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Michael Phelan
Frontispiece from Michael Phelan's 1859 book, The Game of Billiards (D. Appleton & Company, New York).
Born	(YYYY--DD),
Other names	"The Father of American Billiards"
Citizenship	U.S.

Michael Phelan, ([[]],[[]] - October 7, 1871 ) known as the Father of American Billiards, was a professional billiard player, billiard industry inventor, technique innovator, promotor, billiard parlor owner, writer...

Michael Phelan the father the founder and the nestor of American billiards, was, by all odds the noblest Roman of them all. He had demonstrated his superiority over the players of the world in many an exciting and hard fought game, and had finished his professional billiard carerr in 1859 by a match for the largest stake ever played for up that date, with John Seereiter of Detroit, the sum being originallt fixed at $5,000 a side, and increased to $7,500 on the night of the match, which was played at Firemen's Hall, in Detroit on April 12, 1859. It is believed that more hard money exchanged hands on this game than was ever before or since staked on a match game of billiards, the sporting men of the West backing Seereiter to the extent of thousands of dollars, and the New York contingent grabbing every offer in sight. The game was four balls, 2,000 points up, 2⅜ balls, on a 6x12 table, push and crotch allowed. The referee was Judge Strong of the Detroit supreme court, and the score was as follows: Phelan 2,000; Seereiter, 1,904. Phelan's average 12 32-164. Seereiter's average 11 111-163. Highest runs: Phelan, 129, 101, 96 and 91; Seereiter, 157, 150, 60 and 59. These games, with several other of a smiliar nature, stimulated the rivalry then existing among the professional players of the Eats and West, and the excitement and jealousy thus aroused culminated in the bringing together of representative players of the two sections in the tournament of 1863 for the championship of America at four ball billiards. It was organized and managed by Michael Phelan and took place in Irving Hall, New York, lasting from June 1 to June 9. The prizes were a gold mounted cue and a billiard table then valued at $750 for the first, and $250 cash for the second; carom game, 500 points up, 2⅜ balls on a 6x12 four pocket table; push and crotch allowed. Dudley Kavanagh, who took first prize, defeated every man in the tournament except John Deery. Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Aaron Vanderwerker. Old Billiard Champions. May 9, 1897. Digitized version available through the Brooklynpubliclibrary.org. Retrieved on ____.

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Many billiards fans consider Michael PHELAN (1817-1871), the "Father of American Billiards." PHELAN emigrated from Ireland, and settled in New York. In 1860, he wrote the first American book on billiards, "Billiards Without Master." The first billiards match for the championship of the U. S. took place in Detroit, 12 April 1859, when PHELAN defeated John SEEREITER and won for himself a great deal of money. "Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper" of 23 April 1859 carried an illustration of the match.

PHELAN held many inventions and patents in the world of billiards, including cushion and table designs. He was the first to add diamonds to the table to aid in aiming. He established a billiards equipment manufacturing company that eventually (through mergers) became the Brunswick Corporation, still the largest American billiards manufacturer.

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http://books.google.com/books?id=ZgMoAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA348 "The great industries of the United States : being an historical summary of the origin, growth, and perfection of the chief industrial arts of this country"

HARTFORD:

j. B. BU:R:R, & HYDE.

CHICAGO AND CINCINNATI:

J. B. BURR, HYDE &, CO.

1872.

Michael Phelan, who died October 7, 1871, was a native of Ireland. His father emigrated to this country in 1819, and established himself in the billiard business, he having as many as three or four rooms in different parts of the city of New York at the same time, and is still remembered by some of its older inhabitants. Succeeding well, and liking the country, in 1825 Mr. Phelan sent for his family ; and the above yar dates the advent of Michael Phelan to American citizenship. Although only seven years old at the time, he remembers his arrival per- fectly. He also remembers the billiard table in one of his father's rooms, and how captivated he was when allowed to shove the balls around with the mace ; and thus he has always dated his billiard experience from that time. Although he had stated terms in which he could practise, it was not until he had completed his fourteenth year that he was allowed to use the cue, and then, almost immediately, became a good player.

