On 25 October 1884, the Straits Times, a weekly magazine in Singapore, reproduced an article published in The Englishman, a Calcutta based newspaper. The article gives an account of how Snooker evolved from the hill station of Ooty. It reads:
A Darjeeling correspondent sends a copy of the rules of a new game called ‘Snookere,’ which he ventures to prophesy will soon supplant both Pool and Pyramids in every club and mess room throughout the northern provinces. Its nomenclature would indicate a transatlantic origin, but it has travelled from Ootacamund to these breezy heights, and has speedily become very popular with cueists of all degrees of strength.
The Straits Times does not mention the date on which The Englishman first published the article on ‘Snookere.’ Unfortunately, it does not even give a detailed description of the game. However, the article published in the Straits Times is significant, for it is considered to be the ‘earliest contemporary reference to snooker, which can be accurately dated.’
Given the conflicting legends that surround the origins of Snooker – particularly around who invented it and where it was born – the article is of utmost importance in charting the growth and evolution of the game. It helps build a timeline and establishes the place of its origin.
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