The Washington herald., 1909-02-21
PRESIDENTS AT PLAY.
Pastimes of Nations Chief Executives Have Ranged
from Golf to Cock Fighting.
Fm n, Kauss ctr Star.

Frru the Kausas CITY star
Tha; all work and no play makes
Jack a dull boy applies 70 Presidents
as well as 10 the ordinary folk. Dischars-
ing the duties OF Chief Executive of the
nation means hard and nerve-trying
vork. and Presidents since the time Of
G. Washington have followed the pTec-
edent established by the Father OF His
Country and sought relaxation IN what
ever sport most appealed TO the individ-
uaI fancy Of each And many and va
rious have been the fancies.
The public has been duly informed that
the Presidential pastime for the next
four years VIII be golf. a Scotch game
which Mr.. Taft has declared he VIII
naturalist and nauonalize. Il appeals
70 the President-elect as q promoter Of
good health as well as an entertaining
same. and is in marked contrast 10 the
ruling passion OF President Rooseveit-the
pursuit OF big game For that matter.
Mr. Roosevelt Is lover Of all forms OF
outdoor recreation. and doubtless future
historians viii write him down as pre-
eminentIy the sportsman President.
whether his quarry b. mountain lions or
ConEreSSmen-
Grover Cleveland loved To sit in blind
and shoot Better yet he loved "a fish
And he could east a fly and play a game
FISH with the best disciples Of Izaak Wal
ton. returning with renewed energy 70 the
important affairs Of state Nor did Ben
jamin Harrison lessen his dignity by get
ting down on the floor 20 romP with his
infant grandson. while the Middle West
ern lake country knew him as an enthu-
siastic and expert angler
Washington Il Genuine Sportsman.
The Father Of his Country" was a
genuine sportsman jefferson spoke OF
Washington as "the best horseman OF his
age ami Tire most graceful figure that
could be seen on horseback Washing
ton loved horses and dogs with the
heartiest sportsman OF them all He had
a great fondness for stalking deer with
George Mason on the broad forest tracts
round Gunston Hall. and liked often 10
take gun or rod after lesser game when
the days fell dull
ENI Dr'cN NL dtl Ilr atfEt = aAAf- g = hdlt-fs
and the hard ride for hours together
after fox and hounds across q country
that was only for those who dared. His
own mounts could nowhere be bettered
in Virginia There was the blood Of
Arsby in his Magnolia and as good hunt
ing blood as was TO be found in the col
ony in his Blueskin. and Ajax. Valiant,
and Chinkling. His hounds he bred so
fiew'd and sanded." stomached in speed
and habits. that they always kept pace
together I'm the field. a cry more tun-
able was never halloa'd 20. nor cheered
with horn than theirs when they were
let spend their mouths until echo replied
as II another chase were in the skies
After the Revolution the lunrsman sat
with the old ease upon MS fiery Blue
skin-Win Lee. on Chinkling, closley fol-
lowing
As an all round athlete Washington
seems 10 have been Il match even for the
present occupant Of the Presidential
chair. one Of his favorite sports was the
running high jump over a rope. a test Of
agility he INDUCED in even while COM
mander-in-chief of the colonial armies.
If two posts with peg holes were not at
hand he tied one end Of the rope 10 g
tree and had a negro boy hold the other
end and draw il taUnt. II is recorded
that he could easily clear the rope held
breast high.
Thomas Jefferson also was a lover Of
good horses and often INDUCED IN the
hard riding and exciting sport Of fox
hunting. He was most particular about
the care OF his horses. and when his
groom brought up q mount for his morn
ing ride Jefferson would pass his hand
kerchief over the horses coat. II a speck
Of dirt appeared on the handkerchief,
back went the horse 10 be groomed again
Jefferson was scholar and his classical
tastes were shown BY the names Of some
os his horses -Caractacus. ArcturUs. Tar
quin. and COler.
Yet he was far from scOrning his na-
tive tongue, and his favOTitsr saddle horse
was Eagle Part Of the "Jefersonian
simplicity" so often alluded to. was his
action in riding in the saddle 20 the Cap
itol for his inaugural ton and lettering
his horse. instead of driving up in state
The horse which he rode on that Occa-
sion was named Wildair. jefferson also
amused himself and entertained his