Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-01-20
onrl1 CANE foa soYs.
r.,.v Year. Ago "PeEgy" was PoP0'"'
snort All over the Country

Fortv Years Ago Peggy
snort All over the Country
The long list Of fall and winter pas
.,nes which are INDUCED in oy .he
younger people and the sporting Ira-
ternity contains one which aitilousn
not so universally popular as many
other sports, in many sections Is i''9
Gaining favor as an interesting ou'uoo'
game. and that Is peggy.
There are but very few men OF today
who cannot well remember the countless
number of broom, hoe and rake nan
dies and wheel spokes that were sacrl'
eced in their earlier days for the pur
nose of indulging in this all absorbing
game.
The game of today differs in but few
respects from that of the middle ageu
mans barefooted and Knickerbocker
day.
The paraphernalia of the game years
ago consisted of round piece OF hafu
wood about FIVE inches in length ana
an inch in diameter, sharpened to a
blunt point at both ends, known as
peggy, and round stick OF about
two feet in length and OF the same
diameter as the peggy.
The game was commenced by cock
ing" the peggy in a groove IN tne
ground, made by pounding the peggy
into the yielding soil with the stick.
The contestant lucky enough to OBJ
tain first clicks" strikes the upturned
point Of the peggy with the stick, caus-
ing it to fly into the air.
He then endeavored to strike the ny
ing piece of wood while in motion;
whenever it happened to drop, the same
operation was repeated until the player
! had three clicks" I'm the last two,
however. he was not allowed to cock =
the peggy, but he must raise it from
the ground wherever or in whatever
position it might be,)
The distance was then mentally cal
culated or measured carefully by
strides, and the opponent was given a
certain number of leaps to cover the
| distance in.
Should he fail to do it in the required
number, SO many points (that is, one
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 clicks" or inning. His opponent
would then take his turn with the
stick, and so on until either contestant
had secured a certain number OF points
varying from 100 to 1000, the first one
to reach the specified number being thC
| winner.
In the game of today the peggy
itself is made of a round piece of hare
wood and shaped much like cone. Il
is not longer than 2 1-2 inches and il
nearly as wide In diameter.
The stick used is round, but flatteneC
at the striking end, and much resem
bles the head end of an ak handle
The flip, or start, is made from fla
rock or piece of marble. The sam
rules and requirements govern as il
olden times, with the exception of meas
uring the distance instead of leaping.
The distance covered by each playe
is recorded, and the party securing tn
specified number first, generally LOO
feet, is declared the winner.
There is considerable science brough
into play in the game, especially II
raising the peggy. The ends are S
blunt that greenhorn might poun'
until he was tired without raising tn,
peggy" an inch off the plate.
Then, again, a player quite oftel
in striking down fails to even hit tn
peggy. Each such failure counts as
lick, " and many times one contestan
takes an inning and does not even sti
the little joker.
One advantage in the game is tina
as many as desire can play, althougl
not frequently more than two or thre
play in the same contest. -Bostol
Globe.