| Show checker champion barker charles JF barker the champion shecker checker player ol 01 the world who recently defeated robert martins in glasgow scotland for a side aide and the of the world arrived at al his tome lome in cambridge from new york january 29 says the boston herald mr barker lett left glasgow on the steamer state of pennsylvania on january 14 and after an exceedingly tempestuous passage of fifteen days reached new york saturday noon shortly after mr barkers arrival it at his home a herald representative tat ive called on him and found the champion the centre of an admiring group i of his bis intimate friend sto who whom in he e was relating an account of his bis doings delass on the other side to the re porter ar air barker said 1 I left new york in company with mr Wm Basby of boston for liverpool on dec 11 I 1 I 1 was the guei aguet of the pool checker club tor for the three days that I 1 spent in that city and daring that time lime I 1 played eleven games with the th iest bust pi of that section of england who could be pitted against me seven of these there games I 1 won and the remain low ine four were draws when I 1 reached glasgow on the morning ig ot 0 the fourth day after my arrival I 1 was in anything but a fit cou con to en engage age in a match where so much was IN at stake all the preparations for the games were arian arranged ged before my art anival ival I 1 had never seen mr martins until introduced to hm h m after I 1 reached the scotch city and I 1 must say that he be created a very favorable impression on my mind he is a handsome gentleman of fine appearance and his 67 years seem to sit lightly on him bim he told we me that he had bad been a professional profession il checker player for more thaia forty years and in that time he bad met all of En glands best exponents of this game a in e ile he has suffered comparatively few few defeats and looked upon pon him bim ua a sure winner of the match with me to alost bost no time in preliminaries and the first afternoon that 1 I was in glasgow I 1 sat opposite mr martins in websters hall and played the 0 op ining game in the series of fifty in we which lah we had signed articles to engage I 1 WAS vao far from feeling well that day as in intact tact I 1 had bad been ill to an extent ever since rea reaching chiri liverpool my kead bead ached and I 1 felt felt as though tossing about at sea the table at which we played seemed to rise and fall and I 1 had little command over myself the two opening games were draws the third a wilfo the wisp I 1 lost and immediately I 1 sank into the level ot of a very ordinary player in the eyes of the spectators but after we the play playing g which followed until the 91 game ame a de defiance flance which I 1 won I 1 think their views changed draws resulted in each game I 1 the an lahna abna which 1 I 1 also won and men the series consisted of draws until the game came around this aage was a wh Uter 1 and for the third successive time I 1 was victorious neither of us up succeeded in winning any more games during the series we played out but 49 games as mr martins sal saw no object in prolonging the match the score stan standing 3 to io tin I 1 in ray my favor in the game I 1 gave away two men and the spectators foresaw sure victory for the champion of great britain when 1 I however succeeded in making a draw 0 of 31 this game the applause was tremendous X remained m glasgow but bat three days after my iny victory and then I 1 took passage for home in all the series between mr mar tins and myself extended mpr r a period of 11 14 years each bach day we began playing in at noon and remained at it until 41 in the evening wo we again went at it at 7 ov elock and played until 1030 desat in the centre of the hall ball surrounded by settees arranged like ahe he seats in a theatre ones on a level with our oar chairs chatra and each of the others raised higher than the one in front the crowds ailt m the hall were so great that a view aliw of we toe game was difficult for many to obtain and in consequence a large checker board was made upon the wall on which our moves were reproduced as we made them I 1 had bad an invitation to go to london which I 1 declined as I 1 intend to again cross the water it it is possible to arriage a match with smith the english champion I 1 will make a tour of this country next mer and intend to go as far west as san francisco C charles ha rles F barker the champion is 29 years of age and has been playing Bg in matches since 1873 he has met and defeated nearly all the best chechar chec faer players in the world he has been defeated but blit twice in his life and each time his defeat has been manifestly jilb ging to engaging RaKing eB in contest n poor health lie he nas has elliza engaged ged in many games in which the american championship pion ship lp was at stake and has always won my barker is the author of beveral works on checkers among amone them being the american catcher player and the worlds checker book and he is the recognized authority on everything pertaining to the game |
