Jottings of the Month

• Harverson left Waterloo on Saturday morning, April 4. en route for South Africa, where he will be touring during the next six months.
• Reece has passed happily through what threatened at one time to be a serious illness, and will meet Inman on May 4 at the Grand Hall, Leicester Square, in 18,000 up (receiving 1,000) for £250, before setting out on his delayed journey to Australia.
• Young Harry Taylor, who could do nothing right when included in the preliminary Professional Tournament two years ago, is now showing such excellent form as is indicated by breaks of 354 and 223 in a single session (against Smith at Darlington, April 23).
• In the first third of his level match with Stevenson at Holborn Hall, Gray was quite overwhelmed by the brilliance of the attack, and rarely comfortable in his own play. Up to the Saturday night Stevenson had scored more than two points to one (9,001 to 3,814).
• Alec. Taylor, whose last touring place has been New Zealand, has set up a new break record for that country with 428 made in an exhibition match of 750 against a local amateur to whom he conceded 400 points start. The previous best break made in New Zealand was one of 334 by H. W. Stevenson.

• In the Professional Tournament which has run throughout the season at Burroughes Hall and is now concluded, Newman (11,665), Peall (10,526), Inman (4,208), and Aiken (2,461) had aggregate winning margins of points as shown, and the players with losing margins were:—Diggle, 4,845; Stevenson, 10,585, and Reece, 13,430.

  In previous tournaments, Inman, Stevenson, and Diggle have each won twice, and Reece, Harverson, and Aiken once.

  Taking all the seasons together, the percentages of wins have been: Inman, 78.18; Newman, 75.00; Peall, 58.33; Reece, 54.09; Diggle, 52.72; Aiken, 47.37, and Stevenson 41.86. Whereas the wins and losses of the five last-named have been not far from equal, Inman has won 43 to 12 lost, and Newman 9 to 3 lost.

• One of the most extraordinary paradoxes of the season have been the two defeats by Smith of Newman in the one instance by 16,000 to 13,062, and in the other of 8,000 to 5,697. On the season's general form Newman ought certainly to have won, good as has been the play of Smith, but it is useless to endeavour to explain apparent contradictions of this kind in the game of billiards, whether practised by professionals or amateurs.
• Newman's career during the season now closing has been remarkable. In the Professional Tournament, in which he was conceded 2,000 by Inman and Stevenson, 1,250 by Reece, 750 by Diggle, and 250 by Aiken, he beat everybody and won in the aggregate by almost double the points that were conceded to him, or by 11,665 against 6,250. He also made 140 three-figure breaks (including his record of 610), and proved winner by session and break points as well as for games.
• The final heat in the Stock Exchange B.A. Championship at the Palmerston Restaurant resulted in a victory for Mr. P. Harwitz by 15 points, against Mr. P. Wood.
• The match between the one-handed players Jevons and Collins for the One-handed Championship and stakes of £20, was won by Jevons with 2,500 points to 1,485.
• In the Licensed Victuallers' Handicap promoted by The Morning Advertiser, the Challenge Cup was won by Mr. F. White, who scored 250 against 242 by Mr. R. W. Palmer.
• Newman put a new complexion on his match with Inman (in which he is receiving 3,000 in 18,000) on April 23. Commencing the day only 1,000 ahead, he finished it nearly 2,000 ahead.
• The Press Handicap of the past season had the big entry of 432, and at the annual dinner and prize presentation on April 18 the first four prizes were presented in order of merit to A. Inwood, E. Goodwin, G. White, and W. Standring. The proportionate break prizes fell to G. White and C. A. Hughes, and there were also 60 other awards.
• Seen by a Sporting Life representative with reference to the challenge of Gray to play him 18,000 up level with ivory balls for £250 to £500 aside, Inman is reported to have replied: "I refer Gray to next year's championship."
• Dawson has been more before the public of late, and although not playing up to his past great reputation, has given some artistic displays, and in certain instances has proved successful in well-contested and interesting games.
• In the course of the match between Diggle and Newman, which Newman won by 9,000 to 7,631, there was huge scoring at the evening session of April 9, Diggle averaging 154.50, and Newman 146.25. One of Diggle's breaks was a 517, and Newman put on breaks of 219, 184, and 155 (completed from 38).
• Inman's defeat of Stevenson in their great match of 17,000 up level for stakes of £400 was an event in more senses than one for Inman, who not only achieved the apparently impossible by completing his points of 17,000 to 13,779 when time seemed to be against him, but who celebrated at the same time his first victory over Stevenson on level terms.
• The match between Inman and Stevenson at Holborn Hall was played during a fortnight in which Easter intervened, and this, in addition to reducing the points from 18,000 to 17,000, involved the arrangement of three sessions instead of two on certain days, which is something of an innovation in billiards. On April 7 particularly the players were at work nearly all day.
• Gray and Newman are to meet at the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, on May 4, in a fortnight's match of 18,000 up, Newman receiving 2,000 start, and in a further fortnight's match at the Holborn Hall, during the fortnight commencing May 25 for the large stakes of £500 aside. This means amongst other things billiard playing in June.
• A match of 750 was played recently between the well known North London amateur, Mr. S. Harwitz, and Mr. C. Horton (a local amateur), at the Hyde Farm Club. Balham. Alter an exciting finish Mr. Harwitz won by five points. Twenty-six breaks of double figures were made by each player, the winner's best being 43, 42, 41, 39, and 30; Mr. Horton 48, 37, 32, 31, and 30.