Jake Schaefer Jr.'s World Record, Congress Hotel, Chicago

[Mr. Bond]

It was a chilly thursday evening in Chicago, on Feb. 26, 1925. The World Balkline Championship was under way at the Congress Hotel on Michigan Avenue. The sixth game of the tournament featured Jacob Schaefer Jr. against Erich Hagenlacher of Germany.

Jake was apparently having a good night. He won the lag and took his first shot. And another. And another. And another....until, for the first and last time in american history, the astounding player had racked up 400 consecutive points and won the game, without ever giving the other player a chance to shoot.

Congratulations and hats-off to the son of "The Wizard", for his all-star match and for making his old man proud.

 

[Mr. Bond]

We recently had the good fortune of speaking with Jake Schaefer Jr.'s son, Jake Schaefer III. (There is also a Jake Schaefer IV)

And to our delight, he informed us that he still has the original final score card from his father's world-record setting match mentioned above, along with the actual ivories used in the match as well.

On behalf of billiard and pool fans everywhere we'd like to thank Mr. Schaefer for sharing his family treasures with us.

Jake Schaefer Jr.'s cues:

It's worth noting that Schaefer Jr. also defeated Willie Hoppe in this match. It must have been a very sweet victory considering that Hoppe is the very man that took the title from his father, Jake "The Wizard" Schaefer Sr.



More Schaefer artifacts coming soon....

 

[Mr. Bond]

The above mentioned Congress Hotel, aka The Congress Plaza has hosted dozens of major billiard and pool tournaments from the early 1900's on up to just a few years ago.

But it also has another claim to fame. It's now known as "The most haunted hotel in Chicago "

"....It wasn’t always that way. This “Landmark of Chicago Hospitality” was originally built over a hundred years ago to accommodate visitors coming for The Chicago World’s Fair. The hotel didn’t actually become The Congress Plaza until 1908. That was about twenty years before one of its most notable (and notorious) residents, gangster Al Capone, was said to have lived here; some reports are that owned the hotel for a while and used it for his headquarters. Truth is, Big Al never actually stayed here, at least not under his name. But residents still see him from time to time, walking these hallowed halls with the rat-ta-tat of his two-tone wingtips.

Other less notorious but just as notable names haunting these halls include the homeless hobo, “Peg Leg Johnny,” who was said to have been murdered in the hotel many years ago. Then there's the workman who supposedly got buried behind the walls when the hotel was being built, but who is now just referred to as the “hand of mystery,” referring to his gloved hand that supposedly sticks out of a wall in the closets behind the balcony in the Gold Room (what is up with all the displaced body parts floating around this hotel?). And speaking of the Gold Room, it's rumored that some of the bridesmaids in wedding parties who gather around the piano for photographs do not actually show up in the pictures.

As for others, legend has it that a lone man roams the eighth floor, where the elevator is said to stop frequently, even though no one has pushed a button. And “voices” are heard in ballrooms even though no one is there. Don't book room number 441 if you plan to stay at the Congress; security is called there than any other room. Guests report seeing the same thing: the shadowy outline of a woman. But the biggest scare is saved for the 12th floor, where there is said to be a room so frightening that the door was fastened shut from the outside.... "

http://www.citypass.com/blog/chicagos-haunted-hotel-congress-plaza

 

[Mr. Bond]

This is The Congress Plaza " Gold Room " in which most, if not all of the billiard and pool championships have been held, including Schaefer's record breaker.

It was the first hotel ballroom in the U.S. to utilize "air conditioning".

Vintage postcard

courtesy: chuckmanchicagonostalgia

This is how it looks today:

 

[9ballrob]

I've bought, seen, and sold a lot of antique billiard items. That said, the framed piece is one of the best I've ever seen.

Thanks for posting it!

 

[Bob Jewett]

and from across the sea...

Speaking of 400-and-out at 18.2...

These are from the 3-volume collection of records of carom billiards by Haase and Weingartner (2009):

The greatest record at 18.2 (or 47/2 as they say on The Continent) was by Ludo Dielis in the 1973 European Pentathlon in which they played straight rail, 47/2, 71/2, one cushion and three cushion. In his first five 18.2 matches, Dielis ran 400-and-out. That's 2000 straight points. In his next match, he missed after 10. Not bad for a Belgian. His average in six matches was 217.2 (so by deduction he got only 172 points in 5 innings in his last match).

European Championships -- 400 and out
1948 Rene Gabriels (45/2, the rest are 47/2)
1958 Piet van de Pol
1965 Martinus Wijnen
1966 Jean Marty
1967 Marty
1973 Dieter Mueller
1974 Francis Connesson
1975 Hans Vultink (second inning) and Klaus Hose and Willy Wesenbeek
1976 Hose, Christ vd Smissen, Ludo Dielis, Vultink
1977 Connesson, Dielis
1978 Piet Vet
1980 Jos Bongers, Wesenbeek
1981 Bongers -- further championship matches were played to 300, 250, 200, 100 or even 75 points.

World Championships -- 400 and out
(Some of the early matches were to 500 but no one had even a run of 300 then.)
1967 Marty
1969 Henk Scholte
1973 Vultink
1974 Manuel Girves
1978 Dielis
The next world championship was in 2003 and played to only 300 points or 250 in the group phase. Seven players ran out the length of the game. Frederic Caudron ran 300-and-out in his last three matches. There were at least four ties as the matches had equalizing innings.

Perhaps more impressive are the runs of 300-and-out at 18.1 that have been scored by several players. At the 28.2 (71/2) World Championship in 1968 Jean Marty ran 300-and-out against Raymond Ceulemans in 34 minutes. I had the pleasure of meeting Marty at a BCA Trade Show and got to play some 3-cushion with him. He (or now his son?) has a store in Paris.

