New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-10-09
Billiards.

The New York correspondent of the Charleston
Courier writes:
Monsieur Berger the celebrated French billiard
player is my theme to-day. He is big in every re-
spect-physically, artisticaly iovialiy and social
Y Since his arrival he has been s.oppng Wild wi.a
last week on an American table, but did not feel
at home. He had one of his own tables sent over,
and having had it set up at the request of Phelan
a number Of well-known gentlemen, some who are
good at billiards, but more who are good at
4 scratch = with the pen, were present. F
There were IN all few over one hundred who
attended The limit was to have been 100, but,
of course, there are always few who have been
friendship. This was the case on Saturday night.
Yet there were just enough to make 1t pleasant,
and yet not crowded and noisy. The Frenchman
astonished me. How one so rat Che is almost a
Daniel Lambert) can so gracefully rub against the
cushions of billiard table ast0nished all. His
arms, too, are very short.
In his play he uses heavy cne, say from l6 to
" ounces. He chalks invariably on every shot,
where it is a fancy one, and beforehand describes
or marks out his play with chalk. The table used
ON Saturday night was French carom one, very
low, heavy and small. Before Berger commenced
his splendid display he made speech in French,
and, of course, he said America was great coun-
try, and that Phelan was its chief ornament. We
expected as much.
But when he quit talking, he proceeded to busi-
ness Well without diagrams couldn't give any
one an accurate idea Of what he really did. He
not only astonished me, but he almost took the
breath, and, for that matter, confidence away
from some Of the best players, (professional and
amateur) in this country. l only wish Captain
Rollins, Of the Isabel had been there.
The great points in Monsieur Bergers playing
are delicacy of stroke and confidence in his own
skill. He will describe by chalk marks on the
table what he proposes to do, and he will do it.
Some of his strokes are incredible If not seen.
Running ball certain distance, and then make
it retreat and carom without having touched the
cushion, jumping it on the cushion and running a
certain distance, then coming back on the table
and caroming on the other side are only two OF the
wonderful exhibitions he made on Saturday eve
ming.
ley Kavanagh and the rest were as much aston
ished as the poorest player present. After the
Freedman had finished, Mike Phelan and Joe
| White undertook to play game. / never saw
either play so badly, and both confessed that the
| starch had been taken out of them. After Berger
had concluded his fancy Shots he started run Of
three ball caroms, and easily made &c. and stopped
| then more from inclination than from necessity.
Mons. Berger is accompanied by his son, who
| looks much more like youthful lrishman Che
| greatly resembles John Dean) than he does a
| Frenchman. It is almost painful to see how
closely he watches the play Of Berger pere, 50 ey
IDENTIFY anxious is he that a miss-shot shall not bt
made. Most of the notabilities Of the press wers
| present Saturday evening, including Mr.. Young
4 Of tile Albion; Gen. Wilkes of the Spirit of tn
Fuller, Of the old Mirror the Editor of the Frenc
Courier Des Etais Unis; MIR. Webb, Of the Courie
] and Enquirer, and number of others.
Phelan intends going to Havana this winter. H
will probably sail there direct from here, and tak
Mons. Berger with him. On his return, he wi
probably take Charleston in his way. hope 20
will see the Frenchman, for, as said, he is big an
bully" He and Phelan are to play friend
contest here, but merely for public qualification
J No one who bets on the result will be allowed |
| witness the playing.