New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1908-12-23
TRIBUTES TO Coll .
A Poor Mans Game, Says Presi-
dent Elect Taft.
NOTHING so DEMOCRATIC. y

Self Abasing Sport, He Wired Diners
at St. Andrews Club Birthday Ban
Touched John D. Rockefeller and Got
Away With 1t.
Simeon Ford, the witty hotel man of
New York, who was one of the speak
ers at the twentieth birthday celebra-
ton and dinner in New York of the st.
Andrews Golf club, said that he was
played in heaven or not before decid-
ing upon his future residence. Cali hot
weather resorts" he commented, ''have
links Then he said:
ct was once my privilege to touch
John D. Rockefeller in the offhand leg
with golf ball, and take great pride
in the thought that I'm probably the
only man living who ever touched John
D. Rockefeller and got away with it. I
took a drive and hit John D. in the
golden calf. John threw down his club,
executed a few steps of Salome dance
and gave other evidences of 1mpa-
tience That was the nearest that I
ever came to getting into the 26 Broad
way crowd
| President Elect Taft and Governor
Hughes, although absent from the din
ner, scored through their humorous
kilograms and letters read to the 200
members and friends Of the club.
Judge Taft wrote that there was moth
ing more democratic than golf, and
nothing which furnished greater test
of character and self restraint. His
letter in part follows:
/ l have your kind note Of Nov. 30. I
have had a good many invitations recent
| ly, but none more tempting than that of
the st. Andrews Golf club. When learn
| that your club, the Oldest In this country,
is only twenty years old and realize that
I have been playing golf since 1886 I am
| surprised L would in respect to any
other matter feel very much discouraged
at having attained in so long time so
little excellence, but golf is different from
other games. Popes lines have a greater
application to 1t than to any other sport
I know:
Hope springs eternal in the human
| breast;
Man never is, but always to be, best"
should like therefore, to be guest al
your board and meet men who sympa-
thize with me in regarding an average OF
five as a great score and an average OF
six as something not dishonorable or dis
graceful.
Preceding the late election campaign
there were many of my synlpathizers anC
supporters who deprecated it's becoming
known that I was addicted to golf as ar
evidence Of aristocratic tendencies and 6
desire to play only a rich mans game
You know and l know, that there Is
nothing more democratic than golf; thai
there is nothing which furnishes a great
er test Of character and self restraint
nothing which puts one more on an equal
ity with ones fellows, or, 1 may say, put:
one lower than ones fellows, than thu
game Of golf. If there is any gam
which will instill in ones heart a more
intense feeling of self abasement and hu
initiation than the game of golf, I should
like to know what it is.
Governor Hughes in sending his re
grets said:
I know the Joys and sorrows of tn
game He who ruleth over his own spiri
in a bunker is worthy Of the highest Of
flee in our great country, as has been re
Gently demonstrated. Having temperate.
encountered the hazards of other fields
my pleasure III the game IS now who'll.
that of Renaissance. But what is NOR
delightful than the memory Of one lon
drive and the forgetfulness of a thousan
5 "foozles?'
The great flag Of the st. Andrew
Golf club decorated the wall back 0
/ the speakers table, and beneath i
: was an enlargement Of a photograph
showing the ''frst game Of golf playe'
: in America near Yonkers thirty year
f ago.