Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-12-03
ALFRED DEORO
POOL CHAMPION
FOR IS YEARS

mightier than either the pen or the
sword Is the opinion Of Alfredo De
Orc, the worlds famous pool and bill.
Hard expert. De q D is the cham
pion of all champion as he has been
the king OF his fave e sport longer
than anybody In any Their line. =
known the length AM readth OF the
country as the foremost pool player,
and. he has been going along, trim
ming all Corners up toAthe present
time, az the age Of SO Years. De Gro
has won over 100000 in purse and
eide bets at pool lnow. styled pocket
biIliards) and three-cnshion billiards.
He is the possessor OF all the emb-
lens ever Offered in competition at
pool except the one Benny Alien re-
Gently captured from him, hut before
long he hopes to reannex that. sss.
De Orc never plays unless he has.
bet on himself. He has such great
confidence in his ability to outplay
all corners that he ID willing to back
himself for any reasonable amount.
but never for the big sums he wager.
ed on himself years ago when his
eyesigiit was keener and his arm
steadier.
Pool Champion for IS Years.
De ORC held the pool title for Is.
years at stretch. the longest period
tilat anybody ever held champion
ship IN any division of sport.
De Orc was once worth tremend-
GUS fortune, and he really was Obliged
TO follow the game of pool, which be
at first took up as q pastiTne, because
he needed the money. At the time of
the Spanish- American war, In 1898, he
was wealthy, but the rayages OF the
conflict and stock market upsets caus-
ed him TO lose every cent he had In
the world.
De Orc was born at Manzanillo,i
Cuba, two score and 10 years ago. He
came To this city when only 10 years
old. and went to a French academy
ip to the COS. After about q year
spent STUDYING the "pariey yous Lam
euage he went to the Pennington
academy, Trenton, N. j, md from
there 70 Paekard's academy ii this
city.
. It was during vacation time when
he returned to Cuba. that he got ac-I
EQuaifted with the game Of pool One
Sunday. when he and his brother were
supposed to 80 to church, they visited
q pool p6rlor. and there HIS brother
showed him how to handle the cue.
When be returned to this country i
De orc came to this city and attend.
ed Packardss Business College. Il was
while attending this Institution that
he became well initiated In the game
CT pool, and night after night he
whiled the hours away playing some
Of hts fellow students
Between 1885, and 1894 De Orc re-
turned To Cuba every year for visits
varying fiufn a week TO six months.
He had lot Of money at this time,
and he frequently spent as much as
$1,000 at 1890 just to visit some city
to take part IN a pool champs nshipsI
for which be never got more than a
$3.50 medal.
De Orc rays he learned how to play
pool only BY constant practice. He
watched everybody who played the
game better than he did, and learned
ROW 10 make tue NdIlOuS sSuOtS,s LIC
even went TO Rudolphe, an old French
teacher. OF this city, in 1879, and took
about 90 lessons, for which he paid
$3.50 FOR an hours instruction.
In January, 1887, De Orc took part
in his first professional pool tourna-
ment, and he Jared so well that he
has stuck to it ever since
In 1889, after b successful tryout,
the first continuous pool tournament
was held. Both De Gro and Frey beat
Malone. but the Cuban lost to Frey.
De Gro then challenged Frey. but be-
iora they we're able to play Frey died.
That was on April 20, 1889. s. 81
In 1880 De Orc was beaten by AL
Powers, but afterward went Is years
without losing the Championship.
De Orc didn't take up the three
cushion billiard game until 1904. when
he made his, debut IN st. Louis. He
won his first championship at this
game In 1908, and has lost only three
championship matches out of II, not
including the match with Carney just
concluded, in that time.