Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1893 — GREAT MEN FOR SPORT. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GREAT MEN FOR SPORT.

PASTIMES OF THE NATION'S v CHIEF EXECUTIVES. Arthur, Harrison and Cleveland w Hunters and Fishermen-Grant's Fasf Horses ( and Jackson’s Cob Pipe—Lincoln Attended Theaters Washington Enjoyed the Chase. Presidential Amusements. Cleveland is probably the most thoroughgoing sportsman that has ever oooupied the Presidential office. At the same time tb« methods of hunting r and fishing which he prefers are not suoh as are regarded with the highest . approbation by experts in the use of rod and gun. He doea not care to cast the l fljr for trout, but prefers to troll for bluefish. Quail, which afford the finest sport In the neighborhood of Washings' ton, have never served as game for him, success with them requiring patient walking and great quickness. He has found it more amusing to shoot ducks from behind a blind in the Chesapeake, or to kill deer with anight light in the Adlrondacks instead of stalking them iby day. President Harrison is a duck hunter. Though a poor shot, he is very fond of the sport, and he also has popped away ,at these water fowls in the Chesapeake. The ducks of that region have been Presidential game ever since the Gov-

ernment began. It is probable that George Washington bagged many a braee of them. In his day eanvasbacks were thick in the Potomac. Subsequent Presidents have mostly taken a shot at them. It will be remembered that Mr. Harrison, three years ago, mistook a pig for a coon in the Virginia

woods And killed the animal. Unfortunately, It was not a wild, but an educated pig, belonging to a colored person in that vicinity, who received payment for it from the club which was entertaining the President as its guest at the time. Mr. Cleveland earned the reputation of being the hardest working President that the ctountry has ever had, accord-

lag to a Washington correspondent in the Globe-Democrat. In that respect he even excelled Mr. Harrison. Nevertheless, during his term at the White House he found time for an occasional •game Of billiards, at which he is quite expert. He is also a particularly good whist player, and puts up a strong game of poker now and then in compaay with a few Intimate friends. He does not care much for driving, which has always been Mr. Harrison’s favorite amusement Mrs. Cleveland used to attend the famous paper-chases whioh amused the society of Washington When she was a bride. Arthur ■ Fisherman. President Arthur was a really scientific fisherman. Sport with rod and reel was his favorite outdoor enjoyment. On one occasion he and Gen. Sheridan went out to the Yellowstone Park to fish, hunt and camp out They got away so far out of reach of the telegraph that the Chief Executive of the nation practically forsook the reins of government tor many days. If anything serious had happened to require action by him, as might very possibly have occurred, it would have been necessary to put scouts *n his trail to hunt him down. Mr. Arthur tried his best to get some fun ,*at of his term of office, bqt he found it very difficult. The President is the hardest-worked man in the United States, and he can hardly take a vacation, without carrying the shop with feist. Wjleo Mr. Cleveland went up into •■fptjßPQi Woods, he still remained to ■ ■

some extent In harness, a line of couriers connecting his camp where he went with the nearest telegraph office. Mr. Arthur was very fond of the theater, especially comedy, because he liked to laugh. Above all things he delighted in giving little stag dinners at the White House, to which he invited the men who talked best and were most congenial. The billiard table on which Mr. Cleveland has played and will play again at the White House was originally purchased for President Garfield. Gen. Garfield had. the present billiard-room in the basement of the Executive Mansion fitted up for that purpose, and he played there a great deal with his most particular friends. He was very fond of all kinds of games. He was a first-rate horseback rider, and held an honorary membership in the Washington BaseBall Club. Before he became President he used to attend the base-ball games regularly. President Hayes was nothing of a sport. In fact, it may fairly be said that he had no amus'ement whatever. He cared nothing for driving, and he was never known to play any games. He was socially disposed, however, and used to receive visitors commonly in the evening together with Mrs. Hayes. Gen. Grant’s favorite game was “Boaston.” He used to play it a great deal with Gen. Van. Vliet and Gen. Rufus Ingalls, the latter formerly Chief Quartermaster of the Army of the Potomac. Both pf these officers are still living and on the retired list. The amusement in which the hero of Appomattox found most pleasure, however, was driving. He was extremely fond of speeding over the road holding the reins of a faster trotter Nearly every afternoon he drove out in a buegy with his fleet mare “Julia." He also owned a dark bay charger named “Cincinnatus,"

