The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-10
BigSlOssOn- Hoppe Billiard Match
Attracts Attention.
Will Take Place in New YOrl
March %.
ODDS ARE ON THE BOY.
Still Georges Friends Are Con-
fldent He Will win.
Style Of Play in Which the
Older Man Excels.

New York, March 10.-George Slos-
sons friends are confident that he viii
defeat Willie Hoppe when the pair meet
for the 1s.1 balkline championship of the
world March q. Speaking OF Slosson,
a friend OF his said:
Hoppe has never met a. player like
him. Slosson is the greatest one-cush-
ion player in the world. He is slow and
deliberate in his execution, and never
falls down on an easy shot. Georges
logic is Get while the getting's good.
''SIosson stin holds the worlds best
average for 500 points at cushion caroms
of 4 76-106, made when he defeated ia
cob Schaefer for. the championship of
the world in 1887. Hoppe has played
against Vignaux and Schaefer and other
experts. and beat them repeatedly in
practice and short match games, but
this will be his first public match with
SIosson. I don't think he ever played
against Gentleman George in practice
or private to af16unt to anything.
sSchaefeF and Vlgnauz are fast play
ers, while Slosson is slow and very de-
libeTate. Vignaux and Schaefer will
make runs OF 1G0 in Is minutes. Slos-
son will take an hour to do the same.
Then again, he plays shots differently
than the men Hoppe has met. Slosson
executed IA or Is One-cushion shots con-
SEGullNGlE WIll5 pIdGt4ClnS with GuItCt
the other night He is liable to do this
with Hoppe. Willie's great form in prac-
tice should not affect the odds, for Slos-
son has also played magnificent billiards
in his practice for this match, averag-
ing 80 frequently in 200 and 300-point
practice games.
Hoppe may be young and healthy,
and utterly impervious to nervousness,
but If George gets the balls together
and makes one of his tremendous runs,
lasting more than an hour, the boy
wonder is bound to be affected by it.
He can't be human and sit idly by,
lingering his cue for such period
while his opponent is coming to or go
ing away from him. as the case may
be, without showing some signs Of
nervousness.
'sThen. again. George has the most
tantalizing way of fiddling and sighting
with his cue before he makes a shot,
that would drive some people crazy. ]
saw Jerome Keough rattle Alfredo De
ORC SO badly by these same tactics
when they played for the pool cham
pionship that it actually cost the Gu
! ban the game. Slosson can leave the
balls harder than any player in the
business. His forte is 1871 balkline.
Hoppe may trim him. but [ doubt if he
can, and to my notion it. is simply
ridiculous to talk of betting 10 to on
the boy"
Word comes from Chicago that Jake
Schaefer, the billiard wizard, is not at
all cut up over the recent cnalleISeS
of Willie Hoppe, and furthermore
Schaefer does not cherish any i'll feel
ing whatever toward the boy wonder
who recently won the worlds cham
pionship from Maurice VignauX.
Speaking Of Hoppe and the 1871
style of billiards in particular, Schaefer
said he had the highest regard for
Willie as a billiardist and that he pre-
dicted nearly two years ago that event
uaIly he would become champion. He
does not, however, fancy the one shot
in game, or. as he terms it. the no shot
in, as it takes away the beauties of bill
Hards.
1T is the most difficult ball to ball
game ever devised and practically does
away with position play, masses and
other features interesting to lovers Of
the game" Continuing. he said: I'm
fortunately for the welfare of profess
sional billiards. I lost the 1871 cham
pienship by default, after holding it
twenty three months. Had I held the
title another month would have re-
nounced the game, and that would
+ have been an end Of the 1871 style.
Now. however, that Hoppe is in posses
sion Of the emblem. suppose we will
have to put UP with the game until 1t
/ dies a natural death"