The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-10-08
A MARVEL IN BILLIARDS.

Monsieur Adrian liar, q Frenchman
lately arrived in New York, has astonish-
ed the billiard players Of that city by his
expertness in playing billiards with or
without the cue. His finger play may be
judged from the following, copied from
the New York Sun: At eight o'clock,
NJ. liar and Joe Dion opened game Of
caroms, 300 points, and in less than TWEEN:
ty minutes Joe was the worst beaten ex-
pert that ever leaned over the cloth Of
green. Joe played with the cue, but the
stranger played with his fingers, mainly
the thumb, the foreinger, and the mid
die finger. Joe made 81 and slipped up
on q draw shot. liar made small break
and was followed by Joe with another.
When the Frenchman gave the specta-
tors the first speciman of his wonderful
skill. Up the table and down the table
he sent his ball, counting at every stroke,
until he had scored about 40 when by
coaxing tho red and white into the upper
right hand corner he ran up total score
of 100, amid tumultous applause. Dion's
next effort vas weak one, as was also
liars.
Then Joe made few points, and liar
went on to close the contest. His play
from the start was marvellous. lie made
all kinds of shots with the greatest ease,
showing that whatever could be done
With the cue could be done without
it. Again running the object balls into
corner and keeping them generally
about foot apart, he continued his play.
and without changing his position rolled
up l65, and might easily made ten times
as many had he not been stopped by the
call Of game. The 800 points were made
in the five innings, giving an average Of
60.
At the close Mons. liar gave an cxhi.
bition Of some ofhis fancy shots which
should be seen to be appreciated. Sim
pic caroms and short dray shots, follows
and cushion kisses, and round-thc-table
shots requiring the most accurate calcu.
lation were executed with the slightest
apparent effort. But his unapproachablc
skill was best manifested in the execu-
ton Of shots of a more difficult nature.
He would twist his ball from the lower
end OF the table, take the rcd in the up
per left hand corner and draw it straight
back down to the lower left hand corner
and carom en- the white. He would ca.
rom from the red in the centre Of the ia.
bic, take the cushion at the right, and
draw to the white ball in the right hand
upper corner, lie would chalk figures
upon the cloth and playing on one ball,
would make his ball follow the line ofthe
figure and make the carom upon the other.
Having one bail held at one end Of the
table on the wood work he threw bis ball
into the air and brought the two into con.
tact, his own bail running the full length
| of the rail without even touching the
cushion cloth, as could be told at the
further end Of the room by the sound,
lie next made figure 4 carom with fou,
balls, and the "W' carom, which was a
shot as curious As wonderful.
Arranging ten balls in line parallel
with the cushion, he sent his ball spin
ming down upon the first. 1t took tho
cushion and caught thc,second. Then
driving off to the cushion again it re-
bounded to the third, and so it went dowr
the line, touching first ball and then tho
cushion, until the last ball was touched
The same shot was made with twelve and
aftcrward with fifteen balls.
His ':snakc carom'' was made by run
ming his ball down the table with great
force between lines Of decanters and glass
cs, sixteen in number. Then he made hi.
''Dollymount' stroke with the cue. This
is made by driving the balls twice around
the table from the right hand upper
corner, and bringing them together in thu
lower right hand corner. In their rapit
tour around the table no two balls come
in contact. Mons. LIARS last trick wa:
to drive twelve small balls into the mouth
of wicker bottle held foot above tn
table.