Bill Fish

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

the gar pike or longnosed gar ( lepidostěus ossĕus), a fish common in the lakes and rivers of the United States ; but the name is also given to other fishes. only a cannon game, with larger balls and a smaller table. The Americans added a fourth ball, and in their game cannons and winning hazards counted to the striker, and losing hazards against him. They then abolished the two side pockets, in consequence of their interfering with cannon play (or, as the carom). Of late years pocket tables Americans still spell it, more correctly, have been but little used in the United the table has been gradually reduced to States, except for pool; and the size of 10 feet by 5 feet; balls 2% inches in diameter. The four ball game is now seldom played by experts, the three ball French carom game having superseded of leading amateur and professional it in match play . The increasing skill players in the United States has made it necessary to introduce features that make the game more difficult. In championship games 14- and 18-inch balk lines lines are drawn 14 inches from each of are used for this purpose. In the first, the four rails, in the second 18 inches. The eight spaces formed by the lines are the balk. In the 14inch balk-line game, the object balks are in balk whenever both have stopped in a balk space. Only two shots are allowed under these condibe driven out of balk on the second shot tions, and at least one of the balls must 18-inch balk-line game has the same rules or the player has lost his inning. The only one shot is allowed in balk. Any as the 14-inch, except that, in the former, number of shots may be made in the space outside the balk lines. liards in 1920 was William Hoppe of The United States champion at bil- Brooklyn, N. Y. , who for many years had maintained his supremacy over all competitors.