Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-09
RALPH 'GkEtNLEAF
TOURING COUNTRY
Pocket Billiard Champion, With
Hoppe, Cannefax and Their
Partners, in Exhibitions.

Ralph Greonleaf OF Wilmington, who
proved himself the champion pocket
biliardist of the country, taking the utfc
at the match recently played IN Phiia-
dclphia. in which he finished without los
ing n game. and demonstrated his wonder
fIl skill with the cue, has just begun n
four Of the country with Willie Hoppe, the
balklinc champion at billiards, and Robert
Cannefax. holder of the three-c'rhIon
championship.
The tour of the experts and their part
ners will continue well into May and VIII
carry them to every city of Importance on
the North American continent.
During the current season all three oil
these players established undlsputed righA
to their respective Championships: III
tournaments at the three styles OF pay
in which they were opposed by leadihg
opponents of Che cue, Hoppe, ,afi'eiaN
and Grcenleaf battered down All oppos'
ton and emerged the professional cham
pions,
The terms under which the to'Irna,
mrnts were staged stipulated that all
three winners should go on tins tour.
Those in n position 10 know estimate that
Uoppe as a result Of this tour, the caSh
prise that went with the title and ms
annuity. will clean up in the neighborhood
of S25 900 this year, and tIrcenieal anu
Cannefax about Sl0,Oo0 each
Starting with the balklIne tournament
IN New York in October, continuing
through the threc-c,lshion event in ieVe-
and and concluding with the pocket
| ilhard clash in Philadelphia, billiards
was treated to something unique. Never
before had three champions been deimlte-
lv established in this manner IN SO snort
hnace of time. 1t was just what the sport
needed Championship inactivity mad
bacn ono of the big drawbacks IN com
pctitivt billiards for some time AZ least
two o( the championships had iapsed
under the terms Of the deeds nt gu,
governing the trophies The balksIne ana
pocket billiard thrones were ocr.ipcd
hv mon who had complied With All re.
G,ircmcnts and had successfully defended
their TITLES Tor the necessary period 81
time In other words, they were the ont
right owners OF the emblems and no longer
could bc compelled to defend their Titles
or accept challenges IN the VISUAL PROCEDURE
For this reason il was dcierUlncd 10 hoid
the series of tournaments.
Immediately following the event IN
PhiladcIphia arrangements for the Ing
toltr w,r, lsuln in earnest, and the three
champions and their PLAYING partners
are ready to begin their long trlp this week
Teamed ulth Willie Hoppe Is Charley
1 Peterson Of st. Louis II Was Peterson who
refereed All 81 the matches in all three
4 rhampionship tournaments iio IS . halk,
line filllardlst ii ability and Is conceded
IA 81 one of the most expert fancy shot
makers in the sport Not only viii nc
\ pIav matches against the champion, but he
\ Mi give exhibitions oi fancy shotmaklng
I immediately following each match.
Canncfax viii have Charles Met 0o1lrt
/ If Cleveland AZ a partner. It was Nc
Court who pressed CanncfaN 50 closely IN
tho thrce-c,lShion ,itlc event and was the
only PLAYER who defeated the champion IN
the tourney McCulrt was the r'lnner-lp
and ior time It appeared he might WIN
the title. He Is thrcc-cushlon PLAYER oi
recognized merit and III of the matches
between these two piaXgrs should st
honest-to-g goodness battles and real tests
of skill al the angle game
Accompanying Grcenieaf will oe Jerome
k,orh If Rochester five times pocket
hlj!i4r! champion Il was keogh and
Bcnnie Allen u Kansas City who fought
Il ont for second place in the QlaheF lty
/ tourney Alien tiualy winning the honor