The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-12
HOPPE SCHAEFERl MATCH TO DECIDE
 BILLIARD TITLE
Evolution of Game Shows Marked Increase in
 Long Runs

NEW YORK, March 11.-(By the Associated Press. Mas sters of the cue, Willie Hoppe, champion, and Ja- cob Sehaefer, challenger. today fin ished preparation for their match for the worlds 1S.2 balkline billiard title, starting Monday night in the grand ball room of Hotel Pennsyl- vania. The match is to be held in three blocks of 800 points, one block to be played each night
 It is said that Hope and Schaefer have become so adept at the game that either may run 300 points from the bank, an unprecedented feat of 1S2 championship play in this coun- try.
 In predicting new records in the challenge match, veteran billiardists recite the evolution of the profess sional billiard game from straight rail to 1S.2 in order to prove that nothing is impo ssible of accomplish ment by the masters.
 Charles c. Peterson of St. Louis, noted trick shot expert, and an as- sistant of Hoppe, has produced from his scrap books for the Associated Press the story of evolution of the game since the first championship
  table was played in the United States in New York, June, 1873.
 Garnier Won First Meet.
 The billiardist Garnier, won that tournament with a grand average of seven. In November of the same year. the late Jacob Schaefer, father of the young marvel who meets Hoppe this week. lost to George F. ,l,o ,rNi h n a n Slosson had a high run of 45. The stars soon mastered this game. and it was laid away on the shelf in 1890. when Schaefer defeated McClery of San Francisco, 5000 to Is in handi- cap game SchSefer counted his 5000 points in three blocks of 1000, played succeeding nights without a miss. Schaefer had perfected the rail nurse and it was said of him that he could have counted for years and years without miss if he had had the strength.
 So they invented balf line. The first balk line was inches from the cushions As the players mastered the games the lines were extended to 10, 12 and. If inches. Still 1t was easy. Then the 1S.1 game was in- augurated. but did not meet with fa- yor and was abandoned temporarily, and 1401 adopted. Various sorts of handicaps were imposed.
 Young Hoppe arrived about thls time. Big runs were common. A noted billiardist named Parker 1ntro- duced the anchor block, 31ax7 inches in the anchor spaces, to prevent the anchor nurse. Peterson then discov- cred a kiss nurse in the anchor ter ritory showing that the possibilities of runs were unlimited. His shot caused another change. Peterson made 1000 counts in minutes 37 seconds on his kiss nurse shot.
 ScOffed At Feat
 Those who heard of this feat scoffed at it, and Peterson had to ex- hibit it several times. Then the an- chor block dimensions were changed to 7x7 inches such as is used today. In the first 1S.2 balk line games with allowed in anchor.
 II 1906 in Paris, Hoppe won the 1S.1 balk line championship of the world and returned to the United States. Then competition for the world 1S.2 championship was opened Then Jake Schaefer was champion Hoppe was out of the game for awhile. and during this time the 1S.2 title changed hands many times DemareSt, ScnaeIer, outton, MOrnlHS star and Cline held it alternately. Soon it fell into the lap of the youthful Hoppe and he held it until 1921. when young Jake Schaefer took it from him and successfully de ftnded it in a subsequent challenge match. Last year Hoppe regained his title.
 In the last five years, average and run records in championship 1S.s l games have more than doubled. Peterson predicts that the time will come when the 1S.2 will become SC easy for the stars that another game | probably on the cushion -carom idea l will h.. introduced