The New York herald., 1921-11-14
BILLIARD TITLE IS
At ISSUE THIS WEEK
Cochran and Cont Open 1872
Balkline Tournament at
Chicago To-day.
BY THOMAS J. GALLAGHER.

Welker Cochran, formerly OF Manson,
Iowa. now a resident of San Francisco,
and Roger Cont of Pau, France, will
Congress Hotel Chicago, play the open
Ing game of the seventh tournament for
the worlds championship at 1S q balk-
line billiards. On following days, until
a schedule Of twenty-one games will have
been completed, three games will be con-
tested. Tuesday afternoon, at l o'clock,
Horemans and Mornlngstar will occupy
the table. At o'clock Schaefer and
Sutton will compete and at 8 o'clock
in the evening Hoppe will be opposed by
the loser of the first game. Thereafter
the policy of the management will be
10, so far as possible, schedule games
in which losers will figure. This will
be done with a view to sustaining inter
est In the series by bringing winners into
competitions in the final games.
The first tournament for the worlds
championship at 1882 was held in Paris
from February Is 10 20, 1898. The par
ticipants We're Maurice Vignaux, Louis
Cure. George 3. Sutton and George +.
Slosson. 1t was promoted by the
Brunswick Bake Collender Company.
Slosson did not win a game. while the
other three tied. VignauX claimed that
the championship should be decided by
the highest grand average, in which re-
spect he had slight margin over Cure
ard Sutton, who insisted that the ties
should be played off. The issue was SUBJ
mtted to a French court, which upheld
Vignaux's contention.
The second tournament of the kind, the
first in America, was held in this city.
April 8 to 81. 1906. Despite his poor
fx. DE-,
previously, Slosson proved the victor.
The other competitors and the order in
which they finished We're Sutton,
Wizard" Schaefer, Hoppe, Cure, Cutler
and Morningstar. The games were 500
points. In one. against Hoppe, Sutton
won in five innings. averaging 100.
The third and fourth similar events.
held In New York in March and No.
vember, 1909. resulted In Morningstar
and Demarest becoming worlds cham
rions. Hoppe who. on March 27. 1908,
won the championship from Sutton and
a few days later surrendered the trophy,
did not compete. Tournaments in 1912
and 1917 were won by Hoppe. In the
1912 event Yamada beat Hoppe in the
only match or tourney contest in which
he has competed since March Is. 1912,
when at the Hotel Astor Sutton won the
18 Il championship from him.
In 1919 an 1920 tournaments for the
national championship were held and
Hoppe won both. The games were short
ened to 800 points and the winners title,
held for one year. was exempt from chal-
lenge.
BENJAMIN r. Bensinger. president oc
the Brunswick -Balke Collender Com
pany. which is promoting the pending
event, was in New York last week and
Ga4 Iy
before his Departure he said Il thinl:
it will be O wonderful tournament i
should be the greatest ever IL the play
ers do anything like whPt they b.av,
done in practice. Much viii depend OF
how the other players will size III
against Hoppe. Anyhow, we have reasol
to expect that the tournament Will b'
grand success. The Chicago clubs
are taking great interest in ii and tn,
house for the first night Is sold out
Club members don't know who Will play
but they will be present at the opening
The great trouble is our seating capacit,
is limited. Although the hall is larg'
enough we will be unable to sc at more
than 500 persons Under the peculiaI
fire laws of Chicago We must hive ais.e
every fifteen feet. Consequently we viii
have almost as much aisle space al
seating space"
Many local billiard enthusiasts ex
press belief that Hoppe viii be under &
greater strain than any of his opponents
Entertaining like opinion Maurice DAILY
says: Hoppe II Seaten wix lose more
than any Of the other players viii
gain. He knows enough about billiards
to appreciate that In f0c point gam,
every other player has n cliatce to bea
him and. for that reason, Is boundd to b'
under a severe strain If ne wins h'
will get no special credit Nearly every
body will say his sue ess was only {
formality. 1 will cay II he comes
through this test lie VIII deserve a 10
nf crndif