Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-11-16
ODD CHECKER MATCH
Championship Contest to Be Held
In Kansas City.
THE PURSE WILL Be $1,000.
Winner 10 Be undisputsd Drauslrts
Champion Of Amsriea-Ass and Ex-
psrIoDes Will ss Pittsd Against
Youth and Dissemination.

The most remarkable game Of check
ers ever played in America will be
played in Kansas City beginning Nov.
2. For the first time in history battle
for the draughts championship Of
America will be waged In the west.
The purse VIII be $1,000. and the win
ner WIN be the undisputed checker
champion Of America and a rightful
disputant for the title Of championship
Of the world.
One OF the contestants will be Charles
Francis Barker Of Boston. present hold
eF Of the title, veteran of thousand
battles and author OF numerous check.
er publications. The other VIII be Jo
seph A. Drouillard OF Kansas City, UNI
III recently unheard OF in the draughts
world. Age and experience win be pit
ted against youth and determination.
The fray VIII be witnessed by checker
experts of two continents:
Pique, ambition, rainy Sunday and
the gibes OF farmer boy indirectly led
to this singular match, says the Kan
sas City Star. Twenty five years ago
Drouillard. then sixteen years old, was
country schoolteacher living at Inde-
pendence, Kan. One Sunday he was
maFoOned by rain in farmhouse near
his school. A farmer boy suggested a
game Of draughts, and the schoolmas-
ter accepted. although unfamiliar with
the game. The country boy won easily.
| Then he called IN a younger brother,
who was likewise easily victorious.
"Humphw the older boy calculated.
ut is funny a man can teach school
who hasn't enough brains to play a
game Of checkers"
The gibe ranked. DrouIllard then
and there determined upon revenge.
At the Independence courthouse there
was a checkerboard that was an insti-
| tuition. II was called "the county
board" Democrats and Republicans.
Grand Army men and "Johnnies" from
across the line, Greenbackers and Pro
hlbltlonists forgot their political griey-
ances over It's tessellated surface
Young Drouillard edged in at the SEES
Bions as opportunity offered. In few
weeks he was the superior Of all the
checker devotees.
One day he drove to the home Of the
farmer boy who had rallied at him. He
was not long inducing his host to play.
The victory was signal, Drouillard
won every game.
II have often thought that was the
proudest moment Of my life" he said
afteFward IN relating the incident.
1t was when he was a student at the
State Normal school at Emporla that
he met his next great defeat William
Rees, pipe organ player. won fifteen
consecutive games from him one sun
day afternoon. The young man hung
his head In Encouragement
"Cheer up, joe" his victorious OPP
ponent said. "You are splendid play
er naturally, but you lack technical
knowledge Of the game. Get some
books and study"
Drounlard then bought his first
araughts book. II was "The American
Checker Player" edited by Charles +.
Barker. the man be Is to play for the
championship in November. His sub
sequent thrashing Of Rees was but an
Incident. He had resolved that one
day he would defeat the man who
wrote that book.
From that time he never has been
defeated In match except once
James Reed, the American champion,
defeated him In an informal set-to. In
Informal contests he has met and de-
teated the experts Of many western
cities. Five years ago he came to Kan
sas City, Since then he has won sew
eral formal matches. In November.
1904 he defeated Hugh MacKean Of
Salt Lake City for the western cham
pionshlp by a score OF five games to
three. twelve drawn. Informally he
defeated Barker when the champion
toured the west two years age. He
played q drawn sitting with James
Moir. a brilliant English player, who
once defeated Barker.
The contents Of hundreds OF check
er books are impressed lndellbly upon
Droulllard's memory. Yet his reliance
h rather upon Individual brilllancy
than upon this store Of memoranda.
OF powerful physique he can sit tran
guilty for hours through the most try
ing mental strain.
Checkers Is only a side issue with
Mr. nrouillard. He In manager OF A
plumbing establishment. owner OF a
strawberry farm and manager OF a ]
chess. checkers aud whist club.
Charles Francis Barker. his oppo-
nent. was checker expert when
Drouillard was IN his baby clothes.
At the age Of fifteen Barker played
successfully against ''the herd lad.
de-" Scotiand's famous expert. then
champion % the world. In 1878 he
wen the American championship from
Priest by a score OF Q to .. since then
DO has lost and reEained the cham
pianship three times Twice he has
played drawn matches for the worlds
championship. He Is the only man
who can dispute the title Of worlds
champion with Richard Jordan az
England. In a match between Jor.
dan ard RarkaF IN ISM .,,4sh ..,,.sA +