BILLIARDS.

NZ Truth, Issue 437, 8 November 1913, Page 3

BILLIARDS.

(By "Old Amateur.*) Harry, Gray Is apparently fast developing Into a yes-no sort of person. Quite recently It was cabled that under no conditions would hla soiv Oorge engage (ln <*ny matebe* with Ivory balls. But the very latest from, old man Gray Ih a staggerer. George Cltuy will play anyene I*, ooo up level with Ivory balls for big money, and it Is understood ihat Dlej< .Woecton, the Australian \torjt_ trainer, will "And up. to £&00 ot the stake money. Woolion prefers .Stevtmson jw. Grajr'a opjmnent, possibly because fcJtevenaou is the beat player with Ivories, and of course is a big dnt\wn^ card. Kigl* hero Tom Recce butts In and reminds Gray that he ha_s already challenged son George to a-match witt* ivories level for JCMO aside. A RecceGray match will, however, cut no lee with Papa («ray, as ileeee Is not m the name street with Stevenson a.i a showman and a drawing ezrti, \V)UU> H Ih almost certain Gray Is In earnest it raitai be remembered thai Stevenson only the other day challenged to grve any man m the world 2000 start m 20,1)00 for £_2&0 nubia with ivory halls, and it seems stnwge Gray now wishes to play levol. Well, It would bo strange ordinarily, but the pro. billiard player Is a complex subject, has feelinx*. dignity, prentige, and a. den-t-ate balance wnen percentages of the taking* have to be determined. All these matters must be given fullest consideration, and with the result usually that one or otb».r MTJST accept a start, and thes.l are. chief rea-. mens for so many hippodrome or gate money matches, llarely If ever doe* a professional have a shilling of hi* own money at stake, so that which crer wsy a game g«K» the pteyers are certain winners, and tho haggling that goes on m fixing th-t perosoeagos. t losing and whining) tit an ey>fc-op*n*r. Though I am nn immense admirer of George Gray. 1 cannot Imagine him defeasing Btat*_n»on »>n level term* with ivory l_a.iL*, nnd George should hay« pocket**! his dignity, prw*Jg«v trtc^, ami c/ugagint m a match with Btevfjnson with th* 2000 m _*.(&& «f---f«*rtsd. HtevunJ*m'« big br*aA_a with Hurv^raon shoutri cooeiuaively slanv Gray wfrat a m&i*i»r Si*x*t««m h» wiflt th« ' Jvorkst,* and U m setting (ho>AU*>

