The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-06-07
MORNING STAR
MIGHTY CLEVER
Story of One of the Greatest
Players This Game Has
Produced.
FROM INDIANA
Former Champion is Some
Kind of Painter and
Studies Art.
FROM INDIANA
& j. C. Davis.)

Wy D. u. DdNlS.J
Famed as a producer of poets and
having produced Il worlds champion
billiardist in Ora G.. M%orningstar. who
in April. 1909, won the 1872 title i'll IL
tournament at New York from a field
containing George Sutton, George +.
Slosson. Albert Cutler. Louis Cure Of
France. Harry T.. Cline and Calvin
Demarest. He won straight games.
So strong is the artistic Temporal
ment in the Hoosier state that in adj
the worries. the former champion is a
clever painter both in oils and water
colors. He studied art under French
masters for three years INC at present
is a pupil of E. A. Poole. the land
scape painter Of Pittsburgh.
Like Willie Hoppe. George Sutton
and several other champions who
We're born in a billiard atmosphere.
Morningstar had an early introduce
where he was born. November &c,
1874. his father was proprietor of a
hotel in which was located a billiard
and pool room. The boy never was
allowed to enter this room. nut he
peeked through the doors and early
got a liking for the game.
Constructed Own Table.
Few champions in the history Of
the game can boast of having con-
structed their first table. but the
chance came to Morningstar at the
age Of II. when a saloon in the Town
burned. The youngster obtained per-
mission to take from the ruins the
slate bed and some of the rubber from
an old table and with these he started
to build a table in Il woodshed at the
back of his fathers hotel. 1t was 5
feet in length and = IL feet in width.
For cloth he used cotton flannel with
the smooth side up. Three Clipped
balls wree obtained from his father
and there were sent to the Collender
company to be turned down. They
came back round. but reduced con-
siderably in size.
On this crude table Morninsstar
played his first billiards. but when he
took to practicing on the Sabbath
afternoon, his grandmother. who was
! a devout church member. raised OBJ
iections. and the school was closed.
Looking back on those days Ora
thinks the prohibition nov was a
bad one. as instead of playing inno-
cent billiards he went out along the
river bank and learned to play Jack
pots" with the boys of the town.
On his homemade table Ora soon
showed an aptitude for billiards and
it was not long before his father
gave hi mperinission to play in the
room of the hotel. At the age of is
he defeated Henry Myers. of Roch-
ester. for the championship of North
ern Indiana.
Shortly after this he went to Lafay-
cite to conduct a room there. and for
a time practiced regularly with Par
ker A. Byers, then champion of the
Hoosier state. From Byers the young
gave him permission to play in the
of the game. Anxious to see the
champions of the day Ora went to
Chicago to see the memorable match
Ives, in which the wizard won, 1000
TO 1895. having to get 1905 points
on the final night to 500 by Ives.
Morningstar met Tom Gallagher,
then of the leading shortstops Of
the country. and the latter soon rec
ognized that the young player had
great ability. They practiced together
and in this way Morninestar met a
number of the leading players of the
who offered the ambitious youngster
a position in his room at New York.
In Gotham he PLAYED with and watch
ed all the big fellows. At the age of
81 he won the shortstop tournament
there. among the defeated being Tom
Gallagher.
In 1901 Morningstar made his first
essay at worlds championships hon
ors. competing at Madison Square
Garden for the 1871 title. He won
only one game, Sutton being the vic
tim.
Subsequently Ora played a number
of matches in Mexico. where he de-
feated the leading Spanish players.
In 1904 he went to France and for
three years played in the academy
there and studied painting. He re-
turned home stronger in the belief
he could win the worlds champion
ship. but at his first trial at New
York. in 1905. he finished last in the
first tournament Of the second series
for the 1872 title. This was the big
gest honey tournament ever held. the
prize list amounting 10 $3.50. Slos-
son won first one
In January, 1907. Morningstar was
beaten by Sutton. 500 to 472. at Chi
cago. and a year later at New York
Sutton again won. 500 to 300. In
April. 1909. Moringstar realized the
height of his ambition. winning the
title in the tournament at New York.
For business reasons he returned the
emblem to the Brunswick company.
the donors. and for a time retired
from the championship field.