Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-02
New Stars for Cue World.

New Stars for Cue World.
This viewpoint may appear pessimistic
Is to professional billiards. but am suf-
ficient of an optimist to believe that the
depression is only temporary and that
from the thousands of devotees of the
game there will arise stars of equal
brightness to those of the past.
A retrospect of the game in general
throws a brighter picture on the screen.
The gentleman's game, as it is SO often
called. now numbers its followers by the
million, and the amateur. taken as a COM
posite player, Is a more capable performer
than ever. From straight rail and 14-2
balk1ine he has advanced to 1s-2, playing
exactly the same game as his profess
siOnal brother.
Keen competition is the keynote to sue
cess in any branch of sport, and when
one man or team outciaSSeS his or It's
competitors public interest begins to de-
cline. Not even wrestling promoter
woald expect a match between whale
and tadpole to draw more than a cor
porars guard. Professional billiards for
the last few years has suffered from
lack of high-class performers and for
this reason the game has lost its hold
on the public to some extent.
Road to Glass Not Easy One.
There is 10 easy road to the masters
class in billiards, as. In addition to nat
ural skill, there must be hours and hours
of patient. drudging toll to produce that
nicely of execution necessary to enter
the charmed championship. circle. The
finished product is the result OF months
of toll, and in this respect the billiardist
* no different from the musician, the
jugGlcr the singer who attains 10 the
stellar heights OF mis- chosen profession.
The closing of the first decade of the
twentieth century found Willie Hoppe o.
New York in possession OF both the ISL
and 49, baikline championships, the first
81 which he won March 16, 1910. by de-
feating me. go to IDS. at Chicago. and
retained by defeating George SloSScn. the
New York veteran. 1,016 to al. early i'll
December last year His 1S-2 title was
n summer acquisition, as he wrested the
honor from Harry Cline of Philadelphia
May -, 1910, at New York, winning $40
TO t3i
Five Held Title in Decade.
Through the last ten years the Isl
title, which has changed hands ten times
has been held by only five men. a fact
which amply demonstrates the difficulties
OF 1he one-shot-in game. l held it four
times. Jake Schaefer twice, George Slos-
son twice. Willie Hoppe twice and Maui
rice VignauN once. Geographically, il ra-
dated between Paris. New York and Chi
caSo.
Schacfer, after winning the honor the
second time. defended IL successfully in
three subsequent matches, while Hoppe
defended Ii twice after his first acQuisi-
ton and once after his second. With the
exception OF the first contest OF the dec
ade. which was siX-handed tourna-
mcnt, and the last, which was a match at
1,OO points, the rest of the title battles
have been at 900 points. In these latter
the best performance recorded was an
average OF 20.Sc,. made by Hoppe January
H.. 1906. when he defeated Maurice Wig
nauX at Paris, 800 to :sSI, and brought the
title back to the United States. Hoppe
also scored second high average, getting
il .,)-:;o. when he defeated me March Iii,
1910. High run was made by Jacob Schae-
fer when he got even century against
me March II, 1907.
In his 1.000-point match again Slosson
last December Hoppe averaged - 32-i4.
with high run of 10. On the first night OF
the match the young Gotham genius COM
pIetely outclassed his fellow citizen, aver
aging 33 1-3. so that the ISL honors OF
the decade belong TO Hoppe.
Few Leaders Care for 1871 Game.
Few Of the leading professionals really
care for the one-shot-in style of billiards.
il being generally conceded that the ISL
game does not permit of the niceties Of
MAY afforded by the two-shots-in rules.
Since its inception In 1908 the world 5