War With Brunswick - Schaefer Goes Rogue

[Mr. Bond]

BILLIARD WAR ENDED
White-Winged Peace Hovers Over the Camps of Brunswick and Ives.


There is a promise of peace between the clashing factions in the world of billiards. Indications are strong that when the next billiard season rolls around it will find Frank Ives, Maurice Daly and "Wizard" Schaefer once again under contract with the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company.

This should mean a revival of old-time interest in the king of indoor games, an interest that has waned since the palmy days of matches and tournaments, when these three experts were on the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company's salary list at $3000 each per annum.

START OF THE ROW.
Just when the great masters of the cue were highly in public favor and strongest in pocket, the serpent of discontent invaded their Eden. They decided that the time was ripe for war upon the Brunswick company, the powerful head of the billiard world. They argued that the big monopoly was still within the reach of successful competition, and that the men best fitted to lead the attack would be the champions of the cue. So it happened that Ives, Daly and Schaefer did not renew their contract with the Brunswick people.

The next development was the firm of Ives & Daly, organized to manufacture and market billiard tables and equipments. Schaefer was let in on the ground floor under a verbal agreement, it is said, that 10 per cent of the net profits should go into his coffers.

THE WAR.
War began in earnest. It was a desperate struggle from the sound of the first gun. The old and powerful company brought all its batteries to bear upon the youthful enemy, while Ives, Daly and Schaefer worked overtime in the attempt to undermine their opponent. Night and day they decried the cushions of Brunswick manufacture, and with tireless energy extolled their own product.

Their tactics were prudent. Instead of investing their capital in a costly plant, they arranged with a manufacturer in Athol, Mass. to furnish tables, in quantities to suit. A similar arrangement was made as to cushions with a well- known rubber company in Boston, and thus equipped, the new concern entered the field.

The Ives-Daly tables were then brought prominently before the public by means of tournaments in the larger cities. Albert Gamier was brought over from France to add éclat to the campaigning and join with Schaefer and Ives in handling the cues.

Managerial duties were entrusted to Maurice Daly. An alleged purse of $5000 was battled for upon an Ives-Daly table equipped with Ives-Daly cushions and trouble resulted.

THE COMING OF PEACE.
It is said that a big shortage in the purse was discovered by Schaefer, the winner, and that he promptly opened overtures for a return to the Brunswick fold. He was welcomed back and immediately started on an exhibition tour under the old company's management.

That tour was brought to a close only a few nights ago at the University Club of Baltimore. While Schaefer was touring, his associates in the new concern were not idle. Arrangements have been virtually concluded whereby the Ives-Daly Company will shortly be absorbed by the older concern.

There remains no doubt that Ives and Daly have settled their differences with their former employers and that the coming season will see them once again in harness for the Brunswick- Balke-Collender Company. The terms of the peace agreement are being carefully guarded.

When seen last night, Ives and Daly admitted that negotiations between themselves and the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company were pending. Tony Troescher, manager of the Brunswick Company was reticent."Nothing has been determined as yet," he said. "I think I may venture the prophecy that the future for professional billiards looks decidedly bright."

From: Sporting Life May 15, 1897

 

[Mr. Bond]

As with many news stories, there is usually a little fluff involved. A little dog-wagging.
And this one is no exception.

But first, you might wonder what caused Ives and Schaefer to revolt in the first place.
( Daly wasn't really a pro player anymore, he was a well known NY hall owner, instructor, and author)

Ives in particular was sick of Brunswick dictating the terms of all the major competitions, as well as dictating what tables and cushions had to be used. They truly were a monopoly when it came to billiards in the u.s. and some players resented it.

What the article does not mention is the fact that Schaefer had a bad habit of injuring himself. His hands and wrists in particular were out of commission on several occasions and it just so happened that his decision to not renew his contract with Brunswick had a lot to do with the fact that he was currently injured and wouldn't be playing up to speed for many weeks, if not months.

The article also fails to mention that Brunswick was stepping on the toes of several major furniture producers (who were much larger companies than Brunswick) by expanding their line of products to include bar and office furnishings. These furniture manufacturers were looking to teach Brunswick a lesson by producing billiard tables. All they needed was a few pros and a few major tournaments to launch their assault.

If anyone else had pulled this kind of a stunt against Brunswick, it would have surely failed miserably, but the fact that Schaefer and Ives were two of the top players in the world meant that they were going to get plenty of attention from the masses. And in fact they did.

It was a brilliant scheme. Daly, Schaefer and Ives gained the support of a major furniture producer to make new tables. They patented a new type of pneumatic cushion and found a producer, and then scheduled a series of high profile tournaments in multiple cities, just as Brunswick would have done, and literally overnight Brunswicks two golden boys became Brunswicks worst nightmare. The scheme was working and their self-promoted tournaments were packing the house.

But again, the above story doesn't tell all. As it turns out Schaefer was not fully recovered, and was not accustomed to playing on the strange new cushions, so rather than performing well in the tournaments they scheduled, he got his butt whipped again and again. This didn't sit well with Schaefer, his reputation as a world champion was slipping, and his paycheck was certainly reflecting this.

Meanwhile Brunswick was busy eating their humble pie. Nobody seemed to be getting what they wanted out of the fiasco, so as you might have guessed, everyone was looking for a way out of this mess. Luckily (for the players) Brunswick realized that it was possible for these rogues to put a big dent in their sales, as well as their ego, so it wasn't long before someone waved a stack of dollar bills in front of Schaefers nose and got him to give up on his desire to be a free agent.

As the article says, the disenchanted professionals were lured back and things returned to "normal" in the billiard world....whatever normal is.

 

[Mr. Bond]

This is an interesting snip from an article by the billiards columnist John Creahan of PA, who was much less than subtle when it came to his feelings about Brunswick and the monopoly. In this article, he basically blames Brunswick (corruption) for creating a monster that they ultimately couldnt keep control of : Frank Ives.

Creahan's scathing statements cut a deep slash in billiard industry politics, giving the public an unobstructed view of the deep dark secrets hidden inside...