Billiards.

NZ Truth, Issue 473, 11 July 1914, Page 9

Billiards.

(By "Fluke.") On 23rd ult, Fred Weiss, once professional champion of Australia, started another year on to his life. The genial Fred is now following the calling of a bookmaker on the metropolitan courses, and- if he is only da successful in* this line as he was, and still Is, with the cuo, he will, m the end, own the usual row of cottages which the public, 'n its blind ignorance, imagines every metalllclan is the owner of. 7 -"■ Young Walter LindrUm, the fifteen-year-old brother of Fred the Australasian champion, put up a tine performance m beating Miss Ruby Roberts, the lady champion of the Commonwealth, m which, as was stated m our notes last' week, he conceded 6000 start m 18,060.' In the concluding sessions the brilliant lad strung together- breaks of 177, 66, 76, 110, 84,1 07, 218, going out with an unfinished run of 89. These figures are of sufficient magnitude to demonstrate that the youngster has a big future before him m the billiard world, and it is to be hoped that he will continue ,to pile them up. Any lad of fifteen years old who can put m a break of 218 is no slouch, and big as this run is, there is no reason why he should not improve upon it m the near future. Sydney billiard critics hove a big notion of this lad, and as they have had every opportunity of seeing him m the billiard pit, "Fluke" is willing to acknowledge that his performances justify the eulogies that havO appeared .m the Sydney papers. As far as we are concerned, we have never seen the Brother of the champion m action, but, all the same, What meagre particulars have come to hand are sufficient to satisfy us that thi3 boy is one above the ordinary. He is no freak player, with any penchant for any particular shot, although he Is credited with being a fine exponent of the red routs, made famous by George Gray. • * ♦ ' \ * \ There Is no doubt but that Walter

Lindrum has a "big future before him, and "Fluke" only hopes that this brilliant juvenile will seize every opportunity to work himself into the front rank of professional billiards, whether it is m Australia or England. It is to be hoped that those who are looking after this lad will use the ordinary common-sense that Is necessary to push him along. Nowadays everything seems to hinge on one thing, and that is money, and it is only natural to think that m professionalism this should be a dominating 'feature; but while admitting this, we have no hesitation In saying that money is not the only thing to be considered m billiards. The first thing to a rising bilHardist is reputation, and the reputation should be clean and without blemish. A . reputation obtained on unclean or doubtful lines is not worth anything, and we Australasians sincerely hone that any rising stars, of which Walter Lindrum seems to be the most brilliant m the billiard firmament, will not have it said of him that hie allowed mercenary influences to over-ride his latent billiard abilities. ■• ■ • " ■"'"•. This boy, Walter Lindrum, Is a coming billlardlst, and we only hope that both he and. those who are looking after him will recognise this fact. .*-.•♦• * Tommy Newman, the toy-wonder of the English billiard world, was presented with a cheque for £100 for winning the BurrOUgheS and Watta'a tourney, and, .m addition to this, a further chdqufi was handed to him for a grand total of 114 merit marks.' • ' ;;■ • * Tommy Recce, the Old • oiintry billiard expert, who is now m Australia, is accompanied by his wife, who also was with, him on his previous trip a couple of years ago. • * . ■ ■ ■ * * George Gray, on May 12, mado a world's record off the red ball with a run of 654, out of a break of 658. Gray kept the ball Well Unrtor control, and it was only On rare occasions that he had to drop the cue-ball into the top pockets. At 652 he played with faulty strength, and the red ran awkwardly. He, howdver, mado two more hazards, when he failed on a runthrough. •