I FANCY there are few people, even including those who bought tickets beforehand and only arrived in time to hear the fatal words, "House Full!" who will fail to agree with me that the Christmas Eve entertainment at the Grand Hall, Leicester Square, absolutely carried off the palm for its unique character, record gate, receipts, varied nature of the exhibition on the billiard table, and the rare bonhomie shown by all within the Hall, players and spectators alike. It was a roaring scene of joviality over which the spirit of Christmas, of the time of "Peace on earth and goodwill to all men," plainly hung. Not in all the years I had previously known billiards was it my good fortune to realise such an ideal state of things as Christmas Eve and the wish to pay a mark of respect to the august janitor of London's biggest billiard hall. The public were taken at once by the nature of the exhibition promised. Its smartness and up-to-date tone - there was a promise of bustle and go about it that whetted the billiardist's appetite - caught on, and, of a truth, had the Committee been blessed with the prescience to engage the spacious Albert Hall the odds are that that stately and capacious building would have had its holding capacity as supremely tested, even as the Grand Hall was.
Standing room only! "was the cry of the rosetted Committeemen, upon some of whom the spirit - or shall we say spirits? - of Christmas held strong sway.
With merry jest and tactful repartee they kept the swelling crowd back. The organising genius was indeed well served by his collaborators of the green rosettes - in the dainty shade of the billiard-cloth, bear in mind! The M.C. and referee, Mr. Sydenham Dixon, with the halo of his Billiard Association Presidency encircling his cheery personality, was the subject of much congratulatory remark. Around the Hall were gentlemen of all shades and denominations to whom the great game of billiards is a topic of topics.
A more imposing array of the higher class of enthusiasts could hardly be brought together. The day and the deed about to be enacted were both to their tastes. All of you who may know the interior of the Grand Hall will have an idea of the scene when I say that every seat was filled; every vacant space was turned to the best account for standing room; the parterre of the sloping tiers of seats was utilised as a resting place for those who could find no other spot in which to sit or stand; a deep throng clustered, each man craning his neck, raising himself on tiptoes, to get a glimpse of the shimmering oblong of green; and the Pressmen sold their rights to enjoy their scarlet beplushed desking at 10s. a scat - all in aid of the good cause which had brought this incomparable billiard show to a head.
A flutter of excitement went around the room when Mr. Sydenham Dixon, standing negligently against the baulk-end of the table, announced the opening heat of the" Flying Handicap,"the while the two competitors, cue in hand, Dawson and Mannock, Rugby-scrimmaged their way to the 'table through the crowd at the gangway." Gentlemen, the first competitors in the interesting ' Flying Handicap ' of 100 points up, are Messrs. Dawson (scratch) and Mannock (receives 30 points start)! "Thus spoke the M.C., and the players set to string for choice of ball and option of breaking them. The pace of the table undoubtedly was Mannock's undoing. He had the first run of the balls. He made 11 and then, rather unluckily, lost the object-White in playing a longish top-pocketed loser -" a capital pair of breeches! "as someone remarked - and he double-baulked. Dawson had a try to cannon sending his ball around the table but without success. The leader went in off the red, cleared it from baulk, but the cloth was too fast for him, and after putting on 17 he brought the object-white down on the middle of the right baulk cushion. As he had just gone in off it and the red was on the spot the "leave"was nasty. But he courageously tried to cannon from the white via the side and top cushions. The stroke did not quite come off, though, and, with Dawson getting in by means of a white loser, prophetic souls looked to Dawson to run clean out. He wanted 99, and, what is more, he never looked like doing anything else but get them. A better little top-of-the-table exposition could not have been shown. His fortnight's acquaintance of the table stood him in good stead and he won in brilliant style to the acclamations of the crowd and Mannock's quaint commentary of"The only way I can alter.my bad luck is to go and kiss somebody under the mistletoe! " " The next heat is between those old and staunch opponents, Messrs. Harverson (receives 23) and Inman (receives 25)! "heralded the second heat which opened in sensational fashion by Inman - it must be kept a profound secret if I tell you that he disliked the thought of being set to take a start from his opponent! - taking it into his head to try and" screw-in off the spot."It was a tactical error, excusable only in the light that he is an operator of the first-class on the red ball, and it lost him the game. Harverson came in with a grand" Leave "on, and he helped himself to"57 of the best!"in the sportive language of an enthusiastic spectator A double-baulk, and the call of" 25 - 80!"faced Inman when he got his second innings. He blundered again badly by" running a coup."
