The New York herald., 1921-11-28
SCHAEFER A WONDER
CUE CRITICS AGREE|
Billiard Champion Has No
Weakness-Hitch in Hoppe
Stroke.
By THOMAS J. GALLAGHER.

Charles s. Bigelow of Brooklyn, who
was in Chicago during the recent billiard
tournament for the championship of the
world at q balkline, and attended all
the games, arrived home Friday. In ad-
dition to being billiard enthusiast Mr..
Bigelow is a clever amateur player. a
good judge of billiards and a conserva-
tive gentleman whose views are unprej-
udiced and worthy OF respectful con-
sideration. Asked for information rela-
tive to the victory Of jacob Schafer. the
defeat of William +. Hoppe and tourna-
ment incidents he answered.
1.-THE best player won beyond doubt
and 1t was a popular victory. The play
off Of the tie was great game. After
Schaefer had run 212 Hoppe got within
27 points of him and the situation was
exciting. Then Schaefer got away again
and won by 500 to 346. The averages.
Schaefer, SO 1-3, and Hoppe, 60 1-5, tell
the kind of contest 1t was
"The tournament conditions were per-
feet the table was level, the cloth
was stretched just right-neither too
ture of the hall was so even that only
one set of balls was used in the twenty
two games that were played. At the af-
! ternoon games the attendances were
fair The night games were well at
tended. On each of the last three nights
| the house was packed and five hundred
persons were on the outside unable to
get in. The first day the lights were too
| low, but that was remedied and after
ward the lights were so high that when
| playing masse strokes none Of the play
ers had to have light moved.
Referee Made a Mistake.
Lewis, the referee. was fair man
and a corking referee. believe he
made a mistake when he decided that a
short cushion shot played by Horemans,
| in that players game against Hoppe, did
not count. 1 was in a good position to
see the shot and say it counted. Five
men, who occupied front seats at the end
Of the table where the action took place.
spoke with one accord and said That
shot counted The referee did not change
his decision. Under the rules he couldn't
He was the sole arbiter on all matters
Of fact and his decision was final. His
view of what happened was that the
cue ball did not reach the objective-it
got very close and then fell back. He
made mistake, as any referee is likely
to do.
"The only other unpleasant incident
happened when Hoppe was addressing
the cue ball for a masse stroke. Hoppe
had that halt in his arm that he had in
1912-he had it all through the tourna-
ment He fddled and couldn't let 60.
He did 1t so long that watching him
caused me TO get nervous. Finally, some
81 L., <1a
that he had to vent his agony. He
shouted: Hit IT,! Hoppe hit 1t and
counted. Then the referee adrnonished
spectators to refrain from making re-
marks while player was in the act
Of shooting.
although Hoppe finished some games
well. particularly against Sutton and
Horemans, he had hitch in his stroke
and manifested nervousness in every per-
formance. In the game against Hore-
mans he seemed almost scared to death.
It was the poorest game Of the tourna-
ment. He was so nervous that. between
innings. his hand tremb1ed as it rested
on the arm OF the chair In which he sat
AS for Horemans. he was nervous all
through the tournament and did not
realize expectations or predictions, but
his performances did not change my
opinion Of him as a player.
Praise for CONT.
believe me, young Cont is player.
In action he is the smoothest thing i ever
saw. At the table or in a chair he Is
unconcerned, unconscious of surround
ings. When il Is his turn to play he
goes to the table leisurely, yet promptly,
and when he misses he goes from the
table to n chair without showing any
| trace of emotion. Asked II he was not
nervous when playing Hoppe. he replied !:
No. If he make more points than I, he
win He made n poor showing against
| Morningstar because Morningstar oiled
him to death. That game playing safe
| ty. Morningstar had a picnic
"An innovation with respect to tourna-
ment practice was made. Before each
game the players who were to be op-
ponents had a chance to warm up. The
tournament games were played in the
Elizabethan room of the Congress Hotel.
In back room there was n table as
nearly like the tournament table as
possible. even to the stretching of the
cloth
"Forty-five minutes before eacn game
this table was at the disposal OF the
players who were scheduled for the
next game in the tournament. One
| player was allowed fifteen minutes at
the table. Then the other player had
the table for fifteen minutes Then the
players rested until called to compete
| In the big room. To avoid disputes or
confusion players drew lots to deter
mines who should have the first period
at the practice table,"
Champion Has No Fault.
Speaking of the new champion
Maurice DAILY said: "He is a great
player. His open table play is equal to
any I have ever seen, his masse IS accu-
rate. his draw. the chief essential in
ballxline. Is the best I have ever seen.
while his close work Is mechanical vet
delicate. I have watched him closely
and cannot find a fault In his work.
Excepting that he makes more long
drives than Ives used to do he is re-
rninder of that wonderful player. There
is no respect in which he resembles his
father. He stands about five feet
eleven. while his father was not five
feet six. Besides he is deliberate and
methodical, perhaps IL would be better
to say careful. without being slow.
"Old Jake was marvel. A bunch
OF sinews, he was a contortionist at
billiard table, could reach all over Il.
play all over II with either hand and
never use n bridge. But he was erratic
and apparently careless. AS soon as
balls stopped rolling or before they
stopped he knew what he was going to
do next and had spectators guessing.
He was n flash of dazzling brilliancy.
His conceptions were original---he was
aIuous doing any,ethfpy paw-xyhiIa t,fs