WORLD MARBLES CHAMPION.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 190, 27 July 1922, Page 7

WORLD MARBLES CHAMPION.

. 2000 EXCITED BOYS. The sporting instincts of Americans were aroused io a high pitch of enthusiasm by the staging at Jersey City recently of a boys’ national tournament to decide the “marble shooting championship of the world.” Michael r£jo-ia-no, 14. the champion of Washington, journeyed from the capital on the invitation of the Mayor of Jersey City to test his skill against Charles “Buster” Rech, a boy of the same age, who v.-as recently acclaimed champion of New Jersey. Moro than 3000 boys witnessed the tournament, while bands played and picturemen filmed the various stages of the game. It is estomated that tens of thousands of marbles changed hands in the course of the day,as boys all over the country were betting on the result. The slim, black-haired challenger lifted his right foot off the ground and and shot his “taw.” A moment later the defender with his first shot sent <me of the ten marbles rolling out of the ring. He thus became “poison,” and was at liberty to shoot at Troiano’s “taw.”

Amid shouts the contests for 15 minutes manoeuvred with extraordinary •skill for position. Then “Buster” Rech sent the marble of the Washington bey spinning across the ring, and won first game.

In the first stages of the second game Troiano outplayed the challenger magnificently. “Buster” was in a desperate position when from a distance of 151*. he hit his opponent’s marble with a resounding smack, and was proclaimed champion of the world. “Buster” shot with the knuckle and Troiano with the thumb nail, and the result is held to establish the superiority of knuckle shooting. Newspapers devote as much space to describing the match as to a prize fight. The winner wfts formally presented with a silver cup, which he will probably have to defend later, when a New York boy will contend for the world honours on*Central Park.

The loser ascribes his defeat to a swollen hand, due to excessive handshaking while being entertained as the guest of Jersey City.