Lincoln The Pool Shark?

[L Verge]

Students of Booth know that he frequented the pool hall of John Deery above Grover's Theatre. In reading a bit on Mr. Deery (who was an excellent billiards player), I ran across this in an article on The History of Billiards Chronology:

1864: Charles Dickens receives a billiard table for Christmas.
Abraham Lincoln is a self-confessed "billiards addict."
Lincoln calls the game "health-inspiring" and "scientific," lending "recreation to an otherwise fatigued mind."
According to Henry C. Whitney: "Billiards, I may say, was the only non-utilitarian thing that I know of Lincoln indulging in."

1865: On April 13, John Wilkes Booth gets loaded at Deery's Billiard Saloon, owned by John Deery, before shooting Abraham Lincoln.
Perhaps the only thing Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth have in common is that they both love pool.

John Deery later went on to win a major billiards title away from a champion, perhaps causing the defeated man to commit suicide.

Did Lincoln have a pool table in the White House? If not, was he known to shoot pool in any of the establishments in D.C. while President?

[Gene C]

There is a difference between billiards and pool.

If only Booth had heeded the warning Harold Hill gave to the people of River City
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI_Oe-jtgdI

(Robert Preston attended Abraham Lincoln High School in Los Angeles)

[Eva Elisabeth]

Did Lincoln have a pool table in the White House? If not, was he known to shoot pool in any of the establishments in D.C. while President?

J. Q. "Adams installed the first pool table in the White House. Initially, he billed the government for the $61 it cost for the table, cues, and billiard balls, but he was decried for such a personal purchase and later he reimbursed the government."
http://www.ourwhitehouse.org/prespgs/jqadams.html

[LincolnMan]

They also both loved the theater

[Eva Elisabeth]

You might have a point there...: )

[L Verge]

There is a difference between billiards and pool.

If only Booth had heeded the warning Harold Hill gave to the people of River City
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI_Oe-jtgdI

(Robert Preston attended Abraham Lincoln High School in Los Angeles)

I've spent the past half-hour trying to read up on the differences between billiards, pool, and what seems to be the hardest cue game of all -- snookers. Still no mention of which one Lincoln played, but here's an interesting discussion online:

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com...-pool.html

It did make reference to a description of long , tall Lincoln playing the game that I had already imagined in my mind. There is one sentence that might be a clue to which game Lincoln played. It seems that billiards was preferred by the "respectable folks."

[RJNorton]

I came across this newspaper article. I had to enlarge the print to read it on my monitor.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Very interesting article - I guess you don't know from when (ca.) it dates?

[HerbS]

Pool is one of my favoite games to try to play! I know that Lincoln would have beaten me with ease!Lincoln probably would have been a good golfer too!

[LincolnToddFan]

I came across this newspaper article. I had to enlarge the print to read it on my monitor.

This is wonderful Roger...thanks!

[Hess1865]

Did Lincoln have a pool table in the White House? If not, was he known to shoot pool in any of the establishments in D.C. while President?

J. Q. "Adams installed the first pool table in the White House. Initially, he billed the government for the $61 it cost for the table, cues, and billiard balls, but he was decried for such a personal purchase and later he reimbursed the government."
http://www.ourwhitehouse.org/prespgs/jqadams.html

I've heard that President Grant installed the first pool table in the White House, and that US was obsessed with playing pool. Guess Grant won most of the time because everyone was afraid to beat the President!!!

[LincolnMan]

There is a difference between billiards and pool.

If only Booth had heeded the warning Harold Hill gave to the people of River City
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI_Oe-jtgdI

(Robert Preston attended Abraham Lincoln High School in Los Angeles)

Gene: Mr. Preston might be the first rapper the way he performs that song!

[David Lockmiller]

I came across this newspaper article. I had to enlarge the print to read it on my monitor.

How do you find these kind of things, Roger?

[RJNorton]

Hi David. In all honesty, I do not recall. But most likely I found it through a Google search.