The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-31
Pasdmes and Recreations of the Presidents

"President Roosevelt played three
sets of tennis with Secretary Garfield. )!
President Taft spent the afternoon al
Chevy Chase golfing with Captain
Archie Butt. how often of late wears
we have read such dispatches from
Washington Other presidents have rec.
ognized the value of recreation. GEORGE
Washington and most of his successors
we're firm believers in the adage about
all work and no play.
Though usually grave and staid
Washington was social being like the
other Virginians of his time. He was
fond of dinners and company. and had
decided weakness for dancing. He
was a frequent subscriber TO public
| balls. and while president was a con.
slant attendant at the regular "Danc.
ing Assemblies at New York and
Philadelphia. He and Mrs. Washington
often rode ten miles to Alexandria to
attend dance. OF one such he wrote
in the following humorous strain:
event to n ball at Alexandria, where
Musick and dancing was the chief En-.
tertainments, however, in a convenient
room detached for the purposes abound.
ed great plenty of bread and butter
some biscuits, with tea, and coffee
which the drinkers of could not dis,
tinguish from hot water sweet ned. Be
it rendered that pocket handkerchiefs
served the purpose OF table Cloths and
Napkins and that no apologies were
made for either. l shall therefore dis.
tinguish this ball by the stile and title
of the Bread g. Butter Ball -
''We had little dance at my quar-.
ters few evenings past" wrote Gen.
eral Greene from the winrerquarters at
Morristown in 1850, CHS Excel!ency
and Mrs, Greene danced upwards of
three hours without once sitting down
Washington still danced in 1896, and
led many stately minuet during his
two Administrations. In 1899, only a
short time before his death, in declin-
ing an invitation to an Alexandra as
sembly, he wrote regretfully: "AlaSl
our dancing days are no morel"
Washington 8 Fondness for Cards..
Washington was also fond of cards
The entry for a bad day in his carefully
kept diary was not Infrequently: "Al
home all day over cards" Numerous
cards. are noted in his ledger. In ac-
cordance with the usual custom Of the
time Gin which the Anglican clergy
of Virginia concurred), he was not
averse to enlivening interest in a game
by playing for stake. though never
for a heavy one. HIS greatest known
gain was three pounds. his largest loss
nine pounds, fourteen shillings, and
ninepenee. He lost oftener than be
won,
He enjoyed the theater, and went to
circuses, cock fights and to see dane
ing bears and menageres. In the
main. however, he was an outdoor man
His greatest passions were for horses
and riding to the hounds. "The best
horseman of his age, and the most
graceful figure that could be seen on
horseback, - testifies Jefferson. Being
i fond of horses, he naturally enioyed
racing and attended meets whenever
possible He kept up riding until day
IT two before his death, but in 1794
through the fall Of his horse, his back
vas wrenched so severely that he had
% give mp fox-hunting.
Thomas Jefferson enjoyed many Oh
he diversions affected by his fellow
vircinian of Mount Vernon, though his
astcs ran more nearly to the purely in
ellectual.
Fiddler President
In his youth. jefferson was passion
,tely fond of the fiddle, and usually car
led one about with him when travel
ng / often played duets with Pat
.ick Henry, and he so coveted a yalu
,ble instrument owned by John Ran
lolph that he entered into queer writ
zen agreement that if he survived kan