Pueblo chieftain., 1921-04-30
BY Frederic J. Haskin.

Washington. d. c.. April 2a.-The
facts having gone forth that President
Harding is very fond of the game of
quoits, or horseshoe pitching, that he
has Joined national organization OF
horseshoe. pitchers. and that he may
pitch horseshoes in the White House
yard to recupcrate from the strain of
running the country, the friends of this
fine old American game hope that it
may achieve new popularity.
There is a tendency in this country
to follow the lead OF the President in
matters of sport. Mr.. Roosevelt I'M
doubtedly 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, it is not of record that
Mr.. Wilson, whose favorite diversion
is said to be reading aloud the poems
of Wordsworth. caused any heavy sale
of that bard's works in America.
Tho American mind does not take
easily to Wordsworth, but 1t should
take easily to horseshoe pitching. For
altho played in England and Scotland.
the game is indigenous to the United
states. and may confidently be re-
Gardcd as onc-hundrcd per cent
American. Furthermore 1t smacks
strongly OF that America of yesterday.
to the spirit of which wc arc now try
ing to rcturn-thc America of peace.
contentment. ''normalcy.'' America
suprcmely sclf-satisfied in tho belief
that it is the greatest and most per-
feet nation on Garth. America doing
in the warm sun OF prosperity un-
troubled by its relations with the rest
of tho world.
Rurnl sport
Horseshoe pitching had It's origin in
a thousand little cross-road towns.
where. on summer evenings, weIl-fcd
farmers gather under the tree in front
of tho blacksmith shop. For the most
part they sit and smoke and talk.
They are not restless men. They never
play tennis or golf or anything else
strenuous. because they get plenty
of exercise pitching hay and digging
potatoes. But now and again the spirit
of play strikes them in mild and
friendly form. Old horscshocs arc
into the ground. and soon n game is in
progress. II is a good -naturcd. easy
going game. Contested points are de-
cidcd finally by an umpire armed with
straw. There In no hard feeling. no
pcrsriration, no excitement. II Is tho
typical sport OF we'll fed. casy-roinr.
complaccnt folk You can imagine "A
man with revolutionary thoughts In
his head playing a fiery game OF ten
mis-, but you cannot imagine him play
ing uuoits. II is not, In fact, n game
calculated to appeal to any man who
is leading an exciting life. whether it's
excitcmcnts are chiefly intellectual or
chiefly physical Its pleasing but
monotonous movements and mild crises
arc divcrting only by contrast with
daily tasks even moro monotonous.
II belongs in the same school of things
with the old swimming hole. the coun-
ty fair. the church sociablc. II traces
its ancestry even farther back to the
days OF huskinG bees and quilting
froiics. 1T Is associated with the smell
OF wet black earth and growing corn.
with the long still country evenings
when frogs and crickets sing. with
simple tasks and nciEhborly feelings,
with a fried chicken dinner on Sunday
and good soothing sermon. and
long nap in the hammock on tho front
porch. 1t belongs to the good old
American school OF philosophy which
holds that God is In his heaven and all
is right with the world. that civiIiza-
tion began after the revolutionary war.
that every American boy has n chance
to he president If he will Just lie on
his belly in front of the fire and study
as bard as Ab-, Lincoln did.
SNch liz the environment that pro-
duccd the game of horsoshocs, and 1t
still flourishcs in what is left of that
environment. You do not sec il played
much in New York or Chicago. or any
other big city. 1t does not fit in with
the subway rush and the roar OF lower
Broadway. Men and women who
struggle with straining nerves for life
and love and money, who shimmy in
jazz-rackcd cabarets and pack the
follies and movies are not horseshoe
pitchers. They would vote horseshoe
pitching deadly bore. Nor is II In
tune with the mental life of the new
America which is so
self conscious and worried-thc Ameri-
ca that reads Main street and patro-
nizes British high-brow lectures. and
tries hard to guess what is going on in
Russia. Antcbellum, horseshoe pitch
ing America had barely heard of Rus
sia, regarded Main street as the best
place this side of heaven. and gave
to all foreigners rich and condc-