When he arrived at the proper age, his father bound him ap- prentice to learn the art of manufacturing jewelry, to which call- ing he served his full term, and became a good workman. On attaining his majority, the attractions to billiards became so strong that he finally determined to adopt the business for a livelihood. His father having previously deceased, Michael procured a situa- tion as an attendant to a billiard room.

Being attentive, industrious, and obliging to all, he soon b( came an expert player, as well as a general favorite ; thus he was early enabled to secure the means of going into business on his

BILLIARDS AND BILLIARD-TABLES. 403

own account. One of his first resolves was, that his rooms should be conducted on an entirely new basis ; his establishment was for practising 1 the game of billiards as an elegant amusement, and not as a vehicle for gambling operations ; sharpers and loungers were ignored, and gentlemen patrons soon found that on retiring from a visit at Mr. Phelan's, their pockets were only minus the small amount paid for the game lost and refreshments used. This was certainly a new experience, and from the rapid increase of patronage Mr. Phelan soon found it was a popular and a profit- able one.

In 1850 Mr. Phelan had come to be looked upon as the most expert and scientific player in the country ; and in the same year he prepared a work entitled " Billiards Without a Master," which enjoyed a large sale.

There can be no better testimonial of the value of individual services to the mercantile world than that furnished by rivals in trade. One has conceded this much : " Billiards, probably, owes more to Michael Phelan than to any other man ; while another remarks, " The ' World of Billiards ; might almost be said to have been a world of his own creation in America." Michael Phelan's mission was purely creative. It was his aim to develop the billiard art, and maintain it as a fashionable amusement as fast as it should be developed. Thus he created the demand for tables, leaving it to others to supply that demand. No manufacturer has supplied it so acceptably in public estimation as Michael Phelan J s own business partner, if overwhelmingly large and steadily increasing sales are any criterion. Hugh W. Collender was born Decem- ber 19, 1829, in Cappoquin, County Waterford, Ireland. In Au- gust, 1849, having become involved in the revolutionary occurrences of that period, he was forced to fly from Ireland to avoid arrest. Arriving in New York, January 9, 1850, he for four years worked at cabinet-making in this field acquiring the knowledge which afterwards became so useful in the manufacture of billiard tables. At the close of 1854 he was solicited by the late General Thomas Francis Meagher, who proposed to make the tour of California, to accompany him as secretary and business-agent. They journeyed through the state together, returning to New York via New Or- leans, and visiting the leading southern cities en route.

In 1855 Michael Phelan returned from San Francisco to New York, intent upon introducing to public notice an improved model of a billiard table. Having in 1854 married Mr. Phelan 's eldest

404

BILLIARDS AXD BILLIARD -TABLES.

daughter, Mr. Collender was the first person to whom the inventor communicated his ideas as to the improved table ; and with the view of bringing it before the public, Mr. Collender formed a- part- nership with Christopher O'Connor, still prominent in metropolitan billiard circles, and whose father had been among the first in Amer- ica to manufacture billiard tables.

The firm of O'Connor & Collender continued to make tables for about six years Mr. Phelan being paid a royalty on each table. In 1857 Mr. Collender was granted a patent for the since famous Phelan & Collender " Combination Cushion." In 1860 Mr. O'Connor retired from the firm, Michael Phelan taking his place ; and the firm of Phelan & Collender, .thus formed, continued until Octo- ber 7, 1871, on which date Michael Phelan died, generally regret- ted. Early in 1871 the firm introduced a novel design of billiard table, the invention of Mr. Collender, and since popularly known as " The Bevel." This improvement, illustrated below, has already made quite as great a revolution in the shape of billiard tables as the " Phelan Combination " did in billiard cushions. In addition to the patents heretofore spoken of, Mr. Collemler, \vlio as successor to Phelan & Collender, conducts the business at 738 Broadway, N. Y. City, was on November 26, 1867, granted one for an improvement in billiard cushions. In the same year he received another for (ho combined Li- brary, Dining, and Billiard Table ; and in 1871 he was accorded a pat- ent for what is now known as the Eureka (Wire) Cushion. "The great industries of the United States : being an historical summary of the origin, growth, and perfection of the chief industrial arts of this country

On January 1, 1859, the first of his weekly articles appeared in Leslie’s Illustrated Weekly.shamosformcahistory