The Detroit times., 1913-01-11
Balk Line Game as Played Nov
Makes Pastime Most Scientific
in the Realm or Sport
THERE is ALIMIT 10
SKILL OF EVERY MAN
When He Has Reached That
Limit He Can Go No Farther,
Even With Practice

The growing wave Of popularity
which Is sweeping the country IN
favor OF the ancient game OF billiards
is most gratifying to the followers
who have stuck to this pastims In the
last few years. During this period L
has seen the lowest ebb OF tide lt has
Witnessed since the paimy daYs of
Shaefer.
The first records OF billiards obtain
az lie date back to the year AZ b. G..
whsn It came to be fad Of the reign
ing Pharaoh OF that period From then
on bits of scattering history have been
collected, and in the fourteenth cen-
tury II became common amusement
of the people. II has since grown In
the numbers OF It's following until to-
day II is the foremost of indoor pas
times.
From time to time interest In Il has
Stacked through the advent of some
mushroom pastime which, for the time
beng, attracted the attention u It's
dtvotees
But for all this, the game mas re-
peatedly come back until. with the
| boom OF the last year, IL has obtained
l tnc uiShc IN "hhSh ~ i6AttunJ w
l0lgs.
billiards. as the game is played to-
da. the balk line game, is probably
/ tho most scientific pastime in exist
ence With, OF course, the single cxcep-.
iion or baseball II IS rightfnlly nam-
Ell the gentleman's game.
Unlike any other game In the world.
La man can reach a certain degrce OF
Rskiil which no amount OF practice
Under the sun will enable him 10 SUR
pass This is the reason that mea like
Willie Hoppe have no equals.
| Hoppe Is just a notch ahead cf any
| pIesent-day billiardist handling cue.
Demarest. Morningstar, De Orc and
many others are wonders at the game.
bus fall just a little short OF being on
| the same plane as Hoppe. who himself
has reached the acme OF his skill.
The ordinary man who takes up bill
, nards as the means OF willing away
an idle hour or so OF pastlme. caA find
enough new things to learn about the
game to keep him busy for long
time.
Men who are considered expert In
the art---nine-tenths OF them, at least
have not yet learned the most essen
| tiai lesson OF the entire game, that one
OF standing and holding the cue cor
rectly. BY failing In this they have
| Ilaced upon their skill a Limitation
that is absolutely irrevocable.
Willie Hoppe. before he ever made
/ a single billiard, was tutored by his
1 father for hours at a time until finally
the natural. true position OF shooting
became automatic the moment he
tstepped 70 billiard table.
BY drilling In the primary lesson for
days and months he reached eventu-
ally the position which he now holds.
a position in which his services are
constantly in demand and at yalua-
tlon that brings him handsome year
~ income.
Notwithstanding. other lesser stars,
such as the ex-champion, Calvin De
marest who recently exhibited az
symes' parlors fill engagements with
lucrative returns only slightly smaller
than Hopes
So II finally evolves that the man
who nuts Lis best efforts INTO learning
the game correctly may not only
sharpen his wits, train the eye to ac-
crracv OF vision. but may also be
storing up future dollars for himself
! m a profession that will bring him I'm
contact with the best sporting element
| IN the country.