van Winsen, James Mason in America, page 72, 163

<Mr. L. D. Barbour is the most thoroughly original player in the Congress. Although the beauty of his novel conceptions is sometimes marred by defects, yet when in good form he is capable of remarkable playing.>

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4 Bxd4 5.Nxd4 exd4 6.Qxd4 d5 7.e5 Nfd7 8.Qxd5 O-O 9.O-O Nb6 10.Qxd8 Rxd8 11.Bb3 Nc6 12.f4 Bf5 13.Be3 Na5 14.Bxb6 cxb6 15.Na3 Nxb3 16.axb3 Rd2 17.Rf2 Rad8 18.h3 a6 19.g4 Rxf2 20.Kxf2 Bxc2 21.Nc4 Bxb3 22.Nd6 Rd7 23.Rc1 g5 24.Rc8+ 1-0

<Mr. Barbour has retired from the management of the Chess Column in the Philadelphia Sunday Republic, but will continue to contribute to that column.>

<Mr. L. D. Barbour called the meeting to order and stated that the credit of carrying out this project is chiefly due to the energy and enterprise of the celebrated chess master, D. M. Martinez. Mr. Barbour then dropped into poetry, after which, relapsing into prose, he dwelt at some length on the value of time in chess.>

<The match at the Philadelphia Chess Club between Messrs. Lorenzo D. Barbour and David A. Thompson terminated, after a well-played struggle of six games, in favor of Mr. Barbour>

<L. D. Barbour ... was an interesting figure at that time. His main desire was not to win games, but surprise or astonish his adversary and those looking on, with unexpected combinations or original openings and defenses. At that time, almost daily were to be found at the Mercantile the following gathering of firstclass players: H. Davidson. Jacob Elson, D. M. Martinez, B. M. Neill, G. C. Reichhelm, A. Roberts, James Roberts and H. Whitman. These players rarely ever played against each other, and only played with such other members of the Mercantile Library who were willing to accept odds. They all, however, made an exception with L. D. Barbour, and were always willing to play with him on even terms. Naturally Barbour lost a majority of the games that he played, although every now or then he would capture a gem from his opponents. Barbour used to say that the players above named made their reputation by winning games from him.>

<The figure before my mind's eye just now was a very familiar one in chess circles of this city a generation and more ago - L. D. Barbour. The very name will bring a smile, half amused, half tender, to the lips of those who still survive that day. For Mr. Barbour was more famous for his chess playfulness than for his chess play. He was a player of considerable strength; but very erratic, because so persistently striving for brilliancy. As he was fond of making a joke, so he seemed to wish to make a coup in chess which because of the surprise, would be a joke. Players of this kind while often winning beautiful games, as he indeed did, seldom make good scores. Mr. Barbour was of too nervous a temperament for serious contests. Once, we recall, a strong player offered him the odds of a Knight, with a wager that he would beat Mr. Barbour five straight games. We are glad to say that playing for money has been very exceptional in Philadelphia chess, the feeling being that the royal game needs no mercenary taint to make it interesting. So far as the strength of Mr. Barbour and that of his opponent were concerned, the proposition was absurd. The chess player never lived whose skill would warrant such an offer. But Mr. Barbour lost the five straight games. His temperament made him helpless. But Mr. Barbour's wit was one of the chess delights of his period. Mr. J. M. Bennett, president of the Philadelphia Chess Club, for its tournament in 1875, had provided a prize for every contestant, and when the prizes were awarded, the recipients made speeches. Mr. Barbour's speech was "I am not much of a speaker and you can see from my score that I am not much of a player, but there is this can be said for my playing, it is on the square, and open and above board." One of his pleasant bits of chaff was to say to an opponent, “I’ll give you the odds of all the pieces and play you with the squares!” Of the great Steinitz he once said, “People like Mr. Steinitz not for his good looks, but for his winning ways!" The unintiated look upon chess as a very serious even melancholy thing. How mistaken they are! What a spirit of fun often hovers about the board. What delightful badinage is exchanged there! To some of its votaries, chess has in it not only the strenuous struggle of battle, but the beauty of art, the melodies and harmonies of music and the sparkle of wit and humor. Of course you would never receive anything like this from anybody but AN OLD FOGY.>

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