to split. There is a good story attached to St evenson's pot cue. A friend of his, who made a liobbv of collecting professionals' cues, found Charles Dawson out of humour and out of touch with liis cue, and bought it from Him on the spot. Shortly after this, Stevenson was at this friend s house, and was shown the collection of cues. Picking up tho Dawson cue, Stevenson thought that it Handled beautifully, and at onco offered to it from His host, who, however, made him a present of it on condition that ho played with it. It was at this time that the long strugglo for supremacy was going on between Dawson and Stevenson, in which the latter was gradually gaining ground year by year. For four seasons Stevenson used the Dawson cut) in all his matches, but never let Dawson know that he had it. In 1905 Stovenson and Dawson played" their famous match for tho right to

tackle John Roberts, in which Stevenson not only won by 1692, but also made his world's record break of 802. In tho dressing-room after one of the sessions, Dawson asked Stevenson to let him have a look at the cue with which ho was doing such famous work. Stevenson handed him the cue without comment, and, handling' it, Dawson remarked to him: "No wonder you can play, Harry, with a cue like that. If I could get hold of one like it I could do the same. The laugh was on Dawson when Stevenson told him tho history of his own cue. It is stated that Lindrum s arrangements to go to London have at last taken definite, shape, and that ho intends to leavo for England at the end of the month, which will give him a few weeks to get into form for the season. Lindrum is not taking engagements with any firm, preferring to be free to play under tho best conditions ho can make for himself. In fact, some time ago he refused a good substantial offer from a well-known 'London firm to play in their tournament. Before Recce left Australia, Lindrum agreed to tour England for 20 weeks, and has also engagements to fulfil with Digrlo, ' Harverson, and luman. So far he has not made an effort to secure a match with George Gray, because Gray's movements aro uncertain, though, of course, the two will meet if Lindrum has a try for tho championship. Lindrum would like to get a money match with Stovcnson, under control or association rules, but, so far, the champion is not likely to tako him on—certainly not until tho matter of the proposed Stevenson-Gray match is decided one wav-or the other.-. There, is little dqubt that Lindrum should bo eminently successful in England. In fact, as far as hie skill is concerned, ho should get very close, to the top of tho tree.

Another candidate for the "Prodigal Stakes" has arrived in the person of a twclve-yoar-pld brother of Lindrum's who last week in Sydney made a break of 150 on a standard .table by excellent, nilround billiards. This little fellow can just about see oyer the cushions, and is handicapped by all sorts of difficulties, which lie overcomes in startling fashion. J. W. Read, the New Zealand champion, has just returned from Nelson, where he pleyecl three matches, and was victorious in all, breaks of 247, 214, 187, IG4, 153, and lOOcame from his cue. .Read lias put up a very fine performance this season, having played 30 games without a single defeat. In many of his games he had to concede his opponents twothirds of the points.