The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-31

Of invention walked me between two
and three this morning. From that time
tall five / lay and composed five stanzas
of digression; then rose; wrote one
walked round the capitol square. and
in that walk composed six stanzas more
of Dermot-one or two of them among
the best yet written-two upon the
national character of the Irish, spe'
cially suited TO the day.
How many statesmen of the present
generation thus bestow their carly
morning hours2 Of his many produc"
tons his poem on the death of young
children is perhaps the most creditable.
One stanza runs thus:
No passion fierce. no low desire,
Has quenched the radiance of the flame;
Back to its God the living fire
Returns. unsullied, as 1t came.
In the way of athletics, John Quincy
Adams was notable as n swimmer. Even
in old age he not infrequently swan
the Potomac in the early morning. On
one OCCASION boat III which he was EN-
barked upset in the middle of the Po'
tomac, but he managed to swim ashore
in his clothes.
"Old Hickory's" Diversions.
Andrew Jackson was more of a sports
man than his predecessor. In his youth
he was as rollicking, fun~loving, horse
racing, game-cocking, mischievous fel-
low as could be found on the border.
While still in his teens he staked fine
horse, his sole earthly possession, on
a throw of the dice. Parton says that
Jackson "p]ayed cards, fought cocks,
ran horses. threw the long bullet "a
cannon ball slung in a strap and
thrown as a feat of strength), car"
rled off gates, moved outhouses to re-
lu1 YaH
in downright drunken debauch. But
he was not licentious nor particularly
quarrelsome.
Sixty years ago there were old gentle
men still living who remembered see
ing him at the cock pit in the public
square adjoining the old Nashville inn
cheering on his fighting cocks with
such words as; "Hurrah! My Dom
mica! Ten dollars on my Dominical'
dollars on my Bernadotte! Who III take
me up3 Well done, my Bernadottel Ny
Bernadotte forever!"
AS he grew older Jackson abandoned
the more questionable of such sports.
though his interest in horses endured
to the end. During his terms as presi,
dent he was too old and infrm for any
very violent exercise. But he had his
fast horses, descended from his famous
L
took delight in watching them perform
on the race course. He also usually
took a daily walk or ride, and occa-
sionally paid a visit to the Rip Raps of
Virginia, a resort near the mouth Of
the Potomac
He was abstemious in the use of Ii
quors, but was extraordinarily at
tached to smoking. He had great col
lection of costly pipes sent him from all
over the world by admirers. "But
still smoke my corncob, Sam he said
dian lighter. ''1t is the sweetest and
best pipe
Lincoln s Pride.
Abraham Lincoln was exceedingly
proud of his stature and strength. He
stood SIX feet four inches in his stock
lngs. and could "outlift, outwork, out
run and outwrestle every man of his
acquaintance. While attending state
fair at Milwaukee IN 1859 he was much
chagrined on finding that he could not
toss cannon balls as well as a profes-
slonal In enc OF the sideshows. As they
parted he remarked drolly!
Wen, friend, you can outlift me, but
| could lick salt off the top OF your
hat. -
While president he frequently aston
ished visitors by asking them to meas
ure height with him, and was always
greatly pleased when he found that he
was the taller On one occasion he
sorelY shocked the patrician instincts of
Senator Sumner by asking him to stand
back to back with him while some one
measured them.
He occasionally entertained the at
taches of the war department by feats
of strength, but he had few amusements.
nd a1C Il
diversion n reading the works of
Burns, Petroleum V. Nasby. Artemas
Ward, Josh Billings and other comic
writers who appealed to his sense of
the ridiculous and diverted his atten-
ton. He cared little for games, but
occasionally played backgammon with
his boys. He also practiced basketball
little for exercise but did not enjoy
1t. His outdoor life was practically
home or some other destination. Prob
ably his health and spirits would have
been better had he found timo for more
physical exercise. He WAS a good rider,
but always wore tall silk hat and long.
TAILED coat and presented most gro
tesque figure on horseback, He had lit
tie taste for hunting or fishing. never
smoked, and was very temperate in his
habits. Despite his great strength, the
him, and he once remarked:
81 wish that George Washington or
some other old patriot were here to take
my place for while SO that l could
have little rest
Doubtless he secured much relaxation
from telling the stories for which he
was renowned, ellis sense of humor
was his salvation,' When attacked by
varioloid, he said to his usher: "Tell
all the otlice-seel5ers TO come and see
me, for now l have something that I
can give them. -
| General Grant had two passions-fast st
horses and cards. "Cards had a singu-
lar fascination for him. says his bio.
grapher Badcau "'He was extremely
fond of all games in which skill and
chance are combined; perhaps they sug-
gestcd WAY; and when n man whom he
liked in other affairs or for other rea-
sons played with him. that man could
! be very intimate' Whist and poker
seem to have been his favorites.
Grants Love of Horses.
Grant was one Of the finest riders
who ever lived. In lS41, mounted on a
chestnut sorrel named York, he estub-
lished the West Point record for the
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