nce those that favour Marden's
style, his losing hazards and forcing half balls, have revived once
more, and we yearn with wonder to see the great spot strokes of the
present age, when as many red hazards can be scored in one break as were
made in olden times in an evening's play. At the present time Roberts,
sen., may claim the honour in the billiard world of having brought the
spot stroke to light: he has made no less than 104 consecutive hazards
in one break, and up to the present winter that wonderful performance
stood unparalleled. Cook, however, very recently in an exhibition match
with J. Bennett, scored the spot hazard no less than 119 times, making
388 off the balls, the biggest break on record. Such feats as these,
supplemented by the but little inferior play of Roberts, jun., and
Bennett, have done more than excite surprise, and have caused old heads
carefully to look into the style of play of 1869 and to ponder thereon.
It appears that they affirm, and not without reason, that much of the
success of the spot stroke arises from the position of the spot being
further from the top cushion than formerly, and by this means not
only is the angle of the striker's ball for position made easier, by a
greater scope for screw or side, but the mouth of the pockets themselves
are easier of access; and the chance of a wobble all but avoided.
Billiard players and table makers should meet and arrange a regular
standard size for table pockets and balls, with the spots at regulated
positions. We should then be able to compare merits with greater
certainty, and such terrible scores would not trouble the markers.

As a healthful exercise, and in its tendency to promote the physical
development of the body, the game of Billiards is unsurpassed; but it is
much to be regretted that it is generally-played in ill-ventilated and
crowded rooms, often reeking with the pestilential fumes of tobacco, and
not without the adjunct of frequent alcoholic potations. Moreover, there
can be no doubt that many modern instances of billiard sharping occur,
such as I have just quoted, in which the unwary are unscrupulously
'fleeced.' I know of several.

'NOT KNOWING YOUR MAN.'

A certain high military character sat down to play with a Russian
prince, who introduced loaded dice. The travelled Englishman lost every
bet; for the Russian never missed his seven or eleven, and modestly
threw only ten times. The supposed pigeon then took up the box with