, 1861-01-10
Doestick,s on billiards.

Doestieks on Billiards.
The following humorous sketch i from The
N. Berger, the celebrated French player, vho
Is a. much the King Of the Billiard-InbIo =
Paul MOrphy is Emperor Of The ss-Bolrd,
has lately arrived In this country, and = now u
New York, IS the guest Of Mr.. Michael Phsl.D.
His wonderful playing has been the theme q DE
daily papers for ssReIal DAYS. bntu think mona
Of the reporters for the dalies are quits oqr1l q
the task Of describing The miTaenlona Shots q
tho Totund Frenchman, and We have persuaded
our friend Doesticks % give Us bis impressions,
"Ensed hardly iell you that the eams Of ~
liards consists in punching ivory balls about On
big table covered with green cloth, that looks
like half an acre Of meadow land, with an India
rubber fence around Il; that the balls are
punched with long wooden ranFoda with wax
on the end to save the wood, and leather put On
TO save the wax, and chalk put on 70 keep ne
leather from wearing out You take your An.
rod and rub some chalk on the little endi then
you lean over the table; then you squinti then
you lit up your leg |; then you hddlea little Qn
your lelf hand with your Famfod; then you
punch your ball; Il your ball iuns against he
other mans ball. you've dOhs big thing, and
you poke up Q lot Of buttons that are strung on,
a wire. This Is III there Is in the game q Bill
liard$ Anybody can punch billiards. can
and may be you could.
Well berger has eome-the great French
puncher; and, Of course, I've been . 80 him
punch few billiards with Phelan. Phelan ia :
pretty fair punchoF himself, but he can't punch
20 fast as Bcrrer-in fact, b. has 10 give P. q
hundred buttons o. 80, In every game. I've
often played will Phslnn myself but be always
beats me he has private understanding with
the man that pokes the buttons, and when Phe-
Ian punches the balls, the man pokes The buttons
but when punch the balls, nary q button nil
the man poke. So Phelan goes out; bot my
game Is little the best-rin iaet, I've challenged
Phelan 70 play me thousand buttons Tor los
Of nancy, and W offered % keep he game
myself, so as 70 be sure all Is iair Phelant con
spiraey with the men who poke ehb buttons 4
disgraceful thing; Il discouragcs young nlens
and makes them tiink they cant punch billiards
as well as Phelan can. pm bound 70 break +
up. But Berger has outgeneraled Phelan.
Berger has bought over ell Of Phelans button
pokrrs-pays 'em more money than Pholan did,
and now they give Berger Al the buttons.
Hal hal Big thing on Michnel
Well, on Friday, Berger was going 70 DO some
punching, and there was IN the midst bcr-
ger 4 . at man lhe Top Of bis head !. q bald
as . goose egg. and he has got . stomach liEp
three foot celestial giobe-in fhct be Il shaped
~
oIe, IL you'd take his DO on and lie bis heels
10 the back Of his nsck-only eOnt want hin
70 earom ON mel
He brought an his own tools with him from
France table that isn't 80 long BY ftV ftt
As Phean generally makes hiss lol Of balls, aid
ramrods, and everything Room was full. an
anxiousi 10 see the krenchmnn punch and he
Rrsnchman punched, and pretty good punching
il was. He made The balls hop al over iho table.
and generally had three IN The air at ones. Ncl
bryant was there. and Neil isa apFetty good judge
Of billiard punching ldidmy i.Fonie sho. .i,h
great success, jumped my ball OF the tnb|e.
caromed On Mel Bryant and holpd Sin . aplt-
toon.
Phelau said Il was zig thing. % did Ne1
Berger rolled himself round 70 the 60 nel q tho
table. ehalked his rnmrud, and executed nn1y
lick he made his ball run three tlmeg around
the table, on the edge Of lhe cushion, leap "a a
Z sharp angle, carom on Neil Brydn., come back
TO the table, take eighteen cushions, and stop
exactly on the centre spot
Phelan bad Try. He did one Of tho1e simple
shots that ! taught him-she one when ihp eu.
ball takes twenty -one cushions, knocks the haIa
of three Dulchman In the corner. comes tacl.
and stops inside the string. Berger did nql
think much Of that; 20 he took o2 hIs ccal.
rolled up bis sleeves, and put N 4 Tremendous
lick the ball bit Phelnn on the middle vest
button. caromed on Neil Bryant, cane bach 70
ne table AMI took four cushionS went out q lh1
window, gave alage-dritef = black eyo. saIn1
Iack and took cnslriun. cafomsd On Nd1 Blyt
ant, took two cushions, went tHico rounl I1e
block. took q cushion, went out through aIoI1cI
window, and came IN through td6 lkl ggl. took
four cushions. and caromsd on Nell Blynnt, md
all In four minutes without siopping albFu4lh'
or sweahnga hair.
! ! An hands were occupied ios sboui Forty min
utes in reviving Phslan. who had einsed non
berger thcn made his grand -hs p1l
such Tremendous twist on his ball ttat Il took
every cushion on every table IN tho room. c1r.
Omed on Neil Bryant, lodged onk-of lhe vim
dow. Travelled once or tNico up and down Broad
way, ran into shooting gallery, rang he ben
nine timea IN rapid succession, and cane back
% the table, previously executing two brilliant
earoms on Neil Bryant
This concluded the show, e ] soppolsd, but
a got 70 the corner of Broadway and bfoolno
streets, caught sight of Nell BEyani rushing
around the coner. closely pursued b to BIZ
Iiatd.baIls. from which 1 supposs Derg1r must
have done another fancy shot Or two anel )
len. s
But Phelan's conspiracy with tie billiard
markers, all over tho country, Is outrage
He has every one Of them % hr under bis con-
troll that there isn't place IN The United Snll1
where, when play blllArds with Mlehael Pie.
Ian, the marker doesn't count more loF hlip ihpn
Indignantly youFA
porsucEs, ?, q
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