Mohave County miner., 1890-07-26
LINCOLN LIKED HAND BALL.
Playing tho Day Before He Was
Nominated for President.

Abraham Lincoln was passionatsly
fond Of hand ball. The day before hs
was nominated for the presidency he
and number OF friends were indulg.
ing in a game against the side Of &
brick wall at the ball park at Spring.
field. Ill. Edwin w. Cox OF the Denni.
son house. Chicago. says he rec0llects
distinctly the incident just mentioned q.
1t appears that MIR. Cox was travel.
Ing In the west for an oil house. Dur.
ing his tour he was frequently q pas
senger on trains laden with people GO
ing and coming from the Chicago con.
vention which had been called to nomi-
nate president Upon several occa-
sions MIR. Cox and a fellow drummer,
who was employed by an ink house at
GAINESVILLE, polled all the travele RS
they could reach and the greatest en-
thusiasm was found to be for Mr.. Lin
coin, the Illinois lawyer.
Thoroughly convinced that Lincoln
would be the nominee the pair OF drum
mers took run down TO Springfield TO
see the coming man. They found but
little excitement In that city. On ask
ing TO see Mr.. Lincoln they were told
he could be found the next day. which
was the one before the convention,
down at the ball park playing hand
ball. which appears TO have been his
iavorite pastime. They visited che
park the following day and found the
man OF destiny busily engaged In strik-
ing ball against blank brick wall so
that IL would rebound out OF reach Of
his opponent There was quito a
crowd sitting around watching fhe
game, and MIR. Lincoln showed great
proficiency at the game. as 1t was then
played. He contended that it was
healthy and invigorating pastime and
he saw no reason why it should not be-
come one Of the most popular OF
American sports.
Among other articles OF wearing ap-
parrel which Mr.. Lincoln had on at
the time were long tailed black coat
and an old felt hat, which tended to
magnify his tall and ungainly form
and prominent features, and he looked
quantity picturesque ~ he danced
about hitting the sphere a hard blow
and again "babying" It 80 easily that
it was impossible for his antagonist to
reach il. Mr.. Lincoln was tremed-
ously hard server" but IL was in
cunning tactics that he probably dis
played his best form. After finishing
an unusually spirited
game, Mr.. Lincoln sat down
upon the players bench. and it
was there that Mr. Cox was iu-
troduced TO the next president Of III o
United States. Mr.. Lincoln recei we'd
him cordially. asked him II he cvor
played the game OF hand ball. commits
Grated with him when Mr.. Cox said
he didn't understand il. and offered TO
teach him. Mr. Cox who was thiak-
ing more Of the Chicago convention
than of playing hand bali. said:
'.Mr. Lincoln, believe you will be
the nominee" Mr.. Lincoln laughed
aud said Il think not. / believe those
eastern chaps will euchre us out OF IL,
but you are very kind to think ! will be
and / am much Obliged" 81
After this brief interview a plsyer
happened to drop out OF the game, and
Mr.. Cox was invited to stake n hand"
Mr. Cox did so for he was anxious to |
play with the man whom he was sure
would be nominated for president
The game lasted quite q while. and
Mr. Lincoln displayed great skin and
strength. When the game ended Mr..
Lincoln kept tally for another set oil
players by notching points on q stick
and calling out the points made BY
each player In 0 loud voice. ]