The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1860-11-28

sY" The following description of bill
lard playing and billiard players is from
the racy pen of "Jennie June" alias Mrs
Croly, now a resident of New York, and
correspondent Of the Sunday Times; Jennie
wields pen of the finest point. Suppos.
ing that no married man of McGregor ever
deceives his wife by pretending business
when he means biliards, we publish the
satire without expecting it to find personal
application at home.
A Game Of Billiards.
Billiards is a game in which many women
are deeply interested. although they don't
know it. They walk Broadway, or any
other thoroughfare, and see BILLIARDS"
in large letters, in front Of elegant saloons,
or perhaps over the doors of cellars from
which the fumes of lager bier, oysters, and
tobacco emanate, and they elevate their
pretty noses, and pass on little dreaming
that the magic word swallowed up the new
cloak which George" could not afford be.
cause business was so dull, and has many
times before inclosed in it's rapacious nav
promised bracelet, and even the shoes
and dresses which the children, little inno-
cents had. to wait for. If a little bird
should whisper that it was billiards, instead
Of business" which sometimes kept
" George" so reluctantly away from his
precious home and ''pets," the indignant
wife would never forgive the insinuation !;
and so, "where ignorance is bliss" etc.
Billiards is said to be very brilliant and
fascinating game, and it may be, although
we cannot see it. At any rate, almost
every house Of any pretensions has now
private billiard table of its own, and many
ladies play, but as yet there are no noted or
very brilliant lady players in New York
The game is played on largc tables covered
with green baize cloth, and with a raised
edge, to prevent the balls from rolling off
Some tables have what they call pockets"
il the corners, which afford some advan-
tagc, but of this really good players disdain
to avail themselves, and therefore the most
scientific" tables have no pockets. The
game is played with four ivory balls, two
red and two white, and a long stick, mount
cd with brass, and leather on the end.
which is called "cue" The operation
consists in showing the balls with the stick
so that they will hit each other in certain
way. When they hit It counts two, or
three, or five, and the numbers are called
points" Sometimes player will reach
upwards of hundred without missing a
shot" but ordinary players are content
with scoring from ten to twenty points.
and then they manage so that balls fly off
without touching, and that is 'mssing a
shot, and they sit down, and the indivi-
j,,1 vho ic ,,loy;pr with kba,r tol.oc
turn. Twenty cents is the cost Of each
game, which it takes about half an hour to
play. Count fifty tables filled in one saloon,
from twelve in the day until twelve at night,
each table paying twenty cents to the pro-
prictor every half hour, and then wonder
| that "business is dull"
Last Thursday evening great game of
billiards came off in Mr.. Phelan's rooms in
Fourteenth street. There had previously
been tournament, in which Mr. Kava-
nagh was victor, and on Thursday evening
Mr.. Kavanagh played a final game with Mr.
Phelan himself, the proprietor Of the esta
blishment, and who is the most noted
player in America. On this occasion ladies
were invited, and a large number were pre-
| sent to witness the game. In fact, it was
arranged that no gentleman could be ad-
mittcd without lady. Raised seats were
arranged on the four sides of the table,
which stood in the midst a man stood
ready to call off the points, and the specta-
tors seemed prepared for something aston
ishing.
The seats were all occupied when we ar
rived, and we had to stand and look over
the other peoples heads. This may have
biassed our judgment, but we did not see
anything particularly brilliant First one
man showed the balls, then the other
sometimes they got them all up in corner
and sometimes they jcrked them all over
the table. As general rule, tn seemed
always to move the wrong ball, and take
the longest and most difficult method of ac-
compliShing a remarkable easy move. -
Sometimes they held the stick straight up
and gave the balls punch, which sent
them flying. Then there was great shout,
and cries Of "Berger!" Other times thy
held the stick across their backs, and lean
| ing over in the most uncomfortable position,
| weuld send the balls off at curious angles.
Then there was more applause, and cries
Of "Bravo Though what they had done
that was very great it was hard to see :
almost anybody could have made the balls
hit twice as often with half the pains.
The game was for 75O points; that is,
they had to make that number of counts
| with the balls. Finally, Mr. Phean reached
749. The game then became interesting
and necks were stretched until they asSum.
ed giratfe-ical proportions to see the last
point made. He made it and missed, that
is to say, he didn't make it; he sat down
Just one short, and Mr. kavanagh had
another chance. Pretty soon he missed
also, and Mr.. Phelan rose and struck out
one, and there was great shout, because
he had won. We went home then, and
thought if that was the great game which
excited so much interest, and which men
consider so extraordinary and wonderful
| why, it was not much after all, although We
noticed President King, of Columbia Col
lcge, and Parks Goodwin quite obsorbed in
| in watching its progress.