Everyboddy seems tew be gitting crazy over a new game, which haz jist
bin diskovered, called billyards.
It iz played on the top ov a tabel which iz a little longer than it iz
square, and the game seems tew konsist in pushing sum round red bawls
agin sum round white bawls, until they drop into sum little pudding bags
which are hung unto the outside ov the tabel.
It takes 2 men tew play the game, but 4 or 5 can look on.
They take oph their coats, and stand clus up to the tabel, with a short
piece ov a fishpole in their hands, which has a chalk mark onto the end
ov it.
Then one begins, by giving one ov the bawls a punch in the belly, which
sends it agin the next one's belly, and so on, till the other fellows
turn fur punching comes on.
But yu ought tew see the game; it kant be delineated bi words.
One feller generally beats the other feller, and then he pays the
landlord ov the consarn 25 cents fur the privilege ov gitting beat, and
buys sum gin, with lemonade in it, and aul hands drink.
Then 2 more takes holt ov the fishpoles, and they punch fur a spell, and
so it goes on till 2 o'clock in the morning; then each goes hum, having
enjoyed fine exercise, a little drunk perhaps; but the muscles in their
breast are so expanded that they can't ketch the consumption nor the
smaul pox.
_This iz billyards._