Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-03-19

for he 1872 balk line championship
has also been accepted, and the pair
will play in Madison Square Garden
concert hall, New York, on or about
March 81.
Willie Hoppe, whose skill with the
billiard cue has bewildered the stu
dents of the game of two countries, is
yet a boy, billiard champions are
really born" said Frank Hoppe. Sr., ia
Their of the boy wonder, recently, refer
ring especially to his son. This holds
true of genius in every line, but 1t has
been so pronounced in Willie's case
that there appears to be no room for
doubt. He was a master of the tech
nique of the game before he under
stood the meaning of stroke He
played by that instinct which came to
him at birth.
Before he could reason out plays he
made his moves as correctly as the
greatest masters of the cue, and as ex-
perience and muscular power came he
improved in the finesse of billiards I'M
I'll at sixteen he was ready to pit his
skill at any style billiards against the
worlds best men.
"True, he was at first looked upon as
child wonder, to be petted and pat
, ted ON the head, and was a clever fell
low to play an exhibition with, but
as an opponent in a serious match,
with a title and cash stakes at issue
no, never. He was told by those whom
he challenged that he must get repu-
tation Like many others he was fore
ed to go abroad, defeat Tignaux for the
, worlds championship and then compel
the American stars to recognize his
ability as a real master by defeating
them at their own game. And. let me
tell you, Willie Hoppe played less than
! ten games of ISL Billiards before he
met YignaUx for the title In France.
That he could do this is but added evil
dence that he was born billiard
genius.
"And now in his twenty-first year
still boy with whom billiards is but
q pastime, just as tag and shlnney may
be with other healthy children, he chal-
lenges the worlds best men at 1871
and 1872 for the championships at these
styles"
That the words of the young won
ders father are not exaggerated is
seen from a close study of Hoppe in
play. Not only In his practice work
In academies. but in his matches on
which big stakes are depending, is he
a marvel. Almost with the close of an
| opponents inning he is at the table,
/ cue in position, his moves selected and
the shot made almost without hesita-
ton. He Is very fast In his work,
keeps the balls moving and adds inter
est to his game by the rapidity with
which he carries the play along.
His hands are as remarkable In their
| way as his eyes. Though slender look
ing, they are well muscled, long and
pllable The forefngers of both hands
are capable of powerful gripping OF
the cue. while the spreading Of the
other fingers adds to the flrmness OF
! the stroke. Possibly of all the billiard
stars his hands are nearest to the ideal
In 1904 Willie Hoppe became prom
Inent by winning the championship OF
1.-THE young masters" in Paris, and two
years later he challenged Nignaux fol-
! the championship, winning the title by
! 800 TO 323. Hoppe successfully defend
cd the title against Slosson and Schae
fer, but forfeited 1t to Sutton wheI
he went to Amsterdam a little over {
year ago, and since then Sutton hai
been beaten By Schaefer. who nov
holds the 1871 worlds championship.