Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-06
A Horseshoe
Pitching President
ny Frederic ]. Haskin

WASHINGTON, May S.-The facts hav-
lng gone forth that President Harding
is very fond of tho game of quoits. or
horseshoe pitching. that he has joined
a national organization OF horseshoe
pitchers, and that ne may pitch horse
rhops in the White House yard 10 re-
superate from the strain of running
the country, the friends of this hne OLD
American game hope that II may
achieve u new popularity.
There Is tendency in this country
Ia follow the lead of the President IN
matters of sport. Mr.. Roosevelt un-
douhtodly did much To popularize the
study Of birds and he probably also
helped by his example To swell the army
of American hunters. ON the other hand,
Il Il not of record that Mr.. Wilson,
whose favorite diversion is said to be
reading aloud the poems of Words
worth. caused any heavy sale OF that
hards works m America.
The American mind does not take
easily to Wordsworth, but II should
take easily to horseshoe pitching. For.
although played in England and Scot
land. the game is indigenous TO the
United States. and may confidently be
regarded as ne-hundred per cent
American Furthermore il smacks
ing 10 return the America Of peace
ia the spirit of which we are now try
lng a. roturu-the American Of peace,
contcntment. "normalcy." America su-
premely sclf-satisiied in the belief that
lt IS the greatest and most perfect ma
tlon ON earth. America doing in the
warm sun OF prosperity untroubled by
Is relations with the rest of the world.
4 Rural Sport.
Horseshoe pitching had its origin in
a thousand little Crossroad towns. where.
on summer evenings. wcll-fed farmers
gather unGcr the tree III front Of the
blacksmith shop. For the most part
they sit and talk. They arc not restless
men. They never play tennis or golf
ur anything else strenuous. because
th,N -rt plenty Of exercise pitching hay
and drglng POTATOES. But now and
again rs, spirit uf play strikes them III
4 mud and friendly form. old horse
shoes ar, lyiug all about. Two pegs are
driven INTO the ground. anC soon a game
U.s. IA prus.tSS. II is good-natured.
,asS going game. Contested points are
d,v idvd finally 10y an umpire armed
with & straw. There Is no hard feeling.
no pcrspiration. no excitement. 1t is
the .Nplcal sport 30 a wen-fcd. easy go
ing. ,umplacrnt folk. You can imagine
man with revolutionary thoughts in
his hcad playing fiery game OF tennis.
hut Nou cannot imagine him playing
guuits. u IS not. in fact. a game calcu-
'ttyd o. appca! to any man who is lead
ms an exciting life. whether its excite
urnt~ sire chiefly intellectual or chiefly
phS Si.al. Its pleasing but monotonous
nuN cmcutS and mild crises are divert
ng only b contrast with daily tasks
even more monotonous. II belongs in
th, same school Of things with the old
swimming hole the country fair. the
hurgh sociablc. II traces its ancestry
,von farther hack 10 the days of husking
'ets and quiltng frolics. 1t Is associa
"a with IN, smell az wet black earth
and growing corn. with the long stiI
euntrN evenings whom frogs and crick-
IT'S sins with simple tasks and neighborly
ctluss. s. lth "A fIIod chicken dinner on
sunday and "a good soothing sermon,
.ld j long nap ~ the hammock on the
ratt porch. IL belongs TO the good old
\nlsI.,an s hoUl CT philosophy which
uu.l- that Good IS IL his heaven and all
r.gnt with the world that ciyiliza-
..eu h,sr after the revolutionary war.
tnat every American boy has a chance
- ., fl,sid,u, ii he VIII just lie on his
tilA ln 'front.' " The FIRE and study as
hard as Az, Lincoln did.
Sl,a is the environment that pro-
uE..i ihe GENE uf horseshoes, and it
-t.H hourishsS .u what is left Of that
utiruuncnt Yuu do not see it played
nl.h u New Nork 0r Chicago. or any
uthrr hlg city il does not IT in with
hv subway rush and thc roar Of lower
broadway. Men and women who strug-
%, w4th strainiug nerves for life and
oNe and money. who shlmmy in Jazz
rag ked caharets and pack the follies
and thc movies are not horseshoe pitch /
rs They would vote horseshoe pitch /
.Hg deadly bore Nor is il in tune
wth the mental life Of me new metro
I,a.Itan America. which Is SO self-con- |
-eieus and worried the America that
esad- Main street and patronizes +
Brit.sh high-hrow lecturers. and tries /
lard Is guess what is going on in
;uss.a Antebellum. horseshoe pitching
Nmrrlca had barely heard Of Russia,