The passing of 16 years has not dimmed the love of Mrs. Ralph Greenleaf for her colorful husband who was the greatest pocket billiard player of his era and. in the opinion of many, of all time.
The petite Amelia, known as “The Princess” when her husband was drawing audiences of thousands by the magic of his cue, is now a dress designer in the 2000 Block of Walnut Street, Philadelphia, where she first met Ralph, was courted by him and married him.
“When he looks down from above and wants to see me he knows I’ll be on Walnut Street,” she said one rainy morning, when I talked to her.
She choose Philadelphia as her permanent home because of the pleasant memories of Ralph, the quaintness of the city and architecture of ancient City Hall which reminds her of a medieval castle.
A former actress the sprightly widow stepped around the main room of her dress shop, making appropriate gestures as she talked,
She told of Ralph’s fondness for Willie Hoppe and how he arranged a nation wide tour for the famous pair when Hoppe expressed a desire to go on the road. She recalled Ralph’s three year appearance on the Keith vaudeville circuit when his skill with the cue was one of the big drawing cards in theaters throughout the land.
“I’ll always believe the glare of the lights in the theater hurt Ralph’s eyes and his future effectiveness.” she said. ”There were the lights turned on the table, the footlights and too many other lights. However, he felt the public wanted to see him and there was the opportunity for thousands more to see him than could see him in a billiard center.
“l had the honor of explaining to the audience the shots that Ralph was about to perform. You must remember that people a generation ago knew less about pocket billiards than they do now. Explanations helped them.”
She also recalled how Ralph met Andrew Ponzi in Philadelphia and tutored him until Ponzi became one of the best, When Ponzi once lost his temper in a match and became persona non grata with the billiard brass it was Ralph who took Ponzi on the road and rebuilt his confidence and his reputation.
“The name Ralph Greenleaf was magic in those days’ said “The Princess.” He drew large crowds everywhere. We met the finest people in all the cities. It was a wonderful life and I have the fondest of memories.
“Many people say I ought to write a book and that is what l plan to do, not only about Ralph’s skill as a player but about our experiences on tour and the people we met,”
She recalled numerous officials of the Brunswick Balke, Co. and their associations with her husband, One time in Chicago she was sitting toward the rear of a room where Ralph was playing and two Brunswick officials were talking about her husband, unaware of her presence.
B.E. Bensinger watched Ralph play for awhile,· turned to his fellow executive and said;
“Greenleaf is class, real, high class.”
“That sums up Ralph in a sentence,” nodded his widow.
“That is the way I remember him and so do the people who knew him and watched him play
Mr. Billiard in the year of 1920, defended his crown three times by three different opponents and battered down all opposition and emerged the Champ of Champions. Custodian of The Pocket Billiard Crown.
Professional Billiards had an off year in 1920, for different reasons. Some of the best billiard minds stated that Mr. Billiard could make so much more money by touring all the large city and states, playing exhibitions with the best they could match against him.
Another group of Billiard Experts claimed that he had grown up and his magic with the cue was so soft and his light touch gave him a control over the cue ball and his position was a marvel of cue greatness. At this particular time, or era, the Cue Star’s most super execution was Huston Allen DeOrro, Remember, the later, was a title holder – Pocket Billiards – 12 years seven times–Three Cushion, 19 Times 12 and 7. The all time south paw was the legend of the times. He showed that magic of his and the handsome Illinoian and the competition back off and crossover to the three cushion competition. I know one star, all my life, and he told me many times that he would play against any and all players except Mr. Billiard.
I asked him why he would not play against Mr. Billiard, and his reply to me was “He is not human, we all miss, but he never misses.” He practically hand cuffs his opponents name plate on the wall. There is always talk in the audience and he loved to needle or out-nerve his opponents, and was at his best when a mistake would loose the game, when each player would need a few balls. For him to do the wrong thing at this time, the margin of error was ZERO….
In the fall of 1920, on October 15th, a lamb from New England, came down to New York City to the New Strand Billiard Academy. The owner was Charlie Klein. The address of the academy was the Strand Theatre Bldg. A sign appeared there….“THE LEGEND THE MAGIC STROKE AND MASTER WITH THAT WHITE BALL WILL PLAY POCKET BILLIARDS.”
Arrangements had been made and completed for Ralph Greenleaf, Champion, to play a week long series of exhibition matches beginning, Sunday continuing through the following Sunday. This is Greenleaf’s first public appearance in this city, this year, on Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday, continuing through the following evening, the champion will play 1000 points match against Everett Ingraham, The Champion of New England. They play Block of 125–5 x 10 table Old Style Balls Afternoon and Evening. Results…Mr. Billiard left him in New York city and on January 10 left on an 18 week tour with Mr. Hoppe and R. Cammefax, C. Peterson, McCourt and Jerome Keogh.
He was called upon to defend his crown three times and each time was successful, defeating Franklin, 125 to 31; Woods, 125 to 53, and Maturo 125 to 43. These games were played in Chicago.
Mr. Billiard On Rampage at The Age of 19 Makes Record Pool Run
Pockets 155 Balls Without a Miss in Tussle with Stone in Match at Danbury
Ralph Greenleaf made a world record high run for pocket billiards in Danbury, Conn., last night when he knocked off 155 balls before he missed a shot. While the run was made on a championship table and under championship conditions, it is unlikely that it will be accepted as a record by the powers that be. It was made in an exhibition game. Greenleaf was playing against Bob Stone, the Connecticut state champion, whom he defeated by a score of 140 to 9. Greenleaf had ten points when he started on this great exhibition. He made 130 and finished the game. The spectators yelled for him to continue and he did so, he made twenty five more balls before he missed.
★★★
It was in the second inning that Greenleaf made his run. The score was 10 to 9 at the time he started his rampage. He found the balls fairly well scattered when he went to bat for the second time and immediately cleaned the table–that is, all but the fifteen ball which he left in perfect position to pocket and make the break at the same time. It was this that featured his playing throughout the record run. Greenleaf invariably left the fifteenth ball so that he could not only drive it into the pocket but could break the bunch at the same time. For a long time Greenleaf had been recognized as one of the best shot makers in the game. His safety play is usually poor because he pays so little attention to it.
★★★
As a result of this run Greenleaf undoubtedly will be one of the favorites in the national pocket billiard championship tournament to be held in Philadelphia beginning on Dec. 1. He has been showing excellent form recently and, unless he suffers an attack of nerves, he should be one of the strongest players in the title tourney.
★★★
Greenleaf recently won the professional exhibition tournament in Brooklyn by winning three and losing one of his games. He defeated Joseph Coconanon, another entrant in the championship event and Louis Krueter and Larry Stoutenburgh, two prospective competitors. Those who have seen him in his recent work are unanimous in declaring him one of the best players this style of billiards has known since the days of Tom Huston and Alfredo deOro, when they were at their best.
