Show i i I I i I I 1 BILLIARD GAMES I NEARING FINISH i I Edward Gardner Stands Fair Chance to Take Championship East This Year I FRISCO MAN THIRD PLACE i t I CLASS OF BILLIARDS BETTER TH THAN N IT WAS LAST YEAR Chicago o March 17 only two reg scheduled games yet to be played in tho national amateur billiard championship cham championshIp tournament beIng played at the Chica Chicago o Athletic association it is as asserted asserted that the title which has been heM held for the past year ear by Charles Jl F Conklin of Chicago will go to an easterner Ed Edward Edward ward W V Gardner Gardnor of f Passaic N J the only one of the six contestants who has not lost a game has J E Poggenburg of New York as an opponent for the final game and should the latter wIn this match he and Gardner will be tied for first place Poggenburg lost his first game of the tournament tonight to Cal CalvIn Calvin vIn Demarest a Chicago boy who defeated the former champion by a score of to o Demarest and Harr Harry Wright of San Francisco who are hay hav having hayIng Ing their first big tournament experience are arc tied for third place but there Is an excellent chance ot of their ca capturing turing most of the other prizes They will fight it out in an extra game f for r third and fourth place prIzes bu but t between them they seem now to be assured of the high run and high grand average prizes Wrights Frights ph phe nominal run of yesterday probably will not be passed Demarest leads in inthe the grand average b by over two points Wright right is tied with Poggenburg the high single average and an extra game will have to be played to deci decide e this Better Class of Billiards The class of billiards dIsplayed In the present tournament is several degrees better than that of last year ear The grand average is sc several eral points above the 1305 1005 point while the high runs and singlE average marks are greatly superIor to the best of ts l t years ears pla play One of the surprising features of the play has been the success of Gardner in winning games He has the third low lowest lowest est grand average He has played win winning winning ning billiards an all thE time showing ex excellent form agaInst Demarest and Conklin Conk Un lin and falling faIlIng very low Jow against Norris and Wright both of whom howe however er fell still lower Gardners opponent as a rulE have played their worst games agaInst him whIch Is partially explained by the fact that he Is one of the hardest men In th the tournament to play against Conklin last years champion has played In foUr games mA but lost them nil Ht He still has another gamp game to play Hp He and Charles F Norris Nerds of New York ar tied for last place Conklin this afternoon met Wright or of S San n Francisco and was dp de defeated tented to i ThE standing of the pla players ers and the i grand averages up to the end of play follows Grand Won Lat Ln t Gardner 04 4 n 0 Poggenburg Po a 1 Q a I marest fl 1 p 1 1 11 r Wright 2 s 9 1 0 i s 5 1111 Norris e 0 4 f |