According to advices received, billiards appears to be booming in these parts just at present. Thurston's are busy booking engagements and making arrangements generally for the visit of Melbourne Inman, who will have just arrived at Cape Town.
Harverson is also paying a visit to his former haunts and renewing old friendships. The erstwhile champion of South Africa, who arrived at Cape Town on June 3rd by the "Tongariro" has given several exhibition games. In one given at the International Hotel, Cape Town, with a Mr. J. Mee as an opponent, Harverson appears to have delighted a large audience, in fact the room was so crowded at one time that a spectator came in contact with the electric light, with the result that the room was suddenly in darkness, just as Harverson was in the midst of a huge break. On Coronation Day he gave an exhibition at the Waverley Hotel, Three Anchor Bay, ladies being admitted free of charge at the afternoon session.
It is fifteen years since this player migrated from the Colony to the Mother Country to try his luck, and it may be of interest to some of our readers to reprint the particulars of the matches for the championship of this Colony in which he took part and emerged victorious: —
All-in Championship, played at Phillips' Saloon, Johannesburg, February 1893, between (final tour) Cecil Harverson (1,000) v. W. Laxson (675). Breaks by Harverson: 101, 141, 139, 70 and 225.
The Championship, Spot-barred. First Prize: £100 and gold medal. Played at Tattersall's, Johannesburg, July, 1894. Entries: H. W. Stevenson, Cecil Harverson, W. Laxson, A. Heslop. Result in Final: W. Laxson 1,000, Harverson 575.
January, 1895.—Harverson played Laxson 2,000 up for the Championship, Spot-barred, and £25 aside, at Tattersall's, Johannesburg. Final scores: Harverson 2,000, Laxson 1,826.
December, 1895.—Harverson played Laxson 5,000 up for the Championship, Spot-barred, and £100 aside, at Tattersall's, Johannesburg. Final Scores: Harverson 5,000, Laxson 3,721.
May, 1896.—Harverson played A. Freeborough 3000 up for the Championship at Claridge's Hotel, Cape Town. Final Scores: Harverson 3,000, Freeborough 2,819.
The Twickenham cueist has been booked to play at the Civil Service and City Clubs, two of the largest clubs in South Africa, and also many of the up-country clubs and hotels. Later he visits Port Elizabeth, East London, etc., and will go to Kimberley, then on to Johannesburg. It is quite on the cards that a match will be fixed up between these two old opponents, to take place in Thurston's luxuriously appointed saloon in the latter city, which is capable of seating upwards of 400 persons.
The present champion of South Africa, Frank Ferraro, is also, we hear, keenly looking to games with either or both these visitors, and he is not to be despised, if report states correctly, as he has quite recently made several breaks of over 500 playing on Thurston's Match Table. "Billy" Mitchell is also busy playing matches in Natal, Orange River Colony, and the Transvaal. Should all these giants of the cue meet, billiards will indeed be flourishing.
Particulars are also to hand of the first round of Thurston's Mines Snooker Tournament. This competition, which is contested by teams culled from the employees of the various mines, is divided into four sections, and is very popular.