Charles Dawson (Champion)
WITH one solitary and notable exception the greatest name to conjure with in the sphere of billiards during the past two or three years, has been that of Charles Dawson. Of that temperament where ambition holds high sway, he has fairly forced himself into notoriety.
Others more gifted with a natural genius for the game have allowed their opportunities to slip by. As a consequence, they have been backmarked in the race by the persevering hero of our notice. Few who were not cognisant of his real age would take him to be thirty-four years old. He was born ami d the clang of the Huddersfield cloth-looms, and 1866, of course, was the year of Dawson's nativity.
Dawson first developed symptoms of an abnormal propensity for the "fascinating game" in the club-house of a Huddersfield institution. Here, long before he was twenty years of age, he beat all the habitues of the place.
Improvement with him came rapidly, and in 1887 he was considered of sufficient quality to visit the Metropolis on billiard business bent. The occasion was the great "Jubilee Tournament" for young players at the Royal Aquarium.
Hugh McNeil, the late eminent Scotch cueist, won the competition, and it was the precursor of his at one time brilliant, but ultimately sad, career. Dawson did not figure prominently, being beaten early in the handicap by H. J. Inman, of London. His friends considered him to have been unfortunate, and a match on the same conditions was arranged with Inman, in which the latter confirmed his initial success. Then for three years nothing was heard in the south of the young Yorkshireman. Continuous practice occupied the major portion of his time. Not all of it, though, as some neat little water colour and crayon landscape and marine drawings executed in these }ears of training will testify. Also, it is said, a number of minor money matches in Lancashire and Yorkshire profitably occupied part of his time.
The year 1890 witnessed Dawson's real debut as a professional billiardist. His first engagement was in a match for £100 with a well-known north-country player named Ryder. The latter was rumoured to have achieved remarkable feats at the "spot-stroke." They played 18,000 up "all in," Dawson conceding 3,000 points start This large concession came well within his capabilities, and before the game ended in a tremendously easy win for him, it was patent that a new star of exceptional brilliancy was added to the billiard firmament. Dawson won the game by no fewer than 8,234 points. During its course his wonderful "hazard striking" was the talk of all. He made two breaks of over a thousand, viz., 1,848 and 1,195. Further, he twice exceeded 600, and on no fewer than twenty-four occasions he ran over 200.
An exponent of such high promise was not long allowed to demonstrate his talent for the benefit of provincials only, and the latter end of October, 1890—some ten weeks after his match with Ryder—found young Dawson appearing at the Westminster Aquarium. He had for an opponent the eminent professional, W. J. Peall. They contested a spotbarred match of 8,000 up, wherein Dawson was allowed a start of 1,500 points. A finer commencement the young player could not have had. Peall played uncommonly well, catching his man while there was yet fully a thousand points to go. Then the sterling stuff and fighting qualities that are now generally accepted as characteristic of Charles Dawson for the first time made themselves manifest to the billiard public at large. Wrestling with Peall through every one of the final thousand in the most dogged fashion imaginable, he eventually triumphed by a bare, but allsufficient, majority of 15 points.
Upon this there followed the phenomenal "all-in" match, in which Peall made his record break of 3,304, which stands, and in all probability will stand as long as billiards remains a pastime, as the highest break ever made upon a billiard table. Peall's play throughout this match was so extraordinary that Dawson did little more than fill the part of a spectator. This can the more readily be appreciated when it is pointed out that Dawson in some sittings was allowed but a couple of strokes. On one day, indeed, Peall was so busy—on the run of 3,304 — that he gave his watching rival not one solitary opportunity of handling his cue. As a result of perhaps the most sensational contest ever seen, Peall, giving 3,000 start in 15,000, won by no fewer than 9,320 points. This disastrous experience did not in the least deter young Dawson. A new opponent being found for him in the person of William Mitchell, he was thus enabled to work off any depression that may have fallen upon him as a consequence of Peall's severe treatment. In a couple of games ("spot-barred" and "all-in") with the celebrity named, Dawson considerably added to his reputation. The restricted affair, Mitchell conceding 1,500 start in 8,000, saw a very close and exciting finish to it. Again Dawson showed himself to be the possessor of a fine nerve. Mitchell took a lead at the three quarter stage, but was deprived of it just on the end, Dawson winning in great style by 105 points. Amongst many eulogistic comments on his plucky performance to be found in the newspapers of that date is the following:— "He is one of the most persistent ' stickers' ever seen at a billiard-table"—a striking tribute to the prowess of a comparative novice. As Peall had done, Mitchell sought to obtain his revenge at the "spot in" form of the game.
