The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-02
Mr.. LINCOLN LIKED HANo-sALL.

MR.. LINCOLN LIKED HANO-6ALL'
Playing Games tine Day Before He Wa
Nominatsd For President.
From the New York Sun.
Abraham Lincoln was pa~ssionately
fond of handball. The day before he
was nominated for the presidency he and
q number of friends were INDUCING in q
game against the side Of q brick wall al
the hall park at Springfield, Ill. Edward
w. Cox, Of the Dennison house, Chicago,
says he recollects distinctly the incident
just mentioned. II was to o Cincinnati
Times-Sfar reporter that he told the story
Itappears that Mr.. Cox was travelling
In the west for an oil house. During his
tour he was frequently a passenger on
trains laden with people going and com
ING. from he Chicago convention, which
had been called to nominate n president.
Upon several occasions Mr.. Cox and q
fellow drummer. who vas employed by
an ink house at Zanesville, polled all the
travellers they could reach, and the
greatest enthusiasm was found 10 be for
Mr.. Lincoln, the Illinois lawyer.
Thoroughly convinced that Lincoln
would be the nominee, the pair Of drum
mers took a run down TO Springfield 10
see the coming They found but lit
tie excitement In that city. On asking TO
see Mr.. Lincoln they were told he could
he found the next day, which was the one
before the convention, down at the ball
park playing handball, which appears to
have been his ~favorite pastime. They
visited the park the following day, and
found the man Of destiny busily engaged
in striking a ball against a blank brick
wall, SO that IL would rebound out of reach
of his opponent. There was quite a crowd
sitting round watching the game, and
Mr., Lincoln showed great proficiency at
the game as IL was hen played. He con-
tended that II was n healthy and invigor-
atipg pastime, and he saw no reason why
IL should not become one of the most pop
ular OF American sports.
Among other articles of wearing APP
parel which Mr.. Lincoln had on at the
time were a long-tailed black coat and
an old felt hat, which tended to magnify
his tall and rather ungainly form and
prominent features, and he looked
quantity picturesque as he danced about
hitting the sphere a hard blow and again
'babying" ii SO easily that il was impos-
sible for his antagonist to reach 1t. Mr..
was a tremendously hard
SERVER" but IL was i'm cunning tactics
that he probably displayed his best
form. After finishing successfully an
sat down upon the players bench, and
Il was there that Mr.. Cox was introduced
to the next president of the United States.
Mr.. Lincoln received him cordially.
asked him IL he yer played the game
OF handball, commiserated with him
when Mr.. Cox said he didn't understand
il, and offered to teach him. Mr.. Cox,
who was thinking more of the Chicago
convention than playing handball, said:
"Mr. Lincoln, ! think you will be the
nominee" Mr.. Lincoln laughed and said I;
II think not. i believe those Eastern
chaps will euchre us out of il, but you are
very kind 10 think l will be nominated,
and ! am much Obliged"
After this brief interview n player
happened 10 drop out of the game, and
Mr.. Cox was invited to take a 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 "a while, and Mr.. Lin
coin dis played great skill and strength.
When the game ended Mr.. Lincoln kept
tally for another set of players by notch
ing points on a stick and calling out
the points made by each player in a loud
voice.