Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-07-20
PRESIDENTS AS spoRTsMEN.
Roosevelt Not the Only One to Indulge
In Hunting.

IA I4uUtlu@s
Persons interested in the big game
hunting trips and the daily athletic
exercises OF President Roosevelt need
only to examine the records Of form
Ell presidents to learn that he is by
no means the first eXecu.ige 10 sye.d
his vacations and leisure hours in tie
pursuance of sports, says the Phila-
delphia Ledger. No more arduous fish
.erman and duck shooter could be int
agined than President Cleveland. At
his home near Buzzard's Bay he spent
every moment Of his leisure time in
his favorite pastime with the rod and
reel. 1t was common thing to see
Mr.. Cleveland out to catch the proper
tide even before dawn, and his skill
IS said to have been equal TO that Of
any Of the old shellbacks in the neigh
borhood when it came to Paying
bass.
Nor was President Cleveland the
first to dignity the ground which is
popularity called the presidential hunt
ing preserves" President Harrison
went duck shooting along the shores
Of these waterways and hunted every
foot of them clear to the sea. All
sorts Of wild duck abound in this die
trict, among them canyasbacks, and
besides these quail, pheasant, snipe and
wild turkey are to be found. President
Harrison was a fairly good shot with
a gun, but his first venture proved
slightly disappointing, for he mistook
black pig belonging to a negro for a
raccOon. He offered at once to settle
fer the pig, but the patriotic owned
declared on the ground that he had
been highly honored by a president Of
the United States shooting his pig,
and that the proud distinction would
be handed down from one generation
to another in his family. President
Harrison never took much 10 horse
back riding nor to field sports, but
with shooting he fell more and more
in love as he became olderl He even
shot buck from a ''sneak-box," an
achievement Of which any duck hunter
may well be proud.
Before George Washington became
this same ground. After he became
general he had little time for hunt
ing and shooting, but he was passion
ately fond of horseback riding and
was considered an excellent horseman
even during the days when numbering
stage coaches were responsible for
much riding in the saddle and when
horsemen were plentiful
Curious to say, fond as President
Cleveland and Harrison were Of the
water front, neither Of them ever found
pleasure in swimming. President John
Quincy Adams was by all odds the
swimmer president of the White
House. Next to Benjamin Franklin
he was the best swimmer Of any public
man in Washington. President Adams
also was a remarkable walker and
frequently combined his two hobbies
Often he arose before dawn, walked
as far as Georgetown, where he had
secluded nook, and stripping plung-
ed into the Potomac Then, after
long, refreshing swim, he would dress
and walk back to his home, where lie
arrived by break of day. ready for
whatever came.
President Arthur was always espe-
cially fond of camping and hunting
and fishing, and on one occasion was
100 miles from where he might have
been reached by telegraph wire. Bass
and trout were Mr. Arthur's fayoritas.
He is said to have been remarkably
expert at casting the fly, and once,
when on visit south, the Fishing
club Of Louisville presented him with
an exquisite rod, suitably engraved,
and Of this the president ever felt espe
cially proud.
President Garfield was also given to
the pursuit Of sports. He did not care
for fishing, however. Hunting was his
pet diversion. But aside from this be
took a lively interest in all sorts of
field sports, especially in the national
game, baseball. At no time was there
a more enthusiastic baseball s'crank"
in Washington than was the president
He was elected an honorary member
of the old National baseball club, and
he frequently attended the games play
ed by his team, and followed it's victor
les with jealous eye in the morning
newspapers. Billiards was another
favorite diversion with President Gar
field. During his administration new
billiard table was placed in the base
ment Of the White House, and here he
played almost regularly every after
noon. President Garfield also was fond
Of horseback riding. Taking him all
in all, he was probably the most all
round sporting president, for no mat
ter what the sport he felt at least a
mild interest III it.
Drunkenness and Coffee Drinking.
A traveller has made the observa-
ton that coffee drinking people are
seldom given to drunkenness. In
&c