The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-09
HOPPE CLAIMS THE
BILLIARD TITLE
Confident He Can Defeat Any
Man in the World for the
Championship.
CHALLENGES DE ORC
FOR BIG SIDE WAGER
MOrningstar and DemareSt Will
Be Hard Men to Beat in
Match.
BY WILLIE HOPPE.

With the reconstruction of the bill
lard situation due to the clearing away
of the misunderstanding between the
chief promoters of tho gentlemen s
game and two of the leading players,
the prospects for the game IN the fu'
ture seem TO be very bright. 1t can
not be denied that the game as played
without the participation of Morning,
star or myself very much resembled the
tragedy OF Hamlet with the omission
of the Melancholy Dane from the cast.
In the recent tournament, which was
won by Demarest, neither Morningstar
or myself competed, and the victor is
hailed as the champion at 1S.2. Con
ceding that Demarest has improved re-
markably in the past year, still do not
feel that his title is clear or that it wall
be till he has vanquished the winner of
the match between Morningstar and
myself. AS matter of fact, l am in"
clined to feel that tho real champion
at 1872 will be the winner of the 1900
point match in which Morningstar and
myself will be the competitors. If
Mr.. Demarest can take the measure OF
the man who Is the victor In that con-
test, he will be the worlds champion
at 1872 beyond all doubt or question.
While the public is not especially IN
terested in the details of the disagree.
ment between the promoters and play
ers, still it may be stated in q general
way that the dispute related solely to
questions of financial returns to those
interested. The promoters naturally re-
ceive large returns as the result of the
sale of their goods, and this was due in
no snail measure to the publicity de-
rived from the performances of the
experts with the apparatus IN ques-
ton.
No one questions the merits of the ap-
paratus. and by the same token. the ar
tistic skill of the experts cannot be
overlooked. | did not believe that my
skill was receiving proper recognition,
and for that reason ] refrained from
engaging in tournaments and matches.
] make this explanation for the reason
that my attitude in the matter has
been frequently misstated. 1t has been
held that | was a stubborn youngster
with an exaggerated idea of my own
Importance. This was an injustice 10
me, as my objection TO participation In
the tournaments was due entirely to a
disagreement between the promoters
and myself az to the amount Of the
return | should get for my skill.
we nave now reached satisfactory
understanding on that point, and the re.
suit viii be that ! will now actively
engage in tournament and match work.
and put forth my very best efforts in
The interest of the game.
Give Players Chance.
One other point that I insisted on,
was the changing of the conditions of
match games for the titles, so that the
result will not depend on chance, but
Will require both skill and endurance
in the competitors. I have held for
great many years that n match of one
nights play Of 500 points did not fur
nish true test Of the skill of players
and that too much depended on chance
a player of the first rank is ap. 10
clinch victory IN 500point game With
a single run. Witness my record run
of 307 at 1872. How many players
would be able to overcome in 500
point game run OF 3077 The result
would mean that / was successful sim
ply because l. got the balls rolling
well at one point OF the play
But, with the. play heightened to three
nights, and the points increased to 1900,
good performer would, before the
finish, have chance to show whether
he possessed courage and staying ability
and to overcome, if it was in him, even
a lead of 307 points. Another objec-
tion to one night matches is that play
er is so frequently off form on the night
set for the play. Billiard players are
very susceptible to conditions, and if