and a pair of carriage horses of fine action, “St. Louis” and “Egypt.” The General carried into the White House his army habits of regularity. After breakfast every morning he was accustomed to take a walk, always with his left hand behind him and his right hand holding a lighted cigar. His favorite dishes were rare roast beef and boiled hominy. IJncoln Love 1 Shakspeare. President Lincoln was too seriously and anxiously busy during his tonahcy of tho White House to indulge in many amusements. The favorite occupation of his leisure moments was reading Shakspeare. He went to the theater a good deal, especially enjoying the plays of Shakspeare. His favorite character was Falstaff, and ho-, had a cordial personal liking for James H. Hackett, who was the greatest Falstaff this country ever produced. Their intimacy was broken up by Hackett’s ambition to represent the United States abroad as a Minister Plenipotentiary. Mr. Lincoln did not think it proper to confer this honor upon the actor, and a break in their friendship was the result. That iB the way in which* presidential friendships usually end. A President can hardly venture to indulge an intimacy with anybody, because if he does so the person admitted to,confidence almost invariably demands something which can not be granted. In this respect a President of the United States is most unfortunate. Scarcely any tramp is so entirely friendless as he. Those whose friendship is most desirable shrink from approaching him lest their motives be lniseonstrued, and ho js perpetually surrounded by a crowd of political and other sycophants. It is hardly possible for him to have a real friend. President Pierce was enormously popular. Every day he took a regular constitutional from the White House to the Capitol along Pennsylvania avenue and back, bowing to everybody right

and left. He and his wife paid social visits regularly, quite contrary to usage, to the families of their New Hampshire friends who had clerkships in the departments, and he entertained them as guests. President Harrison the first used to go to market early in the morning two or three times a week, and on one occasion he was caught in the rain,

the result being a cold vthlch caused his death. Mrs. Polk would not allow dancing at the White House when her husband was President. » ......, President Tyler whs a very social man and enjoyed a game of poker for small '? -V<

stakes. He lived very simply at the White House, as if on his plantation, attended by the old family slaves, He always asked visitors to take something from the sideboard in the dining-room, which was garnished with decanters as well as with a bowl of Juleps In summer aud a bowl of egg-nogg in winter. In this sort of hospitaUty he expended nearly all his salary, which was only $25,000. He had one remarkable ex-

perience with a notorious woman named Ann Royall. She edited a paper called the Paul Pry, and made herself so offensive in various ways that she was indicted as a common scold under the old common law, and only by a very narrow squeak escaped immersion by the “ducking stopl. One day she caught Mr. Tyler bathing in the Potomic and succeeded in Interviewing him by sitting on his clothes until he told her what she wanted. This exploit has certainly not been excelled by the doings of any of the modern unterrifled female reporters who contribute so much that is interesting to contemporary journals. Jackson's Cob Pipe. The favorite solace of Andrew Jackson’s leisure was smoking a corn-cob pipe. He declared that no other vehicle for the absorption of tobacco smoke was so sweet and delightful. It is said that his wife also, during her lifetime, was addicted to the corn-cob. As will be remembered he introduced a new order ol things at the White House, disdaining aristocratic refinements and doing away with the elaborate etiquette previously in vogue. His favorite sport was cockfighting, and at home he owned a breed of birds which were regarded as invincible. Some of them he brought to Washington to fight; but, much to his disgust, they were defeated Little is known about the diversions in which James Monroe found recreation. Jefferson sought to escape‘from the anxieties of government by playing the fiddle. Neither he nor Madison was a sport in any sense. John Quincy Adams was the pedestrian President and swimmer. Gen. Washington was in his prime a great sportsman. He was particularly fond of fox hunting, keeping a pack ol hounds from imported stock and several hunters. With these he hunted almost every day. In fact, he lived in all respects as does the typical country gentleman in Virginia at present. The story that Washington once threw a stone across the Potomac was long ago exploded, buch a feat would not have been possible for any man who was not constructed after the pattern of a rifle. The fact seems to be that he did throw a shilling across the Rappahannock. But, whether he did or not, Mr. Depew declares that the greatest exploit of his life was to “throw a crown across the Atlantic."

WASHINGTON AT THE END OF A FOX CHASE.

[?]R. CLEVELAND TROLLING FOR BLUEFISH.

PRESIDENT HARRISON HUNTING DUCKS.

INTERVIEWING PRESIDENT TYLER.

JACKSON'S COB PIPE.