The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-05-29
PASTIMES OF PRESIDENTS
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.

Golf threatens to rival baseball as pop
ular game on account Of President Tafrs
devotion to the links. So far the Prssi-
dent has not found many people 10 play
be organized IN due time to replace Col
onel Roosevelts famous tennis cabinet.
Tennis is admittedly a back number now
In official circles in Washington Even
the presidential tennis court. which was
the scene Of many historic encounters
during the Roosevelt administration. Is to
be destroyed and used as the site for
new wing Of the executive office building
II Taft is the pioneer golfing president,
he IS also the first enthusiastic automo-
DlilsL no has ever occupied the White
house. He has several big high power
machines IN which he goes about Al
though devOtee OF the auto. Taft fol-
lows in the footsteps of nearly all his
predecessors as d hOrsaman. After scour-
ing the country several saddle horses were
found with sufficient stamina to bear mp
under the chief executives three hundred
and odd pounds, and now Taft takes an
occasional horseback ride along the Pc
toInac drive OF through Rock Creek park.
Roosevelt had a more cosmopolitan
taste in sport and pasIime than any other
president. His activities ranged from
tennis and walking 20 jiu jitsU and bear
hunting. Tie tennis cabinet became as
famous as Jackson's so-cailed kitchen
cabinet. Roosevelt met Ambassador
Jusserand Of France. the Bishop of Lon
don. and other distinguished persOnages
on the tennis court. He rode horse back
with Prince Henry of Prussia and General
Brugere of France. He played at single
stick with General " God, fenced with a
1 French expert, boxed with Mike DOnO-
{ van ana engaged in bouts with wrestling
experts.
There were two sports i'm which Colonel
/ Roosevelt took no stock. One OF these
was golf, which M regarded as an old
wOmans game. In this respect Taft is not
carrying out the Roosevelt policies. The
other sport eschewed by the eX-president
was iishlng. lie probably did not have
sufficient patience to engage 10 it. al
/ though he subscribed TO some of Izaalk
| Walton's philosophy.
Cleveland was probably the most con-
spiCuOus fisherman who ever occupied the
White house. He was slow aad ponderous
in thought word and deed. and the sport
just suited his temperament. Another IA
Vorite pastimc Of the late eX-president was
duck hunting. tie fished and hunted L
many desirable points along the Allan
tic coast. always with considera BILE sue
cess. Among his fsvOrite companions on
such excursions were Secretary of War
Lamont. Admiral Fighting Bob" Evans
Admiral Lamberton. General Alexander
Of South Carolina and Joe jefferson, the
actor.
Cleveland was the highest type of
| sportsman. He never killed for the mere
/ love of killing, although he made some
/ very creditable records. He always gave
/ the game more than a fair chance. and
believed in Obeying not only the strict
/ letter of the game laws. but also the high
unwritten code of ethics of the true
sportsman. Most of Cleveland's outdoor
| life was lived away from Washington.
/ At the capital he worked so hard that he
rarely had an opportunity to seek recre-
alton
I Nearly all the twentv-six American
/ presidents were outdoor men ana enthusi-
| astic hoTsemen. This was especially true
/ Of George Washington, who kept a large
stable at Mt Vernon. and young man
/ frequently rode behind the hounds after
l the fashion Of country gentlemen of that
/ day. His favorite hunting steed was
| Blue Skin He always fed his horses
| personally before having his own break
/ fast. While president he drove a team
/ their hoofs blscked and their teeth picked
! before leaving their stables. In a magnifi-
/ cent white coach drawn by these horses
/ he made several extensive tours Of the
] country during his administration.
It is difficult to think Of the Father OF
/ His Country otherwise than on dress pa
Tade. but it is recorded that during the
I revolution Washington obtained exercise
/ by skipping the rope. He tramped all
/ over Manhattan island when the seat OF
/ government was at New York. IN his
! erCise. His exploit of throwing d dollar
! across the Potomac river has become a
/ part of the cOuntry's traditional history.
! Indoors Washington played billiards. As
an old man he fished for amusement, and
l finally caught the cold which caused his
death while riding.
John Adams. the first occupant Of the
/ present White house, had much trouble
over the alien and sedition laws and