The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-27
BILLIARD PLAY
BETWEEN STARS
Hoppe and Slosson Meet Tonight
for the First
Games.
Journal Special Service,

JOURNAL special service. Is. D.. r.
New York, March 27.--The eyes Of the bill
lizard world will be upon the Grand Central
palace. New York, tonight. The result of the
championship match between Willie Hoppe and
George Slosson is being eagerly awaited thru
out Europe os we'll as from coast to coast Iii
this country. The one competitor is mere boy.
with unprecedented knowledge Of the game for
bis years. the other veteran campaigner, but
still called Student"
When tie young champion Of the world and
the veteran Of more than thirty years ex-
perience engage in their contest for the worlds
title at 1s-irch balk line one shot in, more
than four years will have elapsed since that
particular style of game was played in this
country. -.
Jacob Schaefer won the championship in 1901,
took it to Paris with him and there it passed
into the keeping OF the aged Partisan. Maurice
F1graux. Then Hoppe, just IS years old, crossed
the water from the west and in January last
took away the title from Vignaux in Paris.
Not New Thing.
It is no new condition in billiards for a
youth not old enough to vote to be pitted
against one who has had sufficient earthly
sojourn to have cast his ballot for seven presi-
reach prominence in their callow days. The
D1ons, DAILY, Slossons. Vignaux, Schaefer, Sex
tons. Ives and Wallace all attained to cham
pionship class in their early days.
Student and prodigy have been hard at work
Tor several weeks preparing for tonights i'm
portant tourney. Hoppe is the favorite despite
the fact that the two playing in about
the same form, both averaging about the same
| score, 33 1-3 at 300 points. The match is to be
at 500 points. 81: -
In one practice game the student made the
300 points in six innings. Hopes best run in
practice for the match was 1877 and Slosson
has run more than 100 several times The
test comes when the real issue is at stake,
when the strain is on.
Hoppe was years old when he first began
playing. 1t Is not SO long ago that he had to
CHIMP upon the table to make his Shots but
! now he has a good reach. The Youngsters pub.
lie career has been brief, but successful. :.
Hopes Style.
| Hoppe has Schaefer's ease and naturslness OF
manner and also the wizards light touch There
| is nerve and dash to his play, a sang frod
| that nothing disturbs. His is forearm and
wrist stroke, the wrist being limp and the
band slightly curved inwardly. Yet it has not
| the rigidity Of Slosson's stroke.
Most Of Hopes work in practice for this
match has been rather wide He says that ir
I the ISL game. which does not permit of the
! nursing that IS 2 does. he prefers to play the
| balls bit wide. the muscles stay freer than
| when making the shorter stroke for close nurs
| Ing. He is superb all-round player
| Slosson's friends say he never played bette,
billiards than he is playing and his work II
| practice bears out the assertion Tho studer
has taken part In more than fifty matches anf
| tournaments.
His last big contest was in the 1872 champion
ship in Paris in 1908. when he finished last +,
Cure, Sutton and Vignaux An ocean trip and NOE
! health upset him in that tourney. He won tn.
lS.l championship from Schaefer Ives Dale,
| ana sutton In 1897. and tied with Barutel fo
second money In the 1871 tourney in 1901.