Evening star., 1909-01-31
WORLDS GREATEST
POOL PLAYER
Alfred De Orc Best Player
Game Has Ever
Produced.

Whom do I consider the greatest pool
player? Not very hard question and
one readily answered by % out OF 100
people who are familiar with the game
OF pool said Michael Scanlon. the well
known billiard room keeper one day last
week
My choice is Alfred De Orc. the IA
nous Cuban player who. during his long
career as a player. has never had an
equai-a man noted for his nerve. stroke.
precision in executing n shot, manipuia.
ton In handling the cue ball for position
and his wonderful foresight in picking
out two or three halls ahead has made
him an opponent for the best cue mas
ters the world has ever seen. In all his
big matches he has demonstrated conclu
sively that he has wonderful nerve and IS
never beaten until the last ball has been
pocketed.
DE ORC first broke into the game back
In 1887 I'm St. Louis. Without any pre-
vious experience he competed in a cham
pionship tournament and by defeating
such stars as Albert Frey and James Ma
lone, then noted players. he tied for the
leadership with those two players. Frey.
who held the emblem then. forfeited 10
Malone, who in turn forfeited to De ORC.
Won Title in 1888.
THE Cuban. however. refused to accept
the trophy without battle and returned
It to the donors, who finally induced Ma
lone to accept the defy of the rising
young player. 1t was not however. until
the following year, or TO be exact, lSss
when Malone and De orc crossed cues
and the latter won the match.
AT that time they were playing ~
ball pool, best in thirty-one games aud
when the last game started both men
were on even terms. each having VOL
fifteen games. De Gro. after Malone had
broken the balls. made difficult shot and
pocketed the necessary number without
giving Malone another shot. The victory
gave him the championship and barring
one year in which he did not compete and
three years when he was i'll he has held
the title ever since.
During these twenty years. the longest
period any champion of any line OF sport
has held the title, he has met and ue-
feated all competitors, among them TWO
foreigners, the Swedish champion, Dank-
Gilman, and the great Roberts, Eng lana
pride for fifteen years
His most notable victory occurred In
the championship tournament held In ST.
Louis during the worlds fair. His op-
ponent was Jerome keough, the Buffalo
wonder, and the Cuban needed victory
to tie Keough for first money. This he
did, but only after an exhibition that viii
be remembered by all who saw IT as
true test of the wonderful ability he has
SHOWN at all tlIleS-
outgamed Keough.
"In the final match Keough needed but
Q balls to- win while De Gro was a. be-
hind. BY marvellous speed and great
Judgment he outshot and outgamed
Keough at the finish, winning by three
balls. Since acquiring the title at st.
Louis he has defeated Clearwater. Eby.
Hueston, keough, Stofft, Weston, Shei-
man and several others Of lesser light,
and he remains today where he placed
himself twenty years ago. the king OF
the pool world.
.iDe Orc has always been a very inde-
pendent man in his business dealings ow-
, Ing to the fact that he is a wealthy man:
HIS motto OF "a match well made is hair
won, figures prominently in all his deal
ings with his llow-players, and when a
match is perfected he will never pass up
a bet, but will accept them all, no matter
how large they may be or how often they
are offered.
He Is thoroughly honorable, his word
being his bond, and devotees OF pool can
well be proud of their champion, Alfred
De Oro.