The times., 1899-04-09
WHITE HOUSE GAMES.
An Old-Time Scandal Over Chess and
billiards.

HiIiinrds.
Life at the White House in the good
old days during the early part OF the CEN
tury was not one-haif so careless and un-
trammeled as antiquarians would have
moderns believe While the Presidents
who occupied the Executive Manson dur
ing the romantic period between 1seG and
1910 were not subjected to the tiresome
round OF receptions and displayed -p3mp
customary in recent years. vet the path
OF a President was exceeding narrow and
the preiudices of the times made pleasure
guarded monotony.
Tne log cabin population of the several
States honestly believed with a Jealous b.
lief that the President was a being who
lived in such splendor as would have
shamed even Nero. and as eloquent stump
speakers were forever prociaiming the fact
that all this was at the expense of the peo-
pie, the slightest divergence from the al
most Puritan belief was at once denounced
as alarming to the religious. the moral
and the rejecting portion of the commu-
nifty
1t is a historical fact that shortly after
the inauguration of John Quincy Adams
in 1926 several items were held up AMI
bitterly criticised in the House of Repre-
sentatives. The items in question were
discovered in bill for refurnishing TIE
For chessnen s23 90
For billiard balls ................. 90
ror oliiiard table ......-........-.-...... 30 90
fNi SHecAefs w
Trouble began to pile upon the presi-
dent in large chunks. and all because of
billiards, the chessmen, and checkers. He
was denounced as gambler and an immor-
al man. and his conduct was the one topic CT
scandal for many weeks. Billiard tables
were prescribed by law in the State of
Virginia. and the bewildered statesman be-
gan to fear for his very head. The Ma
tional Intelligencer" and the Richmond
Inquirer" ran scare heads and played
up" the news, for President who would
dare to play chess was a rara avis.
Matters went from bad to worse, and the
billiard chess checker affair resulted in
the overwhelming defeat OF President Ad-
ans during the next campaign. Poor Ad-
ans was known as the most shabbily
dressed man ever elected to the Presiden-
tial chair, and it was said that he had
worn the same hat for ten years, vet the
people argued that man who would play
chess and checkers was a spendthrift and
that he was endangering the life OF the
new republic.
A story was related in connection with
the "ungodIy'' billiard playing of Presi-
dent Adams to the effect that he had play
ed Henry Clay a game for picture owned
by the latter, and that the picture hung
on a wall in the White House for some
time However, it was a long time before
a quiet little game of anything was in
dulged in by an occupant Of the Executive
Mansion.
Soon after the inauguration of President
Jackson a story went the rounds to the
effect that "Old Hickory was wont to
t-oa ir,or Of bfcIr In eto ear
| in the White House. While the story was
accepted as truth, the allegations were
never used against the President, proba-
bly, because OF the fact that he was en-
shrined in the hearts of the people as the
Hero of New Orleans" 1t is related that
when Davy Crockett called upon President
Jackson, the latter handed out a demijohn.
and, after enquiring as to the health Of
his visitor, left the room.
While no definite information can ever
be secured as to the little games indulged
in by the early Presidents, it is known
that on many occasions the midnight oil
was burning until daylight while the Pres
ident endeavored to veto the suites and
leads OF statesmen and diplomats. It Is
also related that many of the Presidents
knew the difference between spade and
heart and could tell an ace from a deuce.
President Adams never recovered from
! because of the chess and billiard event He
| retired an embittered old man and during
the remainder of his life fought against
every popular system or movement. Even
at that early date he was a bitter anti
slavery agitator. His blameless policy as
President and the purity of his administra-
tion brought no leniency from the people
for he had played at chess and billiards
and checkers.
During the administration Of Van Buren,
Tyler. Polk. and later Presidents. whist
| and blur were in great vogue and as the
| feeling against chess and billiards had
passed with other reforms. the house on
the White Lot was often the scene of jolly
| card parties. II is not known whether a
| President ever went broke" but the un-
| derstanding was that little chance made
| the game more interesting.
| During President Cleveland's last term
plenty of gambling was carried on at the
| White House, but it was done with pen
and ink, no cards being used.