■wcrbTs best player'. .-with _io>' material ~ ■Sr&y is not faxtnOar with.l.:.:^ >_..L...: £ ■ As was generally «xpe/^sd. Stouten- ~ ■son bas accepted the >d»Ueu©e of ~ | IGeosge Gray to play a hiatch^ l£.eob E Mp-lovel with ivory balls In'r Jb»Ma £250 "> Uo £500*asfcle. It v.oes without saiyUu; " that immense Interest '-'and a. lot of -~ tepecobtttoa will be . oaSacbietr T,' with V *his game, wbieh *wdH ptac^ujy de- V v^ n * teo "** -<*»»li*oiidi_^.aiVEn^S&h " M»fllJards. Inmy>optal^.th' e^lsis^_ro - on Stereoson to win,^ thougb ' afiwßo - •*now; ( <seot_g» Gray .feel sure Tig will put up-fl, good^aghL ft is.*o bo RbneJ the cable mm wdttl gh»e wane .partkalaxs of th_te-ma_toh tbam ia x_9*~ »0y aftordetbthe Aostiaiaffliak blßlard^ lowing public. aiL-of wfcom. j^ kßenljc intewsted m t____e doings, of tbeCAus-t ' -traßan jptayec. .. ---„. * . -*?**"*■*«»-*»* "MS cbaaengd ttc play Gwy leael, Tommy is^nt pie- -*<** P**ytn«rSte»««jo. ifcooo. up. with t^^atrt,,_im<»'ttwHny,a good fight bt It as wen. The klw; fcore^Roeo M&G. Stevenson T4*S3S— tend to show >S*e*w»oni3<J_a^o«dtottn^^ ."'. jmlt reads Bfc»-a^certeJß«f«Xor tbe^cx-, ' Melbourne Inman Is expected back m Rngta nd^somo Unso-this month. ~axid doobUesa tbe cable will inform tuj .tbat Melby-adß pfcvy »ewepswn/ Gray* Koece Diggle. or anyooe breatbinajCow Any oaoount. with any make of IxUla* It is\a, -moral certainty* booacoer. that all or- suxy ix_a*che_r wilS ?not be on the winner' take aU lihea* a__| Xbewspro. man ca__mot^e_nd_are~s}mp__3rtb«~* ' ' *ng m the- billiard Itmehfeht as hfca -share of tho games. ...'*■- MAlcecies Sporting Rewiew- for-Oc-. - tober is to band. This veD-e«___jll_ta(l >Htth» broctner* Js, foil, or^notra -op. Da4 "' ' Hards, tennhv bonis and ntUiitli _|i fjpnw4A_njt. send is -well worth tbe^omlg, ;_TTmTt_rl tv itwrj Iptton fee>c_ttarged. Tho- minor trairti_M.maut. promotoct <qf? .Messrs. Baxroogbee and Wa**_v Donr< don, sjear ago wtth tbe >obJoct of>on-« coorachag rising -pfayocSTUtti m wt_Wi tl%+Mpii-v_ipc_lHC9aae&"vm_t^_^^ that big annual tournament, prowed .kmsc* cesHful that. It Is to-.be an aimn___t~«f-f .fair. Last year the e^st \na mo\% by A_tQmr Peall Cson~of- the famous spot stroke pl&yeeX. While -tn Ja«4 ( yeort* exeat there were' 12 oompoti-, toes, this yettr*tl_*^«:ape tnw«4>eeh "wJd-i"' toed to Si players. Amongst tbe "too* >- •of eottrte* are such namest-aa Wnnaan Cook itho nuraiajr «umon -objca__pion>, K. C Rreed («ce-^P3___at«_ar ' eba___op_h»>, W. Oattorae fex^tecagptan of tho MW-. : lands), and the c_b_u_nptom of"lt<d_aad sad Wale*, anu^dso^ArtJmr-Weell, who woo last year. Tba game**, common-. rood on September 19,- ax<». oo' th« knoefc-oot prtneipie. padßmttnary heats of 1099, mant-finala 3*oo, andtbe final 6000 up. Harcbi <cbaniptoo- -of a_U__n- - cheHter), Pindar and Ir^eeJl are tho ujost taackd for the . Kogßsh welters are of the optnioa tbat George Gray must reaoot to th* ivory twill if he Ih to create -tbo, sam«> .- latcnat m hfa»-do+i__gs oduj wa_i»««socia_t- . ed with hi» nrsr-visit-toßogJacnd. Tim , toct that the boniottne and cx_y»taiato - ball ftrma ba»e a-roalgaixnited wilt do away with modi of th_a arfpiwHmt »h~ to Umj apodal advoaiages. ,of tho com- . Voßltkm ball, which was induce*! mainly by tbo fact that both bail oompanles subsidised the luayers In ttrst-. A.l . claaa profeosiotnU nwicbi&rt. It is stat~ <^i timt the composition ball proprietaries mentioned will not ugnin subsi- ' dtse players to uae .cither at. ibeip manntbetures. No question of contracts will nowr peMieat jQeocge Grast using Wory bedhw hence "pc&csibf^y C»« latest challenge of W. Harry Qrarr, ' senior. Kaikiner, the young Kagltab pro, la making rapid strides m his prof esaNoa,, ; l and In Iris rooent ihuno with Re__to_» - surprised everyone -wiihr-bis wwodeefnt improvement on last- year's form^ .- ...