The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-08-16

of their labor; thus, throwing the mall
was q common game; SO was pitching
quoits," and pushing weights" The
mall came from the carpenters bench,
the ''quoits'' We're horSeshoeS, the weights
any heavy hammers or pieces OF iron they
could find Frequently they made the ar
ticles for their sports from wood, as in
the old English game OF cat, or tip
cat" a piece of wood perhaps two feet
long was sharpened to a point at each
end and then as itslay on the ground was
tipped or struck at one end with sec
ond stick AS it flew into the air the
same player was to knock it as far as pas
sibie. Ii he missed he was "out."
HE CONQUERED THE GANG.
More popular than any of these games
was wrestling, and here Lincoln excelled
all his comrades. Six feet four inches IN
height, Weighing about $50 pounds, hav-
ing unusually long arms and muscles like
iron, he could throw any man or boy who
challenged him to a '.tussle, as they
called IL in southern Indiana. His proWeSS
in wrestling made him the hero and the
boast of all his acquaintances and often
Lincoln found he was obliged TO engage in
''wooling and pulling because of the
vainglorlous boasts of his mate who had
unknown to him pitred him against the
champion of some rival corner or "hol-
low"
At least once in his life his skill in
wrestling served him an excellent turn.
He left Indiana. when q years old and,
going to Illinois, started out for him
Sell. II Work III luS l-Ill6 lOWu VI
New Salem, he settled there. Now, New
Salem was under the despotic rule OF
gang o. young ruftians known as the
CARY Grove boys. For months they
had been the champions of all the country
races, cock fights, and sparring matches
and they were SO jealous of their leader
ship that they promptly drove out any
man who was even rumored to be sport
Dncoln's skill at wrestling soon came to
their ears and they went with their cham
pion to end his fame. Lincoln tried good
naturedly to avoid the bout, but finding
there was no escape took hold of the man
and before he let go had satisfied not on
ly the champion but the entire settlement
OF Clary Grove boys. 1t made his future
in the community for from that day he
had no better friends in Illinois than this
troupe Of young desperadoes.
HIS SKILL AT FIVE BALLS.
A sport of which Lincoln was very fond
all his life was playing ball. The game
Of fives,' or ''handDaJl," as many called
it, was the favorite outdoor diversion in
his time 1t required a high dead wall,
with a black line drawn horizontally
across it ABOUT 20 feet from the ground
and another line near the bottom. In
front Of this wall were two ranks OF men
"a front and rear rank-five men IN each
rank. A man in the front rank would
start the ball, throwing it against the
wall; and as it again rebounded the front
rank had to put it back in the same fash
ion. The process alternated until the ball
fell to the ground or failed to strike the
wall between the black lines. This was a
''hand-nut," and ten handouts" ON either
side decided the game He appeared to en-
joy ii immensely. The game required
well trained eye, quickly responsive nerves
and great agility and strength of muscles;
but although so years old, there was no
Springfield than Mr. Lincoln.
The length of Mr.. Lincoln's arms and
lags made him a very. amusing figure
when throwing a ball, and he rarely failed
n the of his limbs throwing
himself about in the most grotesque at
titudes, seemingly enjoying his own awll-
wardness as much as the spectators.
When bowling he was accustomed to go
through with the same antics. Dr. Busey
of Washington, D. c., one of the few per-
sons living who remember Lincoln during
his one term in Congress in 1S4S, and who,
in fact boarded in the same mess with
him at that time, says: Congressman
Lincoln was very fond of bowling, and
would frequently join others of the mess,
or meet other members in a match game
at the alley of James Casparis, which was
near the boarding house He was a very
awkward bowler, but played the game
with great zeSt and spirit, solely for ex-
ercise and amusement and greatly TO the
entertainment of the other payers and
byStanders by his criticisms and funny
illustrations. He accepted success and de-
feat with like good nature and humor, and
left the alley at the conclusion of the
game without sorrow or disappointment.
When it was known that he was in the
alley there would assemble numbers of
people to witness the fun, which was an
ticipated by those who knew of his fund
of anecdotes and jokes"
The good nature and abandon with
which Lincoln played outdoor games
wherever he was up to the time he be-
came president of the United States
counted largely in his popularity. In
the early days of his political life he
was Stamping the state Of Illinois.
He was accustomed to engage in all
kinds OF contests with the boys and men
of the farms and villages near which he
passed. 1t is said that he once won the
votes of a whole field of harvesters by
SEEING cradle and showing the swath
he could cut. Among the young law
yers of Illinois who were beginning their
practice in the courts where he was one
of the most able and honored members,
he was great favorite. This was due
not only to the cordial way in which
he constantly helped them over their
difficulties, but to the enthusiasm with
waich he took part in their sports. In
Springfield there was for long time a
"back-yard'' which the law Students
used for a ball ground. Lincoln went
there regularly to play with the boys"
Even as late as the winter of 1883 and
1850, few months before he was noni-
mated to the presidency, he frequently
Joined in sports going on at towns where
his lectures took him. Miss Frances E.
Willard, the well known reformer and !
president of the WomanS Christian