, 1896-10-16
RuEE sIseLe,s BILLIARD BALLS
fhey Were Not Ivory or C~eiluloid AND
Were Never Turned.

How does it come that you have red.
the whip salesman of Rufe Eisele, who
keeps the Bsant House at Sloop Creek.
."Tis kinder extraordinary, amt it:'
said Rufe. But somehGS or another
extraordinary things happen down here.
You wouldn't believe it if l told you
that l had them balls afore l had the
table. l bought the table for $40 from
Bart Greenleaf, and he won it at n II file
up to Asbury. That tables with plum
$3.50. and the balls is just a gift Of ma
ture-come by a special act of Provi-
dence, you might say. You never sea
balls just like them before. They amt
ivory. and they amt celluloid. II they
was celluloid, they wouldn't be here
now. They amt this patent pntty COM
position that they make cheap pool balls
of either. Just What they are l amt
prepared to say, and l 'spect that the
nature of the material these We're made
from is changed from what it WAS At
first.
''I'll tell you how l come by 'em. and
You'll learn what extraordinary things
can happen down hercaways. A year
ago the 18th OF June there was u party
of Brooklyn fellows down here, and
they set out for Il good time. They
fetched cards and chips with them and
lowed to play poker until 4 O'Clock in
the morning and hen go fishing. | sot
up with them and took IL hand in the
game. We were setting at that round
table. and it was pushed over in the cor
ner between them windows. Long
about l2 o'clock 1 was mixing drinks
for the crowd, when l heard thunder and
muttcrin and see flashes of lightning.
l told them fellows they'd better move
away from the windows, but they
laughed at me.
"Onc fellow had been winning right
straight along. He had Il big pile of
chips in front of him, and they was i'll
his way. 80 he began stacking them up
according to color and laid 20 of each
kind in stacks side by side on the win
| dow sill. Meanwhile the storm broke
and the lightning played hob around
| the house. The party got kinder scared
and jumped up promptly when l pro-
posed to all to go to the bar and have IA
drink. | was just setting out the glasses
when there was Il swish Of lightning
that turned the whole air blue. l didn't
hear any thunder but l see big balls of
fire dancing rouLd the room, and
Of them hit me tight on the breast and
knocked me down behind the bar. Ev-
cry man in the room was hit plumb in
the gizzard with IL ball of fire and
knocked flat. | don't know how long it
was before we all come to and took our
drinks, but | do know that the storm
had passed. / looked round and was
surprised 10 find that nothing had been
hurt. After the fellows all took their
drinks they wanted to play poker again
and started for the table. There the fell
low that had Won NEST Of the chips put
up n hollcr about them. He said some
body had got 'cm.
81 didn't b'lieve that possible, and 1
told him that the lightning had prob
ably knocked them often the window
sill. Then he looked OIL the floor under
the table and said, 'Idon't see no chips,
but here's a billiard ball., and he picked
Up u red ball. Now l never had u bill
lizard, ball in my house before, and l
thought that he was playing n trick on
rue until one of the other fellows moved
his feet and rolled IL white hall CIT on