The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-23
SPORTS OF PRESIDENTS.
TIE sIMILARTAST OF HARRISON
AND CLEVELAND.

the Latter Prefers Fishing-Wash-
tnRson's Experience in Following the
Hounds.
From the NetD York Times.
There is a similarity in hesporting tastes
of the two principal candidates for the
presidency, though Mr.. Cleveland likes
fishing better than shooting; whereas Presi-
dent Harrison prefers shooting TO fishing.
The latter is happiest when he is down on
the Chesapeake, blazing away at canvas
back ducks late in the fall, and there is no
doubt that his success with the shotgun
affords him keener delight than he expert
ences from political affairs. MIR. Cleveland,
however, although he prefers the rod and
line, handles the shotgun and rife OCCASION
ally, and while he was President he had the
delight of eating some venison that his own
rifle had brought down.
In the matter Of game, unQuestionably
the most distinctly presidential biro is the
canVas-back duck, for he has been hunted
now by our Presidents for ninety-two Year,.
His home is the Potomac river and Chesa-
peake bay and he used to be almost literally
4 under the windows of the white house,
waiting to be killed. There are old men in
Washington who in their youth used to go
down on Long Bridge and kill ducks,
aud Long Bridge is hardly more than gun
shot distance from the presidents window.
As time has worn on the ducks have been
crowded farther and farther down the
river, and last year President Harrison had
TO take quite a journey to reach the waters
where the ducks are found.
Turning from the present TO the first
President of the United States it is fair to
assert tibet the latter shot ducks right off
the shores Of Mount Vernon, for they must
have been very plentiful there, but, never
theless, Gen. Washington was never much
a of a sportsman 80 far as the rod and gun
were concerned. He liked the sport of
roughing il and exploring the wilds. but
4 above all he was fond of horses and he
hunted foxes, as the gentlemen or the Old
Dominion used to do in those days. When
he was a young man he followed the hounds
at Greenway court, Lord Fairfax's estate,
living some distance from Mount Vernon,
but later, after his marriage with Mrs.
Gusts had made him probably the richest
man in Virginia, he had hunters and hounds
OF his own.
In his own handwriting are the records Of
O thoroughbred Arabian horse Magnolia,
which he used on the road and in riding
about his estate, aud his hunters were
named Clinking, Valiant, Ajax and Blue,
skin He kept also q register of his hounds
and he named them appropriately. 1t
showed clearly the lover of sport who, like
old Squire Weston, thought the yelping of
pack OF hounds in full cry the sweetest
music in the world, that Washington called
one Of his fox hounds Sweetlips and another
Singer and a third Music. Others were
Il Truelove, Vulcan and Ringwood. They
q met three times week, and Washington's
81 fayorite mount was Blueskin.
There were plenty of foxes in those days,
and there were not many fences, but the
country was Of the toughest description,
and there is every probability that the fox
not infrequently succeeded in getting away.
But there Is good evidence of captures on
many occasions. Here are few extracts
from the diary Of the great man:
Went a-hupting with Jacky GUSTS and
catched fox after three hours chase; found
1t in the creek"
On another day he records:
Mr.. Bryan Fairfax, Mr.. Grayson and
B Phil Alexander came home by sunrise
s. Hunted and eatched fox with these, Lord
d Fairfax, his brother, and Col. Fairfax all
Of whom, with Mr.. Fairfax and Mr.. Wilson
N Of England, dined here"
But here was day when Reynard got
away after keeping them in the saddle half
81 the day.
Hunting again with same company.
Started a fox and run him four hours.
Took the hounds off at night"
A few days after he says:
M 'Rid to Muddy Hole and directed paths
to be cut for fox hunting"
1&H lu6l udu d BCOu result, IOr a rev DAYS
later he ''catched two foxes,n and a week
later makes the following entry:
"Catched fox with bob'd tail and cut
~ ears after seven hours chase, in which
most Of the dogs were wOrsted.n
M This must have been the original fox that
-4Isop wrote his fable about which having
been caught by hunters had it's tail out off
and was returned to the forest, where it
went around insisting that fashionable
foxes no longer wore tails. But Washing
tons fox hunting ceased soon after this, and
he went to Philadelphia to congress, and
then took command Of the army, and it
81 does not appear that he ever had leisure or
inclination to follow the hounds again
Taking jump Of some seventy or eighty
years, we find President Abraham Lincoln,
# never really a sportsman. He shot in his
youth, OF course, hut he never acquired a
taste for genuine sports. His life had been
roo hard a struggle-in the beginning, a
struggle of muscle as well as of mind No
word IS there to show that he ever shot a
duck while he lived in Washington. There
was altogether too much shooting in prog
Tess at that time. When he was a young
man, however, he engaged in some of the
rougher sports and did we'll in them. He
made his first acquaintance with his friend
JACK Armstrong in the wrestling ring at
New Salem, Ill, and had a bout with him,
aud nearly squeezed the life out of Arm
ttrong's body. 1t was after this that he in
uulged in famous cock fight and acted as
referee. The account is worth reproducing:
They formed a ring, and the time having
arrived, Lincoln, with one hand on each hip and
~ squatting position, cried ready" Into the
ring they toss their fowls, Bap's red rooster
along with the rest. But no sooner had the
utIle beauty discovered what to be done
nan ne dropped his tail and ran. The crowd
Sneered, while Bap in disappointment picked
nm up and started away, losing his quarter and
carrying home his dishonored fowl. Once ar
rived at the latter place he threw his pet down
r mtl feeling of Indignation and chagrin. The
llttle Fellow, out of SIGHT of all rivals, mounted
wood pile and proudly flirting out his feath-
- CT wed with all his might Bap looked on
~ us Just, Yes, you little cuss," he exclaimed,
lIeVereltly, you're great on dress parade but
70 worth a - in a fight"
but whatever characteristics of his earlier
LAYS Lincoln retained when he became
resident, it is quite certain that be never
hltended cock fight. He was referee in a
loIher matter entirely, when neither cock
an away.
Johnson, Grant and Hayes were not
#poItsnen to any extent, but Garfield was
qua OF all boyish games. He delighted
noSt In base ball and when he was in con-
IeSS used to be a constant visitor at the ball
rounds, and was, Indeed, an honorary
WuenDer of the old National RoSa 10 CIuh