Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-06
BILLIARDS IN PARIS
KILLED BY AVAR|CE
Americans Barred From ACad-
emies and Patronage
Falls Away.
By Willie Hoppe.

American DllI1dTulSIS Will Iotc Wi&i
amusement the complete decadence OF the
Paris academies, which few years ago
enjoyed the utmost prosperity. chieny que
to the presence in them of players from
the United States Recent Information
from the French capital is to the enect
that the academies are in a condition OF
stagnation and that the players VINO re-
ceived as high as 100 francs tS2W 10 loo
francs $500 a night few years ago are
now fortunate to get 10 or 20 francs
night. The result Is that the American
tourists who formerly f1ocked to these re
sorts to see their favorite players now
.tav away, as the few French experts now
in the game there are passe.
This result is due entirely to the 1eai-
o1sy on the part of the French players
who were piqued by the success or sutton,
Morningstar and myself ana the popu
larity we enjoyed. The Frencnmen oe-
rided that Americans must be barred out'
Ard they instigated a city ordinance
which was SO framed that toreisneIS
could not play in the academies Witnoul
the consent of the authorities As II Wa
not the purpose of the authorities TO con-
sort the effect of the ordinance was to
bar out the American players Then tae
French experts gleefully went 10 tne
academies and prepared TO reap the peiie
fit of their scheme. But they We're NUS.
If the American players was gone ana the
public did not care for the exnlpitlohs;
therefore, the ordinance that was framed
to shut out the Americans proved q
boomerang, not only to the academies.
hut 10 the French experts Vignaux, VINO
Is now sixty-four years of age. and cure.
whose health is poor, are tne leauhs
players In the Paris academies al tue
present time
an constantly In receipt OF letters
from billiard enthusiasts asking me WHAT
are the qualities that go TO make up me
successful billiardiSt, ana what Is lie
method of perfecting a good style OF play.
The sI,hiect is a rather large one, but l
will endeayor to answer it to the best OF
my ability. To begin with payer mus.
have natural aptitude. Wnicn means lnd.
one must have a fondness ioI LILO s"I heo
and ambition 10 master IT, Having pc
Tome interested in billiards man or Doy
will naturally try TO learn all the illle
points of the game ana 10 Deeoiiio -
foient in it. In order TO succeed ne must
scn,,ire three requisites. These are per-
feet bridge, speed in execution ana Juos
ment of distance, so as to properly sause
mis- stroke The bridge should nelther De
too long nor too short. but the happy me
dunn, and should De mace Wi'hoo' ~
ness of arm. hand or body
Then comes the stroke, which must pc
free. quality that can only De attaineu
by flexible wrist and arm muscies. Ln -
q
necessary speed, without E1uch 1ausue.
IN the other hand player whose muscles
are not in good condition and who has
cramped stif attitude at tie table ana an
incorrect bridge will tire very soon:
An essential to success as billiaroist
is perfect eyesight A keen eve enables a
p)ayer to calculate on the angies anu aiso
10 nudge of the distance. WEen plase,
is enabled to Judge of the distance SO Wen
as =" graduate his stroke perfectly then
he is in a way TO do well. But even Wneh
a PLAYER possesses all these soou qua.I.ies
he will not succeed unless he taxes eooo
sieen and exercise In the open air are ao-
so,utelv required, and no matter now
much skill a player has he VIII not last
long IL he neglects his heaitn.
The fact that the approaching Low
point match at ls2 balK hne oi.I.tus :,
tween Ora Morningstar and myseil IN
wright's new room in San Francisco mas
caused some adverse comment. ana sew
eral critics have arisen TO INFORM me
that Harry Cline is the preseh. nosu nsth "
present 49, champion, and that neither
Morningstar nor myself hold any utie
whatever 1t is true that Chne is al pres
eut technically the title holder az that
style of play. but | think the pupiic WIN ~.
generally concede that the form shown In
the Pittsburg match between MornlhSstar
and myself was SO superior that there Is
no question as TO the identity or the reai
chanlpion NV grand average or 3lte
against IL by Cline needs little comment
SO far as the intelligent followers OF the
game are concerned. True. Demarest won
in tournament, but the ablest player IN
that Tournament, Sutton was so out OF
form his performance was not within ~
per cent OF his usual gait
=
However, as | have challenge In for
the winner of the Cline-Cutler match. the
question of titles, technical and real, will
an be settled when i meet the winner of
that contest.
Nv excellent friend, Benjamin Garno.
does not seem TO think ] have any ground
for complaint against Sutton for his at
titude in reference to my challenge for
the 1S.l emblem. which is now held by
him through default He says that