Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-10
A oaeAr eAnr con Roxa


Torty Years Ago Peggy was ropsiar
sport An over tho Country.
Tho long list Of fall and winter pas.
times which arc INDUCED In 10y tho
younger people aud tho sporting fra.
tcrniiy contains ono which. although
not 20 universally popular az many
other sports, In many sections Is fast
gaining favor as an interesting outdoor
game, aud that Is "pcggy.n
There are but very few men Of today
who cannot well remember hecountless
number Of broom, hoe and rake han.
dies and wheel spol,cs that were sacri.
feed In thor earlier days for the pur.
sc OF INDUCING In this all absorbing
game.
The game Of today differs In but few
respects from that Of tho middle aged
mans barefooted and Knickerbocker
day.
Tho parnphernalla Of the game years
ago consisted Of a round piece Of hard
wood about live inches In length and
an inch IN diameter, sliarpcncd TO a
blunt point ut both ends, known as
peggy and round stick OF about
two feet Ia length and Of tho same
diameter as the peggy.
The game WINS commenced by cock
Ing tho peggy In a groove In tho
ground, made by pounding the peggy
Into the yielding soil with the stick.
Tie contestant lucky enough to OBJ
tain first ''liclss" strikes the upiurned
point Of the peggy with the stick, caus.
ing 10 to Ny into the mir
he then cndeayorcd to strike the fly.
ing piece Of wood while In motion;
Whonovcrit happened 10 drop, tho snme
operation was repeated until tho player
had three clicks" On the last two,
however, he was not allowed TO cock"
the peggy. but lac must raise Il from
tho ground wherever or in whatever
position Il might bc)
The distance wac then mentally cal.
culatod or moaurol carefully by
strides, aud the opponent was given u
certain number Of leaps TO cover ,lc
distance h.
Should he fall 20 doll IN Tho required
number, 20 many points (that Is, ono
for each leap woro credited to tho
player.
Should Che lcapcr, however, IN tho
contract and cover the distance IA tho
required number Of jumps or loaps,
then tho player had gained nothing by
lis 'licls,' or inning llis opponent
would then tako his turn with tho
stick, md B, on until either contestant
bad occurred a certain numhcrot points,
varying from 100 TO 1000, the iir.t one
to reach the specified number being tho
winner.
Ut tho game Of today tho 'pcrry1
ltsclf is made Of round piece Of hard
wood aud shaped much Ike conc. Il
Is not longer thnn 2i2 inches and o.
nearly ~ wide In diameter
The atlay used is rouud, but iiaticnod
At tho striking end, aud much roaem.
blos thc head end Of IN AK handle
Tho Zip or start, Is mRdo from a llat
rock or picco II marble Tho same
rules and requirements govern ~ In
NAANH AAAlNHs VIVA wv fANfINAlhll OF meas
urius the distance instead Of lcnpiug.
Tie distance covered 10y each player
s. recorded, and tho party securing the
specified number nrt, generally 1000
feet, Is declared tho winner
There Is considerable science brought
Into play In tho game, especially In
raising the peggy Tho ends arc 50
blunt that grcenhom might pound
until lac was tired without raising tho
peggy nn Inch OF the plate.
Then, again. q player quito often
IA striking down fails 10 oven hit the
peggy, Each such failure counts rs n
click" and many times ono contestant
takes an inning aud does not oven stir
the little Joker.
Ono advantage In the game Is that
n many as desire can play, although
not frequently more than two or three
play la the same contest --Boston
Globe.