Naturally, an old stager like Harverson retained the double-baulk, and with Inman safety-missing the next time the leader went to 95. Here he showed the true value of a" coup "by running one in a middle pocket, and a stroke later he had the satisfaction of hearing" game! "called in his favour. The score read 100 to 37, and Harverson was informed by a billiard statistician," This is the first time you have beaten Inman giving him a start! " As an interlude to the handicap and preceding the first round proper that very able ball manipulator, Richard de Kuyper, gave a very much admired exposition of hand strokes. His command over a ball came as a surprise to many of the lookers-on. The" hesitating "cannon, the"blindfold"cannon with miniature balls, and" making a ball run three different ways "were warmly acknowledged. What took the fancy of the crowd most, though, was the spectacular effect produced by 'his ingenious conception introduced as"looping the double-loop"- a pretty performance, indeed! De Kuyper's"elliptical billiard ball"also created considerable amusement. Altogether this was a clever and taking diversion from the more serious billiards.
The next pair to continue operations in the handicap were Messrs. Stevenson (scratch) - a hearty reception was accorded to the crack - and Alec Taylor (receives 33). The last-named went to 51 after the opening misses; and there he stopped. Stevenson did just what everybody seemed to expect of him when he found an opening, that is, to go straight to the game total. He fulfilled expectations right up to the hilt. But he was plainly not nearly so much at home on the table as Dawson had been. Still, a magnificent double-strength run-through cannon' (the object-balls were half the table's length apart) put him in touch with close range work. Steering the balls up to the head of the table he made it the basis of his scoring in a stylish unfinished 99 - another much cheered performance, deserving all the applause lavished upon it.
Dawson came out again with the Australian, Weiss (receiving 24 points)) for the next heat. This was destined to provide a surprise, and, thereby, to throw a refulgent light on the ultimate winner of the handicap. Some tactical moves of a very cautious kind marked the opening of this game. Weiss had to break the balls, and playing at the red he left a double-baulk. He went to 40 in three innings and then stopped at a simple sort of cannon. Dawson, with only 2 to his credit on the board, had a promising" leave "on, and he was expected to repeat his earlier feat of finishing-up the game straightaway. But he missed the first shot, a screw loser at the right middle pocket. Hereupon Weiss, with a careful 60 unfinished, reached the hundred, a very signal winner.
Another very ready win was that of B. Elphick (receives 33) over Harverson. The last-named could not fairly get going and that eminently useful cueman of the second-class, Elphick, reached the hundred with successive moves of 30, 21, and 15 unfinished.
The two tallest of the ten competitors, both up. standing six-footers, Cook and Lovejoy, were next introduced. They were handicapped on level terms receiving 30 points start each. Lovejoy had a couple of innings, but he got no further than 47, while his opponent, playing very confidently and well, put on a neat 57 and then went out. The winner's form was the best that had been seen so far, saving and except for the running-out feats of the two scratch men.
Prior to the semi-final heats J. P. Mannock gave an exhibition of fancy strokes, the best of the bunch undoubtedly being the driving of balls into the pool-basket.
Stevenson, the surviving scratch player, then tried to avenge his co-marker's downfall by Weiss. But he met a similar fate. This was the result of a badly, judged safety stroke, accounted for by Stevenson's short acquaintance with the pace of the table. He tried to put Weiss's ball on the middle of the right top-cushion, leaving his own in the middle of the table below the line of the central pockets. But, underestimating the strength of his stroke he left Weiss a half-ball loser from the red on the billiard-spot. The Australian seized his opportunity so effectually that he never stopped scoring until he had the satisfaction of hearing the marker call" game! "It was a very soundly-arranged unfinished 75 that put Stevenson out of court. The loser's commentary was in keeping with the feelings of most of the lookers-on. It took the shape of" This hundred up game is a bit curious, isn't it? " It was left for the second of the semi-final ties to produce the best-contested game of the afternoon. Bright scoring and good billiards on the part of both players, Cook and Elphick, caused a lot of excitement. At one period it looked any odds in reason on Elphick going to game after the customary miss and counter-; miss had been taken. He again showed a taking style and pretty billiards in a 47. A stroke before his breakdown Elphick appeared all but certain of his passport into the final. But the extreme pace of that superfine.match cloth proved a bar. He played a thin loser into the right top pocket with the idea of leaving both object-balls side by side for an easy drag cannon from the D. The object-white was, however, hit a bit too hard and it covered up the red. Trying a very nasty run-through cannon this was just missed, but the cue-ball would have fluked into the top pocket but for an unlucky"kiss."Cook rose to the occasion. Playing extremely well and without ever getting into difficulties, he went right out with 67 unfinished.
