Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-12-10
THE GAME OF PEGGY.
An Improvement on the Old Game of ape
in the Hole

An Improvement on the Old Game of "Peg
in the Hole"
The long list of fall and winter pas
times which are INDUCED in by the
younger people contains one which al
though not as universally popular as
many other sports, in many sections is
fast gaining favor as an interesting
outdoor game. and that is peggy"
There are but very few men of to-
day who can not well remember the
countless number of broom, hoe and
rake handles and wheel spokes that
were sacrificed in the earlier days for
the purpose of indulging in this allah
sorbing game.
The game of to-day differs in but few
respects from that of the middle-aged
mans barefooted and knickerbocler
day.
The paraphernalia of the game years
ago consisted of a round piece of hard
wood about five inches in length and
an inch in diameter, sharpened to
blunt point at both ends, known as Iiicc
peggy and round stick of about
two feet in length and of the same
diameter as the peggy.
The game was commenced by ''cocls-
ing" the Peggy in a groove in the
ground, made by pounding the peggy
into the yielding soil with the stick.
The contestant lucky enough to OBJ
tain first ''licks'' strikes the upturned
point of the peggy with the stick, caus-
ing it to fly into the air.
He then endeavored to strike the fly
ing piece of wood in motion; whenever
it happened to drop the same operation
was repeated until the player had three
clicks" Qn the last two, however. he
was not allowed to cock the peggy,
but must raise it from the ground
wherever or in whatever position il
might be).
The distance was then mentally cal.
culated or measured carefully in strides,
| and the opponent was given a certain
mum Der of leaps to cover the distance
in.
Should he fail to do it in the required
| number, so many points (that is, ono
| for each leap,) were credited to the
| player.
Should the leaper, however, fill the
contract and cover the distance in the
required number of jumps or leaps,
| then the player had gained nothing by
| his ''licks" or inning. His opponent
| would then take his turn with the stick,
| and so on until either contestant had
secured certain number of points
varying from hundred to thousand,
| the first one to reach the specified num-
Der being the winner.
| In the game of to-day the peggy"
| itself is made of a round piece of hard
| wood and shaped much like cone. 1t
| is not longer than two and one-half
inches, and is nearly as wide in diam
| eter.
The stick used is round, but flattened
at the striking end, and much resem-
bles the head end of an AK handle. The
| flip or start is made from fiat rock or
| piece of marble; the same rules and re-
| quirements govern as in olden times,
with the exception of measuring the
distance instead of leaping.
! The distance covered by each player
| is recorded, and the one securing the
| specified number first, generally one
| thousand feet is declared the winner.
| There is considerable science brought
| into play in the game, especially in
raising the peggy. The ends are SO
blunt that a greenhorn might pound
| until he was tired without raising tn
peggy an inch off the plate.
Then, again, a player quite often in
striking down fails to even hit the
| peggy Each such failure counts as a
lick" and many times one contestant
takes an inning and does not even stir
| the little jOker.-BoSton Globe.