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Show 8lS TITLE Great Improvement Shown in Match With Morningstar, Averaging ?A J -2. SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT HOPPK LOAFED AT-TIMES Sehaefer Is Considered the Wizard of All Billiard Players. BY WILLIE IIOPPE. The billiard situation cleared very appreciably ap-preciably as a result of the recent matches. Tho victory of Cifnc over Dcmarest, and my success in my match with Morningstar brings mo a little closer to a chance to compete for the 1S.2 title. It Is true that Albert Culler will be CHne's next opponent for the championship, cham-pionship, but my challenge to meet the winner is now in, and I will bo prepared to play the winner of that match. I was a bit apprehensive bcrorc I began be-gan my match with Morningstar as to for some time pant, but I soon found thai the rest inul done mo good and that I had really Improved In form. The fad that I made a grand average of .Tli showed cleat ly tho improvement In m work over the last tournament In which 1 tool; part, when 1 made a grand average av-erage of a tilde over 27. Mr. Morningstar also showed marked Improvement over his form In the tournament tour-nament in which he won the 1S.2 Dtle. at which lime he made a grand average of IS. In lifs match with me he averaged aver-aged 22. I see that T have been accused of loafing loaf-ing in the two first blocks of my match with Morningstar. tho inference) being that I did so with a view of helping the attendance. The fact that 1 ran out the final block of 500 points in ten Innings In-nings for an average of i"0 was the basis of tho accusation. I desire lo go on record rec-ord with the declaration that I played every shot in that match Just as well as I possibly could, and the thought of loafing never entered my head. Tlow foolish I would have been to do any dilatory work In a match with a man like Morningstar, who Is apt to get the balls together at any time and make a run that would put him far In tho lead. 73oes it seem likely that I would jeopardize my chances of winning a match just for the purpose of playing for the gate; As a plain matter of fact, the public has a pretty fair Idea of the capabilities of the playprs and would bo quick to detect any loafing on the part of any of theni. But how can any ope possibly hang a charge of loafing on a player who averages aver-ages over Itl in IfiOO points? How can any one take it for granted that because I averaged rl In one block of 500 points that I must necessarily do approximately approximate-ly cood work In the other two blocks? I played good billiards in the two first nights of the match, but I really did not feel a l my beat till the third night. This is added proof of the correctness of my claim that three nights play Is the only (rue test as between contestants, for there, are. but few players but will have at least one good night In three. Suppose Sup-pose f had made my big average the first night and then fallen off In tho remaining remain-ing two nights? That would have given Morningstar a chance to draw up on me. I 'fail to see where a charge of Jockeying lays against me In that match from any point of view. Players Not Outclassed. Naturally. billiard enthusiasts will make a comparison of the records of the twu matches Cliuc-Demarcst and Morningstar Morn-ingstar and myself. From the fact that my grand average was thirty and one-half, one-half, and Mornlngstar's twenty-two. that of Ollne's was twelve and a fraction, and i uinarcst a irncuon over etcven, tno Impression might he gained that the two latter players are outclassed. That docs not follow. A great deal depends on the conditions under which a match is played, and also, on the form of the players. If a contestant dooa not feel exactly righl It. may affect his average by many points. 1 think that In billiards, bil-liards, more than in any other branch of sport, the work of an expert is apt to be influenced for good or bad by his cn-vironmenls cn-vironmenls and his form. To bring out the best that Is In a man all the conditions condi-tions must lie favorable to him, and a player is seldom fortunate enough to have everything in his favor. In any event, I do not. desire to liold up my superior grand averago as evl-denco evl-denco that I will defeat Cline or any oilier player in tho future. Of course, I am confident of my ability to win the championship back, but that confidence is not bused on averages. While I am convinced that three nights' play In a match for a title is the only fair method of deciding It, and while 1 am desirous of playing only threo nights in all championship contests, con-tests, still, owing lo the peculiar attitude atti-tude of Mr. Sutton, present holder, by default, or the 1S.1 title. I .feel constrained con-strained to meet him in a one-night match of 500 points. It was practically agreed by Mr. Sutton when I challenged that the match would be of threo nights duration, and I posted my forfeit on that understanding. .But Mr. Suiton shifted his attitude and declared that his health would not pe.rmit of him playing more than one night. This was distasteful to me. but as the rules give the holder of a title the right to name the place of play and number of points, providing they he not less than 500. 1 was compelled com-pelled to either accept his dictation in the matter or forego a chance to play for the title. Being very anxious to regain re-gain a championship that 1 originally won from Vlxnaux, the Parisian expert, r decided to waive the point, and will play Mr. Sutton 500 points, one night. In Chicago, on March 1G. The financial conditions, provide that the winner take pII. and this was suggested hy me and finally accepted hy Sutton Sehaefer Great Player. The adjustment of the differences between be-tween the chief promoters of billiards and Morningstar and myself has been nn excellent, thing for this great game, as tho number of matches has already increased in-creased threefold slnco the amicable arrangement ar-rangement of tho dispute. Tho victory of Joromc Keough In his match with Thomas Houston for the pool championship. Is a tribute to the quality of tho Rochester man's persistency. Although Al-though defeated by Meusion. Keough kept pegging away until he finally conciuerod. There should be a fine series of matches for the title at this style of play. Billiard enthuHlasts throughout the world will learn with tho deepest regret of tho serious llness of Jake Sehaefer, the wizard, who is reported to be In the last stages of consumption in Denver, where he went with the. hope of overcoming the dreaded complaint. The game of billiards never had a more dashing, brilliant and sensational performer than Sehaefer. lie executed the most wonderful shots without with-out any apparent effort or study, and with the same freedom from exertion as a mun picking cherries from a dish. When at his best. Sehaefer was a dazzling daz-zling performer, and the spectators of a match in which ho was a contestant, were alwnys assured of something sensational. sen-sational. An opponent of Sehaefer never could feel safo no matter how great a lead he might havo over (he wizard. Sehaefer might start off a game with amateurish play, and get so far behind lie seemed to be hopelessly beaten. Then just when the onlookers began to yawn the wizard would suddenly unlace a. scries of pyro-toehnlcal pyro-toehnlcal plays, each calling for rounds of applause, and hy a big run would take the lead and assure a victory for himself. him-self. Sehaefer has accomplished his great work despite a handicap of ill health and numerous accidents resulting in broken bones. The breaking of his wrist by a fall on the Ice several years ago would have discouraged many players, but Sehaefer performed with all his accustomed accus-tomed brilliancy despite this drawback. There are few players who have not learned something from Scliacfer, and I am proud to count myself among those who have benefited from his skill, If. as feared, he is on his last string, ho will be greatly missed by tho lovers of tho gentlemen's game. |