He was many thousands of points short of accomplishing his desire at the close of a 15,000 up (Dawson with 4,000 start). The latter triumphed with the large balance in hand of 5,441, making during the course of the game such breaks as 800, 599, 572, 541, 509, 479, 473, 446, and 400.
Just about this period (the end of the year 1890) the crusade against the "spot-stroke" became more vigorous, and was attended with more success than before. And with those who were bound to be studied—the paying public— voting unanimously almost for its abolition, the "spot stroke " was dropped from the programmes of the most eminent professors of the game. Dawson, like the other exponents, thenceforward took up with spot-barred billiards exclusively. At that time 400 or 500 breaks made in this way were thought much more of than they are now. Still, before abandoning the "spot stroke" game for good and all he had had credited to him a "spot-barred" break of 275.
Dawson, taking to the restricted game in his usual thorough fashion, quickly raised his record to 295 in a match with D. Richards. Then came his first meeting with John Roberts, at the Egyptian Hall, in the waning of the year 1890 and the newly-born 1891. Little did the great Roberts, who was at the very pinnacle of fame and form, dream that this good-looking youngster was destined in the years to come to dispute supremacy with him on equal terms. But so the Fates ordained. Of this story more anon, however. In the game they then played Dawson received half-way start in 12,000 up. Roberts emerged successfully from his task after a most exciting encounter.
To this day Dawson declares that he was unlucky to lose (he was only 51 points short of the "game" total at the end).
This match practically concluded Dawson's important engagements for that season. There was no room for doubt but that he had created a most favourable impression among the critics, the best known of them writing Dawson's praise in these glowing terms:—"This is his first season in public, and already he has acquired a very high reputation by his cool, reliable, steady play, and by the fact that, no matter how critical the condition may be, he never seems to get flurried or unnerved, but goes on confidently and determinedly to the end." The season 1892-93 found Dawson enhancing his reputation. He improved by leaps and bounds In his own words he "was making big breaks as easily as drinking water." His spot-barred record of 295 went by the board very quickly. In the month of December he completed breaks of 316, 343, 355, 317, 373 (unfinished) and 439. In those days he had a great admiration for John North's "game." Dawson, himself, says that he learnt most of his "top-of-the table" play from North, who was at his very best in those days. The good effect of North's coaching were most marked when Dawson came to play on a "Standard" table. In games of 700 up only he scored breaks of 421, 300, 437 (unfinished), 426, and 428 (unfinished), all within the space of one month.
Considering the length—or rather want of length—of the games played, these must be considered really remarkable achievements, the more so as they were accomplished barely two years after Dawson had started playing as a professional.
The next event of importance in Dawson's career came to pass in the April of 1893, for he then met Roberts, on the terms of the latter's stock challenge to all comers, with a start of 9,000 points in 24,000 up. The rising young Yorkshireman had the satisfaction of hearing the marker call the finish of the game—"Dawson, 24,000; Roberts, 22,007."
Although offering everybody the start, Roberts never succeeded in beating the present champion giving 9,000 start in 24,000. On this subject Dawson is most emphatic.
With an air of satisfaction he says: "He has never beaten me giving me that start. I never would let him, for I never gave him a chance of getting near me."
The beginning of the year 1894 already found him aspiring to high honours. He played William Mitchell 9,000 up for the Billiard Association spot-barred championship.
However, Dawson's aspirations in this direction were temporarily nipped in the bud. Mitchell gained the honours— and the money—at the finish of a 9,000 up with 837 points to spare. Perhaps the game of all others of which Dawson is most proud is the one wherein he gave Roberts the biggest thrashing the latter has ever experienced. It was played at Newcastle, and took the form of the stereotyped 24,000 up, and the equally fixed rate of start of 9,000 points.
Roberts was playing in rare form at this period—May, 1894 —which statement is borne out by the fact that only a week before, at Manchester, he had made his spot-barred (but push-in) record of 1,392 in a match with Diggle. Lovers of billiards around the Tyneside had the pleasure of witnessng one of the keenest struggles for supremacy ever known.
The public came in shoals to see the play. To their astonishment the great Roberts was quite unable, although playing splendidly, to make any serious encroachment upon the 9,000 start he was conceding. Dawson played for very life from start to finish, and with such effect, that when the marker called "game," the score stood: "Dawson, 24,000; Roberts, 19,761." There were some big breaks in evidence during the contest. Roberts had 627, 582, 500, and 387 registered as his highest, whilst Dawson's chief handiwork was productive of such remunerative compilations as 437, 408, 374, 352, and 310.
