Year: 1870

Brilliant Game Between Garnier and CyriIie
Diou-Dion the WinBer-(sarnier's Wonder
ful Exhibition.


On Wednesday night the admirers OF billiards
VINO did NOT bcgrudge q dollar per head for
the privilege, assembled In . private rsom at Chris
oConnor's saloon, Union square, to witness o
friendly tilt with the cue between the cele-
prated French player, GARNER, and Cyrille Dion.
Inc announcement that the former would give
an exhloltlon or his wonderful power over
the balls IN the matter Of combinations" that
puzzle the mind OF the unsophiscated, was by no
means the least attraction of the occasion. or
course Phelan. who some people say, was born
with silver billiard ball, ana not silver spoon. In
MS m0uth and who never let's an opportunity pass
by OF seeing his pet game well played, hand,
smiling "childlike and band,n as usual He APP
peared to relish Garnier's mode or doing business
immensely and when he made something extra in
the matter OF combination he poked Billy Mckay
under the ribs In . knowing kind OF way as much
as to say "That's what call billiards. Bllly's
cigar went out half dozen times before the game
between GARNER and Dion had reached the sixth
inning; for he got So interested In the thing that
even Michael could not get word out or him. Gen.
eral Hubbell, too all the way from a0AH


THE LAND OF WOODEN NUTMEGs,


was present and took good to get his chair on
"high level OF the oor SO that he would not loose
sight OF the smalost shot, Gersh evidently thought
that GARNER was not the kind OF man to have in
Connecticut while that champion cue was lying
round loose, with nobody able to handle IL bat hm-
self. However, he did not say any thing about it
even to jocose Billy Brtton who close enough to
the table to get his bran new hat punched with the
end OF the cue several times without knowing it..
Tne fact s Billy don't know much about the game
as he used 10 in days gone by and got enraptured
with the way one END OF Dion's cue knocked the
lie fhn. hn
HIS sympathcs were strongly Dion-ic, he Kept
his seat while the game lasted, and looked blacker
corner.


The game Dion and GARNER played was the Ameri-
can. 1000 points up with four balls. push shot
barred, each carrom counting three. The play was
not brilliant during the first six innings, with the
exception OF one run OF SO which GARNER made at
the start. The Two players fought shy OF one an
other during the first half Of the game, and each
deavorcd 10 make the most OF ..nurseu whenever
he could rather than display his ability roundthe-
table shots. even when the opportunity 10 show or
was favorable. Dion especially had TO 40 this for
e he s %
more than his antagonist but his delberation was
always well rewarded. His mace shsts were


AN ESPECIAL FEATURE OF THE GAME,


and, although he attempted them even where other
good players would have preferred the draw he
never Jailed once. The extraordinary way he
several tunes brought the balls into bunch even
OF carrom. made when they were scattered widely
apart, made old bardlsts feel that they had not
quite yet mastered the science TO perfection. For
instance, with his own bali he once carromed from
MS, MS opponen,s, which was IN the middle Of the
table, TO the dark red against the cushion the ex-
| treme end thence by TWO cushions to the light red


winch was near the right hand corner OF tue head OF
the table, striking them all in such way as
| to bring his opponents and the dark red
! down to where his own ball and the light
red lay side by side. This knack OF getting the balls
! together appeared to be 80 natural to him during
| the game that when he did not get them together
after at least TIVE shots 1t the exception ana OF
the rule OF his general play He, however, made
| some bad misses, as much from becoming q little
| too much excited as from too much confidence In
nlmseameyen MN crack billiard players being mortal
contested one throughout, and Dion, whe kept as
csol as cucumber from beginning to end, made
some splendid shots, and showed that in his gen.
eral play he was quite able to make GARNER
Keep wen to his wsrk to escape very
made naa defeat tea the seventh inning Dion
nursing, and but for "kiss'' might have doubled
Il. & as ne had by skifu management got the
fortune was Garners opportunity, and SO
the latter made good use OF his mace shots
before missing which he did by sheer carelessness


inc play was superb both sides to the end OF the
ship games that have been played in point Of


nr1lliancy OF the general play, Of average


III ana by Dlon s2 as To- Dion nay M we won aaa tho


game BY 1ortyone points the count standing at thu


close-Garnier 959. Dion 1000.


| GARNIER'S COMBINATIONS.


;. GARNER then gave an exhibition OF his "combina


tons" They were wonderful and brought down
| the house." They consisted OF carromlng without
! push from two balls at opposite ends OF the table


over two cues striking the dark red under one cue
hts ball jumping the cues and carromng on the
light red behind the in the corner OF the tab
and many others too numerous to mention. Mis-
mace shots were immense. One OF them was from
one end to the other or the table, touching the same
cushion three or four times He closed the exhibit
sy carromlng from ball on the table to another
placed on the top OF three ale glasses piled one upon
the other and BY placing sixteen balls in one corner
OF the table, and striking each with his separately
Wltnout one pail touching another, getting them In
marked space In the opposite corner at the other
end OF tie table.