Weiss and Cook at once came out to do battle in the final heat. The interest taken in the game was intense. Really, it seemed to mount up through the various stages of the Handicap until a fever-heat point was attained in this culminating game. There was a strong feeling in favour of Weiss, consequent upon his having beaten the two cracks, Dawson and Stevenson, practically pointless. Once again the public estimate was confirmed. It was no fault of Cook's though that he suffered defeat in the same out-and-out fashion that had marked Weiss's treatment of the opposition in the preceding rounds. Weiss got the run of the balls and he kept it to himself until all was over. Cook's share of the game was 2 points, earned from safety-misses. Weiss scored a break of 61 which, eventually, proved the deciding factor. A very generous round of cheering was extended to both players.
But the reception of the afternoon was subsequently extended to Weiss at the close of his clever and attractive exhibition of fancy billiards. It took the eye of the spectators. The gems of a show which should be more frequently seen, were those in which the long-sleeved and wine glasses were requisitioned. They were applauded to the very echo; and Weiss was the recipient of the heartiest demonstration that he has known since he left Australia. From every point of view he was the hero of that memorable afternoon.
In the entr'actes the figure of Sergeant-Major Fitzgerald could be observed putting the more enthusiastic members of the Committee" through their facings."The dim light of the corridor and the intervention of plate-glass windows precludes absolute identification. But if there was a Christmas air overhanging the billiards, it was doubly thick in the space extending from the Grand Hall to, and within, the Minor Hall. Altogether, the proceedings smacked of a real old-fashioned Christmas, what with mistletoe - the charming brunette who daintily shows visitors to their seats in the Grand Hall had heaps of osculatory offers! - cordials and the hot pud - beg pardon, Pool! Outwardly, the only person unaffected by the gaiety and novelty of the occasion was the Sergeant-Major. Appearances are deceptive, though. He does not wear his 'heart on his sleeve. On duty he is a strict and uncompromising disciplinarian. Leicester Square is not a happy hunting-ground for the billiard-room "deadheads."A courteous but unbending refusal meets those enterprising folk. Our Sergeant-Major - and we members of the Press begin to look upon him as one of our own! - has no.likes or dislikes. He treats all alike. Will it be believed that he held a restraining hand to the veteran John Roberts, when that celebrity visited the Grand Hall a few weeks back? It is a fact, though. Only by the saving grace of the lady player accompanying him - she was known to the Sergeant-Major! - did John get through. When you meet such a trusty servant as this it as inevitable that, in the fullness of time, he will earn your respect. He has had his" breezes "with some, but in the long run a better understanding has prevailed, for it is impossible to feel other than he has been doing his simple duty. This is the type of man who is a real soldier. You are looked fairly and squarely eye and eye and told straight out what is in his mind.
Without exception the members of the billiard profession place implicit faith in Sergeant-Major Fitzgerald. He is their most trusted cashier. Every man of note within a reasonable radius of the Grand Hall promised to, and did, appear at his testimonial benefit, an affair prompted by serious domestic troubles. A more flattering all-round success there could not well have been. It is all very well to place this at the doors of the Committee and the players. There is another side to the question. Without having deserved the compliment paid him is it reasonable to suggest that the Sergeant-Major's own personality did not count for at least as much? He was so strongly supported simply because he deserved to be. A poor cause would have met with a poor return, and little of that enthusiastic canvassing and routine work so amply undertaken in connection with the Christmas Eve entertainment. We who joined in a little impromptu dinner after the show, felt it was no undeserving character which had enlisted our esteem and moved us to make some tangible acknowledgment of it. There was heart in the few words spoken by the stalwart Irish soldier when we drank his health and long life. Words, of themselves, convey so little. It is the expression and the heartfelt interpretation you can place to them that count. No tender sentiments tinged the Sergeant-Major's little speech. Just a brief return of thanks, and" I cannot say all that I feel! "But when, in asking us to take a glass with him, we all momentarily refused, his Irish brogue rang through:"Well, that's th' worst thing ye can do t'me! "What could we do but capitulate? And it was raised bumpers and no heel-taps on Christmas Eve when a select circle of Pressmen, billiard professionals and goodly amateurs drank again to '"The Sergeant-Major's health! "