San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-12
BILLIARDS HAS HAD
TO BE CHANGED TO
HOLDDOWN MASTERS
Hoppe-Schaefer Mate h
Monday Recalls Deuel.
opment of Cue Game.

New Yorg. March 12.-Masters OF
the cue. Willie Hoppe, champion. and
Jacob Schaeffer. challenger, today
finished preparations for their match
for the worlds 49, balkline billiard
championship, starting Monday night
in the grand ball room of the hotel
Pennsylvania. The match is to be
held in three blocks of 800 points, one
blocl, to be played each night.
1t is said that Hoppe and Schaeffer
have become so adept at the game
that either may run 800 points from
the bank, an unprecedented feat Of
1872 championship play in this coun-
try.
In predicting new records in the
challenge match, veteran billiardists
recite the evolution of the professional
billiard game from straight-rail to 49,
in order to prove that nothing is i'm
possible of accomplishment by the
masters.
Charles c. Peterson. of St. Louis.
noted trick shot expert. and an asso-
ciate of Hoppe. has produced from his
scrap books. for the Associated Press.
the story of the evolution of the game
since the first championship, straight
rail tournament on five by Yen table
was played in the United States, in
New York. June, 1913.
The billiardist GARNER won that
tournament with grand average of
seven. In November Of the same year
the late Jacob Schaefer, father of the
young marvel who meets Hoppe this
weci. lost to George L. SlOsson in Il
championship match. Slosson had d
high run Of ID. The stars soon mas
tered this game. and it was laid away
ON the shelf in 1890 when Schaefcr
defeated McCleery of San Francisco.
5000 TO 10 in a handicap game.
Schaefer counted his 5000 points in
three blocks of 1000. played succeed
ing nights without miss. SehaefcI
had perfected the rail nurse" and ii
was said Of him that he could have
counted for years and years without
a miss if he had had the strength.
So balklinc was invented. The. first
balkline was s inches from the cush-
ions. As the players mastered the
games the lines were extended to 10
l. and II inches. Still it was easy.
Then the ISL game was inaugurated
but did not meet with favor and was
abandoned temporarily. and Ill
adopted. Various sorts of handicaps
were imposed.
Young Hoppe arrived about this
time. Big runs were common 4
noted billiardist named Parker intro
duccd the anchor block. 3 1-2x7 inches
in the anchor spaces. to prevent the
anchor nurse. Peterson then discov-
cred kiss nurse in the anchor ter
ritory showing that the possibilities
OF runs were unlimited. His shot. al
though not permitted in the rules
in that he did not pause between
the counts. caused another change
Peterson made 1000 counts in four
minutes and 81 seconds on his kiss
nurse shot.
Those who heard OF this feat scott
ed Mt it. and Peterson had to exhibit
it several times. Then the anchor
block dimensions were changed to
seven by seven inches. such as is used
today. In the first 1872 balkline
games with the anchor block five
counts We've allowed in anchor
In 1906 in Paris. Hopne won the
ISL balkline championship Of the
world. and returned to the United
States. Then competition for thal
world 49, championship was opened
Jake Schacfer held the title at that
time. Hoppe was out Of the game for
q while and during this time the 49,
title often changed hands.
DeMarest. Schacfer Sutton. Morn
ingstar and Cline holding it alternate
ly.
Soon it fell into the lap of the
youthful Hoppe and he held il until
1921 when young Jake Schaefer took
it from him and successfully defended
it in subsequent challenge match.
Last year Hoppe regained his title.
In the last five years. average and
run records in championship 49,
games have more than doubled.
Peterson predicts that the time
will come when 49, will become so
easy for the stars that another game,
probably on the cushion-c9rom idea.
will no N rnHn.a1