The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-02-11

There Is no other game which de
mands rs steady a nerve, as clear an
eye, as unerring a Judgment as that
Of the cue aud the ivory balls. AZ
the same time there Is uo other branch
Of sport that is less crowded and of
fers so liberal remuneration Ia Its
professional followers Can O. II be
that this Is due 10 the fact that 50
few are willing 10 make the sacrifices
demanded OF the billiard expert?
Just at present billiards Is more In
favor than ever before This appears
To he due chiefly to the advent Of the
younger element In the game. The
worlds titles are held by mere boy
and Youngsters who vet lack years Of
reaching their majority are already
In the field after the houors now held
by Willie Hoppe
II has not been 50 very long ago
that billiards was frowned upon by
well-meaning parents and denounced
by clergymen That time is In wide
contrast TO the present time when the
younger element is not only urged 20
play the game but many thousands Of
homes IN this country are provided
with smuller-thun.re regulation tables
where the children Of the households
are taugh the first principles of this
fascinating pastime Billiard tables
and bowling alleys are now an import
ant part of the equipment uf hundreds
Of church clubs.
Game Not FrOwned IDOn.
Aud the reason for the change Is
that the home aud the church have
come to look upon this game as II
kind Of moral uplift for the youth. To
play good billiards one must be In
splendid condition, physically and
mentally A shaky hand cannot hold
cne, blurred eye cannot see the
ball clOuded brain cannot find the
proper angle for the difficult shot
( The tOpn0tchers In billiards are few
You almost can name them on the
fingers Of one hand Hoppe, Demarcst,
sutton, Cline, Cochran. Cutler, Schaef
or, lamada, MOrningstAr and Cation.
Each has made or IL making fortune
with his cue. There is plenty Of room
for the expert IN billiards. especially
ut the top.
The reason Is not deeply hidden. Bill.
lizards is not an easy game In which
to herome proficient II takes time
and patience and practice to play well
and one must possess Il natural skill
In order to become real expert, al
though there are some who have sue
ceeded by keeping eyerlasiingly at It.
II is the difficulty Of mastering the
game which has kept It's ranks Of ex-
perts so thin. for II Is human nature
to bend ones energies along the lines
Of least resistance
And vet while all this is true, per
haps more people play billiards than
any other one game requiring SIKH and
physical exertion There ARE innumer.
able players among the business class.
~ who never indulge In other games
These lack the time or money for golf
or polo the opportunity Tor baseball
or tennis or the inclination fur track
and field athletics
Golfer Also Plays Billiards
Hut the golfer aud the pololst plays
billiards. the baseball star plays hiI
llOrds and so does the fan and the
college athlete. In fact almost every
body Is more or less Of billiard play
er hut there are not many experts
Yet II would he hard thing To nam,
all Of the baseball stars, the tennis
stars. or the golf stars.
With all Of the recently added In
terest In billiards there has been hu
little increase In the ranks OF the pro
fcsslonals There IL quite tlffereuc,
In playing the game simply for temper
AIRY amusement and playing with N,
object ~ becoming an expert, Just nj
IN golf and baseball. Billiard star
develop like baseball stars, from lon
practice and foundation Of naturn
ability, Except In billiards the star
} Ore fewer because the game IN NOR
difficult and more exactlng. And
p Is the clean living that makes the hlI
/ Hard star, more certainly than in an
a other branch Of sport.
y While Hoppe's exemplary habits hay
I gone long ways towards winning 70
him every honor worth having an