The Washington herald., 1908-03-11


game. But young Hoppe is not pre-
sumptuous. for all that From the age
OF sixteen he has been a star. performer
at billiards. In 1906 Hoppe did unprece-
demted tricks with the cue. playing the
lsI balk line game He met Maurice
Vignaux, perhaps the best player France
has ever produced. and made that bril-
liant cue artist bite the dust Of defeat
That was in January. In March he met
George F. SlossOn. the veteran OF them
all and still a player OF the champion
ship class. and won the worlds cham
pionship AT the Isl balk line from him.
He then met his present opponent in
October. and traileo his banner in de-
cessful playing he went abroad. and
collected some scalps there.
He has played some championship
games at Is.2 balk lire. bat has not
been as successful in this as in the other
game. He forfeited his title 10 George
Sutton when he went abroad, and SUIT
ton In turn lost it TO Schaefer, from whom
Hoppe is trying TO regain IT, Schaefer
has perhaps lost some Of his form in re-
cent years but he is still doing some
wonderful work. He has held a half
dozen championships in his time. and
in winning the present one he made a
worlds record for the highest run ever
scored by a billiardist-lGJ. at the Isl
balk line.
Balk line billiards Is ar evolution born
OF necessity To the average mortal
the game Of billiards seems hard enough
as played by the ordinary man. To
think Of playing a whole game without a
single slip looks like an impossible feat.
To the amateur il probably is But
the professional long ago learned the high
art OF cushion nursing" and found
therein a means OF carrying a game on
10 the end without the loss Of a point
Then came the balk line II was invent
ed 20 render cushion nursing" inpOs-
sible. Lines We're drawn parallel 10 the
four sides Of the table. first at one dis
tance ana then at another. These lines
leave eight spaces on the table. and
when both balls lie within one OF these
spaces the player is limited I'm the num-
Der Of shots 70 which he IS entitled
/ thereafter.
The farther away from the cushion
the halk line is drawn the more difficult
/ does the game become. The leading pro-
( fessiOnals now play with the 1s-inch balk
1
was the standard with them, but even
l that had 10 be increased TO meet the
growing skill OF the players The Isl
game IS the most difficult professional
game played.
/ Another form Of play eliminates the
/ balk line but is about equally difficult
I II is known as cushion billiards Three
cushion billiards is now about the most
scientific game Of this kind. The OBJ
/ sect OF the player is 20 make the cue
ball take three cushions before striking
either one OF both OF the other balls.
To properly reckon all the essentials.
force, direction. &c. and have the ball
pursue its calculated course. is TO do
that which beginner would call impos-
sible, and yet at a recent New York
amateur tournament. fifty points were
made N a hundred innings.
The game OF Billiards has been making
wonderful strides in respectful bnity in
recent years IN times gone by il was
I looked upon as SORT OF tavern game"
the billiard table having been a promi-
nent feature Of the old-tine tavern and
| tipping house. But billiards and pool
are essentially not drinking games. No
I heavy drinker was ever a successful
/ player with the cue and the ivory balls.
/ Steadiness of hand and eye. imperturb-
able temper. and exact dynamic caIcula-
ton are absolutely essential in the game.
and they are never in the possession of
/ hard drinkers. The day was when the
church frOwned down on billiards and
pool But in recent years religious club
rooms throughout the country have been
equipped with billiard tables, and the
[
/ III repute into which il had once fallen.
The game is in great favor as an after
dinner sport There IS Just enough men
tai and physical exercise in II 70 make
il the ideal indoor pastime. The number
OF billiard tables in private homes in
America is beyond belief. Thousands
Of the wealthy have built homes in which
their billiard rooms are among the most
attractive in the establishment Some Of
them go so far as 70 make these rooms
absolutely sOund-proof, so that those who
are playing viii not disturb the other
members Of the household. Some OF the
tables in the homes Of the wealthy are
rare specimens OF the cabinetmaker's
art. They are beautifully carved and
have the richest Of inlay work. all Of
which brings their cost up into the thou
sands. One Of the most beautiful tables
ever built was made as A present for
Adelina Patti. the great singer.
The origin OF billiards IS involved In
doubt. That it was played in crude
way before the Christian era is asserted
by many. Shakespeare refers TO Il In
Antony and Cleopatra. and Spencer
talks Of It in his Mother Hubbard
Tales" Wherever it came from. the fact
I
OF it, and under his patronage the game
became a most popular pastime in
France. It had its advent into America
through the Spaniards. who brought a
table over in 1870. Washington and Alex
ander Hamilton were devotees % the
game. as were most Of the men OF that
period. Michael Phelan may be said
10 be the father of the game I'm America.
He was one Of the best artists with the
cue that the world has ever produced.
Along about the '70's most OF the newer
features of the game were added II
was changed from a four-ball TO a three
ball game about that time, the dimen-
sions OF the table were changed from OK
u 10 5xl0 about that time. The balk
line and cushion carOms are features
that have reached development since
then.
The English game OF billiards varies
somewhat from the American game. be-
ing sort Of combination OF billiards and
pool as played here Under these con-
ditiOns. 1t has been hard to arrange
championship games between the Yankee
and the B-iton Some years ago a game
was arranged between the then Ameri-
can champion, Ives. and the British
champion. Roberts. Concessions had to
be made on both sides. Roberts agreed
that smaller pockets should be used.
while Ives conceded the use OF smaller