Jottings of the Month

• In the early part of this month there will be what may
  be termed” grand billiards “in London, for Stevenson meets
  Gray level at the Holborn Hall, and Reece and Inman meet
  in a level money match at Leicester Square. The Reece
  Inman match is the result of Inman’s general challenge,
  mentioned in The Billiard Monthly last month, and Reece
  has also challenged any man in the world, and especially
  Stevenson, at English billiards, on level terms, for £100 per
  side, the winner to take all the gate receipts.
• When Reece was playing Harverson recently he commenced
  by carrying a suspended 13 to 297, and it was then
  discovered by Harverson that he had been playing with the
  wrong ball, and Harverson humorously suggested that as
  the break had been made with his ball he ought to score it.
• Lindrum, the young Australian champion, is now in
  England, and will be entertained on the 13th instant
  at luncheon by the Council of the Billiards Control Club.
• He has been practising himself into form during the month
  and commenced a fortnight’s exhibition match against local
  professionals at Liverpool on the 27th ult. On Boxing Day
  he will begin an eleven days’ match against Reece at
  Leicester Square, followed on January 8th by a match at
  the same place against Inman. In February he tours
  Scotland and meets there the Scottish champion, Aiken.
• Thus far George Gray has only been beaten in this country
  by Diggle and young Smith, of Darlington, but he has
  been beaten by the latter player two or three times. At
  Redcar, on November 24, Smith actually scored 1,100 points
  to Gray’s 498. On the other hand, at Darlington, Gray
  made 1,500 to Smith’s 346, and at West Hartlepool 1,500
  to Smith’s 973. Gray conceded Smith 400, but the foregoing
  are the net figures representing the actual points
  scored. In the Diggle-Gray match, however, Diggle scored
  50 fewer actual points than Gray.
• In the next professional championship the winner will
  take half the receipts instead of two-thirds, as last year.
  The championship will again by fought out by Stevenson,
  Inman, and Reece, the two latter meeting in the first
  instance. During the month Inman has beaten Diggle by
  8,000 to 4,126 and Reece has beaten the same great player
  by 8,000 to 6,933. Meeting Stevenson in the tournament
  Inman was successful by 8,000 to 4,205. Doubtless
  the previous play with composition balls by both Diggle
  and Stevenson had much to do with their low scoring on
  these occasions. At the same time such out-and-out wins
  have naturally been very gratifying to the younger players,
  who will, it is quite certain, be representative In the near
  future of all that is best in English billiards.
• Stevenson reached England on November 10 after his five
  months’ tour through Australia, New Zealand, and Canada,
  in which he was accompanied by his wife.
• The Jockeys’ Handicap, held at the Victoria Hotel, ended
  in a victory by 13 for the ex-champion jockey, E. Wheatley,
  whose opponent in the final was R. Stokes, who received
  a start of 55 against the winner’s 8.