The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-29
A BILLIARD BOOM IN PARIS.
GEORGE SLOSsON DESCRIBES THE
DOINGS OF THE CUE NAS7ERS.

| for America This Hcnr-Thc Nv 'r.Scbnc.
| fer Championship Drndtook-Go-sip.
| BillardIst George f. Sosson, who is fond OF
| letter writing and reading history when not
| playing billiards. has sent to THE Sun an ami
mated report Of tho lively doings in billiard
circles in Paris. giving his opinion OF the rela-
| tive merits OF the French stars. and of the dis
| pute between Schaefer and Ives oScrthe match
| for the worlds championship emblem. lie be-
gins his letter with the first detailed descrip-
ton yet published in this country OF the bill
| Hard playing at tha Folies Bergerc Garden.
the manager OF which engaged Champion
Ives and himself to play there for olght weeks
| with the French stars. He says:
| Tho theatre proper ut the Foics BergHre Ia
| now closed to be reoncned in September. Dur
| ing the interim tho manager has erected In
| q section OF tho big pluyhousea series of seats
| in amphtheatre STYLE which are capable Of
| accommodating about 800 persons. The seats
| arc cushioned. and are occupied nightly by an
| orderly and enthusiastic assemblage. In the
the centre of the amphitheatre. fully ten feet
from the nearest row Of seats stands n 5 by
10 billiard table. The floor is carrcted, and
from a gallery above on either side OF the
table. ut least IA hundred men can view the
games.
The playing begins ut 3 o'clock every after
noon with the corner game this was de-
scribcd in THE Sun recently which lasts
nbout two or three minutes This is played
for an hour. Then an announcement is
made that there will DO n game Of three
cushion calroms OF twelve or fifteen points up
or cushion carroms. fifty or ono hundred
points up. or balk- billiards. which game
is never more than 300 points up. and gencr-
lilly consists of 300 points. odds being con-
coded according to the rating OF tho contest
ants. lyes is generally obliged to con-
n:S GH1 II sAt II vc 900 F f nGrtoe or
T"nrnil refusing odds, lle dishains odds.
q game played with Ives. In this game TO win
he had to average !ity-sover. Following the
gamc. About 8 o'clock III" corner game is
tnken ND again and continues until o'clock.
Then tnc playin. stops and the crowd dis
AT o'clock tho corner game begins
9 t and al 10 o'clock there is set match Of
nights entertainment winding up with tho
Corner. game which lasts until O'Clock in
o, The . system Of PLAYING Is nesu!iar From
end OF tho table holding. small books and not
In, T., down each mans bet, taking his initials
player tlinn on another tho last hettors are
compelled to take down their bets, ora portion
| PLAYER balance exactly. AS soon AS the game
| Is finished tho money is paid to the winner.
th ss ws1ty per cent Thsn IioYs tgt.
done 10y Frenchmen the Americans and Eng
me n, not caring to pay the twenty per rcnt:
500 a day. OF this amount Fournil
the rest going to tn" Proprietor: who
pays all the other expenses; including The sal,
| 500 Il day together Another source of in
come for the Irorrietor il in drinks. livery
| at least ono drink, which costs 20 cents. This
is in place of any ADM ,sion fec. There IS u
great income derived from this, and the fo'ics
! Eeigtrt il conveniently situated.
| . Among tn" French professionals engaged
there are Cure. Gay. and Fournil. The last
France. NiGnAux excepted. At times he plays
a yer. strong game. hut he Is quito unreliable.
ever Saw hit p e is 81 years years DID, and
weighs about !Oponnds. Gay is about A.
years old is popular. and speaks English very
Year Ss Ii t Rt% sa Si"y all %ess
prohatly 225 pounds.
POLES EEr.rg~re. md will probably seat 200 per-
s nsa sn"uA BIT for the sP, are" r Of
jealousy between the two places some mag
niIicrnt matches could be arranged. You re-
seems the tables used were ) bv 10. but tho
SIZE VI lut al'S. lilS "a DtlHE - lututS,
| were 1 Ii. Il sizc larger besides Icing light
AMI well seasoned and very easy t. draw.
they looked like pumpkins 70 me when first
came here
u had PLAYED hut few times when it was
evident that big runs could DO made. due not
| balls Fortunately had brought with mo II
pair Of calllmrs and a rule, and also the 3.
fcu!ty convinced thu French professors at
| the toins Ecrg"ic that the balls were too
large. Even Ives Cor IL whle was loath to be-
lInC ia flltsn In
hnv" been used -ncr. At first they looked
oo natural .Fn: " %n aey very TSs rood
game viii them Aayrg lyes J i"r an .oDponent.
Int the n" nnS Of ar IRIS is s nvpi inc
mensc for making ivory elastic. believe that
.iEnaMX At his a"nd%my uses balls =. inches
nsei in my room in New YORK. Evdeniy the
cushions i'll lars are set Tor the 7-lG-inch
~ 1t is difficult. to say what player. next to
Fourni should come together ] think |
should prefer Plot at cthc; bal limo or cush-
ion carroms agnns the other two. AS all the
French players ar" max ING lots ~ money in
Paris it Will u" next I" in!po- sihle to get any
| OF Thorn to come To America this tail or winter.
You doubtless know by this time that there
is n hitch IN the arrangements for the cham
2nshH ma Tw r h. Ives "m1 S"hae'Hr
Berg1rc Theatre !ur July 70 for the mitch
| and So announced IN tho newspapers. Schae.
for refused To IiaV t."re undcr any ci.ciIm.
stances. and 4-oted uI.on the match being
played NJ the Nouvrau Cirque. ad Joining Wig.
nnuN's academy. In the absence Of any rule
Gu\rrrin. tic nlnitcr. nnd not being ahln to
mutually agree aron n place. Ives insists that
tiIo match shall BE played at tho Folics Der.
garo Theatre, III admirable place tor The
match, ~ dnHit. Schacfcr. as ! said i"foro
viii not listen to this. and has arcady laid
claim Ia the emblem on tho ground that Ives
names iul, 20 instead OF July u. which Is
s!Xty-aiX instead of sixty days after tho Lac,
| match in Chicago was played.
| " But n the rn!a says that the game may lac
| plnvnh within sixty DAYS instead of must J.,
| played, it seems to nc that Schnrfor's claim is
absurd. 10 not think the match will tax,
lace. roh players arc, IN good form II they
were to mrrt | rather think ! should lanry
Ives side to 'c, n. Ives has thn, far ,r"g
u shrewl ynun. fellow. and has won /, grra,
many admirers What the ursho, Of Tho Who'll,
matter will be do not know tut do moi -.
how schacfer ran hope to get the omnI"n b,
claiming il in nd vance. not only Of tho tim,
set for the match. hut also more than ten day,
before the last $40 Of tho stake On each sid,
| hus been posted.
Robert GocIers Nrw Steam Launc'.
| La,