 

[Mr. Bond]

What an amazing coincidence...I just got an email from Jean last week...

Apparently he also has quite a collection of cues (150) and other billiard memorabilia.
I can't wait to see it.

 

[Bob Jewett]

What an amazing coincidence...I just got an email from Jean last week...

Apparently he also has quite a collection of cues (150) and other billiard memorabilia.
I can't wait to see it.

In another coincidence, I plan to go by their shop next week. Maybe I'll get to see the stuff before you do. But I suspect you are corresponding with Jean Marty the Younger who has been running the shop for some time now. He has written a very nice book named "Billards" with a lot of historical stuff and the following picture:

 

[Mr. Bond]

Bob this is getting downright spooky.

A few months ago, a woman in the San Francisco area wrote to me. She said that in a box of books purchased at a thrift store she had found an old letter from the 19teens, that was written from John Kammerer ( Jacob Schaefer Sr.'s father in law and close friend) to his daughter (widow) Mary Schaefer, expressing his concerns about Jake Jr. being ' not quite old enough' to be taking on the pros just yet, pointing out that his father The Wizard ( he used that term) had not taken titles until he was in his 20s. ( Jake Jr did not heed this advice)

The nice woman in SF wanted to know if i had contact information for any of the Schaefer ancestors, so she could return the letter to their family. But unfortunately, although I had been meaning to do so for some time, I had not yet made contact with the Schaefers, so I felt obligated to help.

I contacted Schaefer III, and after introducing him to the finder of the letter, we spoke a few times about Schaefer I and II, and of course he was gracious enough to share a few photos of their family goodies.

The family goodies inspired me to go back and pull out this thread about Jr.s 400 that I originally posted 3 years ago, to add the photos of the original scoresheet and balls. You were then inspired to post the list of run outs that included Jean Marty, who just wrote to me a few days before, so I was inspired to mention to you that I had spoke to him.

Which inspired you to tell me that you were about to go see him, which I never would have known, or asked, if the woman had not found a letter in a box.

And...

And where do you live? In the same place that the letter originally came from, the San Francisco area.

its a small world after all

 

[Mr. Bond]

Below is John Kammerer's letter from Chicago, to his daughter Mary in San Francisco. (widow of Jake Schaefer Sr.) John is concerned about Jake Schaefer Jr. being old enough, and experienced enough, to take on the professionals of the day. A peek into the life of a family that produced two world champion billiard players.

Where there is a questionable word in the transcription it will be followed by, or replaced with, a question mark like this: [?]


My Dear Mary

Your always welcome letter came to hand, and I was much pleased to hear from you, & all, yet also extremely sorry to hear of your affliction about your sore face[?]. Although you did not mention the cause, I sincerely hope it will not amount to anything very serious.

I am much pleased with the invitation extended me and some day, I will call and enjoy a good dinner with you, knowing also that no one can [ ? ] a meal better.

I am much pleased to hear that Wizard No. 2 is playing such great billiards, but you do not mention where he is doing all his practicing? Have you a table at home? Or is he doing his playing in the BBC warerooms? Or Charlies? However, I would not approve of him to start out so young and play the top notchers just yet, for awhile. I would first give him a chance to grow up, good & strong & healthy.

Although his dear father was a great player at his age, still he was 24 years of age when he won the championship of the world at Cooper Institute in 1879. Which event I shall never forget because when I predicted him winning the tournament at that time
they laught [sp?] at me. I was behind him at that time and until his passing away.

I can assure you no one would be more pleased than myself, to see Wizard No. 2 get to the top of the ladder on a jump[?], yet I would also be very sorry to see him defeated.

[page 2]

So, I therefore think it the best policy to wait, and have a little more patience, and also a little more practice, and experience, before tackling any of the top notchers. As to him becoming a great player, like his father, I have not the slightest doubt. But, as I say he is yet only 19 years old, and be in no hurry.

Demarest & Hoppe will play on the 17 of this month, I dont think your wish will be granted, in Demarest beating Willie, unless [ ? ] will have a good start and by accident find Willie off. However, time will tell. But Wizard No. 2 will and cannot be denied, and come a little later on, as sure as Son Shine.

Hoping that all is well that ends well, and that the next mail will bring still better news, and with love and best wishes to you and all from your old father watchman.

John Kammerer
2141 Bissell Str
Basement floor
or Lyon & Healys plant Fullerton & 41 ave
City

More news
John has just bought me an Ulster for $25.00 and also is going to buy me a pair of
over shoes and a cap.
Also, Topsy[?] is going to make me a Great Grandfather about May next[?] perhaps on my birthday? Is this not going same[?] ?
---------------------------------------------
(end)


Here is the letter itself, both pages, which were found in the box of books in SF.
Much props to the nice woman who decided to return it, rather than keep it.

 

[Mr. Bond]

Meet John Kammerer, in 1915

John Kammerer died 1 year later.

 

[Bob Jewett]

Speaking of 400-and-out at 18.2...

For those who are wondering what a run like that looks like, here is a video that will give you an idea http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VGeRSVyfk4 -- he gets lucky with a kiss-in along the way. For Schaefer there was the added complication of playing with ivory balls which tended not to be perfectly round. Much of 18.2 (47/2) depends on getting all three balls right within a fraction of an inch for position, and that's hard with balls that aren't round.

Note especially what Caudron does when he gets the balls straddling a line -- kind of a yo-yo with the ball closest to the cushion. The masse shots are pretty impressive, too. Both techniques were well known in 1925.