It cannot be said that in the billiard seasons of 1895, 1896, and 1897 Dawson made much, if any, headway towards the highest rung of the ladder of fame. Rather, it might be said, that he took a retrograde step. He seemed to have quite lost his power to "keep the balls together" for any appreciable length of time, which earlier on was really the main feature of his billiards. In point of fact, he perilously verged towards being looked upon as a "stroke" player, a very great one, it is true, but, nevertheless, not a delineator of the finer points of billiards. Dawson was quite alive to this failing of his. He always insisted, however, that it was the fault of the cues he played with. He tried many, but could find none to suit him. As he said: "I cannot play those long ' drag ' shots from the D slowly, my cue won't let me. I have to hit hard and trust to luck that the balls will run kindly. It makes the game a very hard one for me." However, his experiences during these years, unfortunate as they seemed at the time, turned out to be blessings in disguise. Dawson has them to thank for moulding him into the most accomplished individual stroke player that ever stood to action at the table. With the advent of the memorable season of 1898-9 a complete revolution came over Dawson's manner of making breaks.
Assisted by a cue specially built to order, he regained his old ability to get the balls into position; and, what was of equal consequence, he was now able to keep them so placed for long periods at a stretch. During the summer months of 1898 Dawson, in company with J. P. Mannock, made a holiday trip to the Antipodes. It had an excellent effect upon his health—which, by the way, has never been of the best. When he resumed operations upon the billiard table in England this combination of incentives towards an improvement in his "game" quickly worked their benign influence. To such purpose did Dawson make his prowess apparent that he had barely been a couple of months in the country before he challenged John Roberts—the invulnerable, the incomparable Roberts —upon level terms, under the newly-revised rules laid down by the Billiard Association.
Never had there been such consternation in the ranks of the great billiard community. The thing was too ridiculous, they said. Dawson was merely advertising his name at the expense of Roberts. It could not be possible that he was in earnest, etc., When, after many days, it dawned upon the public that Dawson was really the more anxious of the two for a trial of skill, much excitement was aroused.
Roberts was loth to make the match. But public opinion was so strong on this matter that it absolutely forced even such an unbeliever in the merits of the vox populi as John Roberts into obedience to its desires. How the great match was played, subsequent to close on six months of preparation, and won by Roberts, needs no recapitulation. It is too recent history.
Prior to this remarkable event Dawson had taken to himself the title of Champion of English Billiards, by virtue of a victory over his old tutor, John North. It was a case of Jack (as represented by Dawson) being twice as good as his master, for North was beaten by something like half the game in a 9,000 up. This championship game, by which means the Billiard Association placed itself for the first time in the position it ought to have taken up many years previously, led to some litigation. Roberts objected to Dawson using the title of Billiard Champion, and asked for an injunction to restrain him from doing so. In a court of law it was upheld that the only championship games which could carry the title with their issue were those promoted by the Billiard Association. It was pointed out to Roberts that he was perfectly at liberty to enter and compete in these games, also that his presence would be welcome. However, it seems that he prefers to leave Dawson alone in his glory—that is for the present.
His exciting experiences appeared to have acted as an exhilarating tonic upon Dawson. The mystic and treasured affix of champion to his name may in a measure have contributed to the doughty deeds he accomplished in the season 1899-1900. Therein, every other week or so found the new champion adding to his reputation. The season was barely a month old before he broke the record of 597 (under the revised rules of the Billiard Association) held by John Roberts. Dawson completely eclipsed this fine run by compiling a wonderful break of 722, at the Argyll Hall, on what was tested and proved to be a table of "Standard" pattern. This was but the prelude to other fine feats. The annual handicap promoted by the Billiard Association fell to his share. Considering that the games were such short ones as "500 up," and Dawson, from the dignified position of 100 points behind scratch, had to concede lengthy starts, his victory was a decided feather in his cap. The champion also appropriated the prize of £100, given by Messrs. Burroughes and Watts, for a handicap tournament on the American principle.
Winning from the scratch position, and giving starts of varying degrees to such celebrities as Diggle, Stevenson, Sala, Harverson, Bateman, and Aiken was another good performance on the part of Dawson. As all will doubtless recollect, he further quaffed the cup of success by upholding and retaining his title of champion from the onslaughts of his challengers, Stevenson and Diggle. The future promises to hold equally good things in store for him.
That it will be through no fault of Dawson's if matters do not so turn out the public may implicitly rely. Of steady habits, and possessed of a constancy of purpose with which few are gifted, nothing for which he himself can be held to blame will lend to undermine his present high position in the world of billiards.