Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1892-10-19
RECREATlONS OF GIANTS.
Men of Brains and Their Favorite Amuse-
ments.

| need hardly mention Mr.. Glad
stone-who has not heard of the grand
old mans wood-cutting exploits?
Among famous deyotees of the rod and
line may be noted Walton, Herbert,
Paley and Dryden. the latter quite
celebrated for his fishing parties, says
writer in Hygiene.
Thomas Wharton, author of "The
History of Modern Poetry" was often
to be found drinking in taverns-a
taste he shared with Turner the
painter. Charles Lamb was an admi-
rer of London, and never wearied of
wandering about the streets. Without
London he considered life would
scarcely be worth living: he "would
not exchange the dirtiest drab-fre-
quented alley for Skiddaw and Hell
yellyn."
johnson was another eulogist of the
metropolis, and it was down Fleet
street that he took his daily walk.
which, owing to the series of tasks he
made compulsory on himself, was a
really curious performance. First,
every post required to be touched as
he passed it, next, it was point of
honor to step exactly in the middle of
each paving slab; and, lastly, as he
| approached his destination series of
graduated strides had to be employed
particular foot.
Godolphin, the statesman, spent
much of his spare time in the cockpit
Pope, like William ILL.,, was fond of
landscape gardening. Prior, one of
best minor poets, whiled away his
evenings at low public house in Long
Acre, chatting with an old soldier and
his shrewish helpmate.
Burke, when at his country estate,
Beaconsgeld, transformed himself from
politician into an enthusiastic farmer,
and "the reader | quote from
the work of John Morley-"may smile
as he recognizes the ardor, the ear
nestness, the fervid gravity of the
political speeches in letters which dis
cuss the merits of carrots in fattening
porkers and the precise degree to
which they should be boiled"
Wordsworth, Dickens and Longfel-
low were immense pedestrians Words
worth did the major part of his writing
in the open air; a visitor who called to
see the poets study was shown a small
room, the home of few tattered books.
This" said the servant. "is masters
library. but his study is out of doors.
Dickens liked the sights of London
walk and was also fond of a tramp on
the sea downs.
Carlyle invariably covered several
miles before beginning work, and en-
joyed riding inside an omnibus, while
Victor Hugo preferred the outside.
No weather could detain Buckle from
his fifteen minutes constitutional be-
fore breakfast, and Macauley was like
wise great walker, always accompan.
led, however by volume of some
sort. Shelley used To sail paper boats
on the Serpentine, and took as much
interest as a child in their safety.
Sir Walter SCOTS chief pursuits
were riding and coursing; his dc rs and
he appear in the same piece of sculp-
ture, testifying TO his habits Later
in life he patronized gardening, in
which the American historian, Ban
croft has since borne him company.
Milton sought relaxation in the
companionship of the "pealing organ"
and Byron amused himself by shoot.
ing at piece of money fixed in IA stick
and practsed this more persistently
than he ever did anything else.
OF present celebrities, Mr., Chambe
lain is an amateur horticulturist; Sir
John Lubbock passes the flying mo-
ments in studying his ants and bees
MIR. Black enjoys yachting among
the Hebrides, and many of the nobility
have pronounced fancy for horse
racing. N. \. journal.