Whatever its old form, its new is essentially American. Other lands have gradually yielded to the force of American ideas. Public matches were a dozen years old in this country before there was one in any other, and the American billiard tournament, never seen in England until 1874/5, and not in France until 1879, is now the accepted mode in both.
Balklining, another American idea, was unknown to the professionals and amateurs of France until 1880. It is now their standard caroming restriction, while for seven or eight years past the English have been urging a line around the table as a hindrance to the “nursery cannons” that are the most recent powerful development in their national game.
Cushion-caroms were first publicly exhibited in this country in 1867, but never in France until 1881. Three-cushion caroms, of which the Paris professionals have made a specialty during the past dozen years, constitute another game of American development, dating from 1878 in a non-public way among professionals, and going many years further back among our non-professionals.
Until the way was shown by Andrew Buist, an American, caroms were barely an incidental feature of the English game. Attention was called anew to them by the separate visits the Dions made to London more than twenty years ago. Even the prolific spot-ball play, which has likewise been surprisingly progressive, owes at least a little to this side of the Atlantic, for in advance of Buist another American—Linley Higham, the “Albany Pony”—settled in England. Spot-balling, at which he was mighty for that era on an American 6 × 12 table, called then for but four different strokes in England. Now it engages more than twice as many.
Modifications have likewise affected the representative players of France and America. For fifteen years after they first came together, the French were weak as compound cushioners, but strong as ball-to-ball drivers. It was the other way with the Americans, who had been brought up on 6 × 12 and 5½ × 11 pocket tables, while the French professors had been accustoming themselves to what was nearly a 4½ × 9 carom, whereon other cushioning than a single one, in which they were strong and the Americans weak, was an infrequent necessity. Now that the two nationalities are using the one table, there is little to choose between them in respect of cushioning and ball-to-balling. If proof were needed, there is the international championship match of January 29, 1904, with its score of 500 to 496, which is both trusty history and the latest up to date.
THE BILLIARD-ROOM.
An apartment to accommodate one table should be of the dimensions following, graduated by the size of the table, and affording space for the free exercise of the cue. Where two or more tables are placed, five feet will be sufficient to allow between them.
| For table | 6 | x | 12, | room should be | 16 | × | 22. |
| For table | 5½ | × | 11, | room should be | 15½ | × | 21. |
| For table | 5 | × | 10, | room should be | 15 | × | 20. |
| For table | 4½ | × | 9, | room should be | 14½ | × | 18½. |
| For table | 4 | × | 8, | room should be | 14 | × | 17½. |
| For table | 3½ | × | 7, | room should be | 12 | × | 15. |
Architects, in their plans for modern mansions, should make suitable provision for this amusement, without which no gentleman’s establishment (more especially if a country one) can now be considered perfect. Even if the builder of a house has no taste for the game himself, he should look beforehand, and consider that such an accommodation might form an important item in the price which a succeeding tenant would be willing to pay for it. The light, if possible, should come from above, through ample skylights, so as to bring the table within a general focus, and thus prevent any shadow being thrown from the balls or cushions. The gas-light should be raised about three feet two inches from the bed of the table and supplied with horizontal burners, as by such an arrangement no shadow is cast from the pipe. The distance of the light from the floor should be about 6 feet 1 inch. For a 5 × 10 table the cross-arms of the pendant should measure from light to light 28 inches, and the long arms 56 inches. For a 4½ × 9 table, cross-arms 25 inches, and long arms 50 inches. For a 4 × 8 table, cross-arms 22 inches, and long arms 44 inches. For a 5½ × 11 table, cross-arms 31 inches, and long arms 62 inches. A useful shade has been devised which throws a soft, even light on the table, and keeps the glare from the player’s eyes. The floor, if carpeted at all, should be covered with some thick, soft material.