The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-10-17

FRoFEssoRs.
Prom the Rosiza Iabls
Carme has besten Ksvmsoeb Ia.
simple acknowledgements In the INV n.rsrs,-..
morning last week sroused more isierssf 81
ne mind % many 8 yong man than On he
e.ler Items Of ac'rs, whether from Wash
lnstoa' New 0rlesnsi San Francisco. Paris.
q London. TaeFe IS % more ts,suisi,s
i'eiery o. our DAY thdn ihe mania f5r NAV
n billiards, winch has asrelanaa asslf -
ms country within the last I've SIX vrars
IN act the United States can boasi ~ \
greater qaantity eli-tnade billiard tables
4Sa q larger number OF siIlr vsunc men
Nno Wssie yaiHable time over Them, Than
~ e.l1F aatiqn. Nose OF the pleas that
| can oe made for other games VIII sn.f.e ~
this. lt IS not scciaI Ike rsrls. v-b;,b -,
| oe made available for the entertainment III
the home Gree nor IS like chess. whisb
Involves the exercise Of the reasoning fseui-
lies . ooe; Dor Ike temp NJ or gymnastics.
Hu,en leLe % develop the muscles 81 the
-t- ts SIMPLY plaving marbles WITH
,--,As ala Alt otly l1vplres 3 waste II time
snd money ~ j. positively ehndish. Bv
naeanso OF skiiiiul advertising and the adroit
man pqiaiion Of he press, ihis game prom-
i-ea 10 become naturalized IN this country 10
greater extent than in a3v other. Fra.ea
not excepted. And in the nane of IN 49,
= manly and that IS eunobling, we most
earnestly protest Ssainst the devotion which
Is nov paid 70 billiards IN this and other
cities q the Union. Not that there is any 7
tAia8 wrong IN the amusement itself hut
tne associations which are inseparable from !
we praetlee Of it IN public. and the fascin- /
ation which it exercises upon the minds ofI
lis devotees, alike deserve stern rrprabation.
We defy any one 90 enter q billiard saloon /
without beng Impressed BY The vacuiiy and /
slliress which mark the counteuances ofl
me young men who spend their evenings |
there The Peeuliarties OF the game is that \
= calls into exereise uone of The reasoning /
Iaeulues- The talent % requires Is purely /
mechanical ell that is needed f a nd
ment Of distances. ghts. and the force Of
blows. Nor does i appeal o. She ssuti-
IaeAis, slill less p any oi the higher quah-
ties OF manhood. lt draws youpr men
away rom the home circle. and slowly i1,t
surely uproots those attachments which |
have proved the salvation 5f many a rer1on
when pressed by temptation
70 is Singular fact that the men I'm this
coontry who areeminent as billiard PLAYERS.
ana whom our iashiaEahle Young men try
% initiate 80 closely, were originally almost
without exception, poor Irish boys, aud IL
was by the mercst accident that they ZEN
into their present occupatiou. instead afbe-
coming hod-carriers or common dag-lahor-
ers- and We thiuk 10 a m isf1rtune thst
Aessrs. RhelaH. kavauagh. ncerv. Tiaraau
Fox, aud othern0tod billiard -piavers. whose
names viii readily occur b the reader. dii
not become h0d-carfiers OF tinkers. or adors
some other equally useiul ard honorable
ineaus Of support Nesriv every man Of
them was once poos irish hoy Some Of
them setup pms IN bowling others
4
These poor fellows, BY rlsving With eues
and balls when the billeard-tabIes wers not
taken by customers, acquired q aexteritv In
the game, and, In course Of time, were re-
cognized az experts. The talent REQUIRED I
was Of the same kind as is emploved In
steadying hod on the shoulder Or Ia rivst-
ing a boiler. Had intellect been demanded
they would probably never have alta ned
notoriety; but manual dexteritg, involving
the use Of The arms and eyes. they could !
acquire in common with come Of the higher
species ofanimals
Those who have frequented great billiard
matches must have observed the peculiar
Of the so-ca'lcd champions.
The high eheel-bones the stolid features.
The l0w-br look aud cir, betray themselves
% spite Of the fine clothes that thanks b.
The folly Of the public, these meu aru able
b. wear.
''You may daub and beiizen lhs man as
y0d WI,
But tbe s.smp Of the vulsar remains on
hun stiil."
Il is noticeable too, that. with hardly an
exception, All the eminent billiard plsvers
are Irish, with now and then q stray French
adventurer. OF course, IL cannot Be denied
hat some Of these men have eTinced some
business eleverhess- Indeed the champion
lhip matches that are played throughout
he country are gotten Up almost exclusive
y for the benefit Of one particular firm OF
makers. So openly Is this
lone, and TO such an extent is e carried,
hat one Of the members Of this Arm always
one OF she ether OF the contest
lnts and the stipulation Is always inserted
IA the articles Of agreement drawn bfiore-
land, that the game should De PLAYED on e
able Of his manufacture.
n is quite time that our young men were |
'ead a lesson on this matter Of playing
billiards. We are sure that 10 person with ]
good home, 70 which be feels attached,
AN spend night afteT night iu billiard
Gloon withOu. feeling that he has thrown /
ust SO much time away, and outraged the
better feelings Of his nature. 10 d time
hat public opinion be brought 10 bear on
.his Pernicious pfaetice. 10 % probably no
harm for those who can afford the luxury !
81 o billiard table in their own house 10
provide one FOR the amusement Of their boys |
ind girls, Cor the game of itself is no innrs
piErious than eroquet, though NOS half 90
beneficial physically but it should be re-
iarded as positively disgraeeful for q full
.rown man, with o besrd on his face, 10 Be
pending has time and money upon what is
Raly little more shan an elaboration Of the
loyish game Of marbles Public opinion
aust reach the point in relation % this
natter that Il has n regard 70 card playing.
10 man can engage IN ,the latter in public
fithout running the risk Of being taken for
! gambler. And - o person who displays
? public an extraordinary skill in PLAYING |
Billiards should be open 10 the suspicion 81
laving been originally a setter up Of tens
lins ln q boNling alley, OF marker IN
5lne populsr billiard saloon.