The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-12-20
WILLIE HOPPE
ON BILLIARDS
Champion Says He Intends to
Revive Interest in Pop
uIar Sport.
R& WILLIE HOPPE.
Champion Billiardist of the World
(SpScial to The Herald.)

New York; Dec. 19.-As / have just
passed my twenty-first birthday, and, be-
ing capable Of handling my own inter-
ests, 1 wish to place before the public
my plans for the future
From this day on L have made up my
mind to sever my connection with any
one billiard concern and to devote the
future of my profession in a different
manner.
In the first place. one must stop and
consider the Disadvantages a player is
subjected TO when under contract 70
billiard concern. Although the salary
paid TO a player has always been con-
sidered fair remuneration by nearly all
the billiard players who have been at
one time or other under contract to some
one billiard concern, l have thought the
matter over carefully and can say truth
fully that my views are altogether diff
ferent.
Billiards today is not what it should
be, and that is why / feel this way. IT
is about time that the public should know
the true facts in regard to billiards to-
day, for. if they do not find them out
now. they win later
Being young and having a brilliant fu-
ture, l intend to devote my time to ele-
vate billiards TO the standard where il
belongs.
Why should there be in this country at
the present time only two players of cham
picnship calibre, they being Sutton and
billiard rooms that we have, at least six
players of championship class There is
no need of a scarcity of good players If
billiards was given the right attention.
Only Youngster Since Ives.
Although ! say il myself, / have been
the only young player since the time of
Ives that has come to the front and be-
come a champion. In times past | was
discouraged at the way billiards was be-
ing conducted in this country. but / never
gave up hope, for l knew some day be-
fore many years / would be at the top
of the heap. where / am now. / have
my thanks to give my father, who has
always stood behind me and encouraged
me even when things were most disheart-
ening.
would lend their aid to their own cause,
it would be only a question of very
short time when billiards would be as
popular as il was twenty years ago
What can a billiard player make today
conditions stand? Only fair Nv
ing, and you have TO be champion at
that. Twenty years back they had in
this country from six to ten players OF
championship calibre. They all made
small fortunes. and they We're continue
ally kept busy with tournaments and
matches. Why is it today that matches
do not make IL worth while to play?
In the first place, players are mace TO
play one-night matches, which are al
ways unsatisfactory to players and the
puDDC as We'll. Let
get busy and start tournaments and
matches that are more than overnight af-
fairs
Another view in regard to one-night
matches: You put in two months OF hard
practice, and on the night of play you
may be not feeling well, the balls break
badly, your opponent gets in large run.
or dozen different things may occur
which viii cost you the match In a
three or five-night match You can get
started. and during that number of points
TO be played everything will break pref
ty near even.
In order TO excite competition and IN
terest the younger generation; also to
benefit myself financially, } have mad
a cushion made. which even surprised my
self. and il viii surprise the billiard play
e-s of the country. il is cushion that
will always remain the same under all
coHditions-a thing which I often found
fault with in my match plays heretofore
Give the Young players the right en-
coura cement in the way Of cHsnions.
something that will help them IN their
play. and they viii soon improve, and
then viii have some experts
Now, 10 show the public that am