The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-04-30

W000A18SOAs -. ~ kAWs - -
facts having gone forth that Presi-
dent Harding IL vsry fond Of the
game of quoits. or horseshoe pitch
ing, that he has Joined q national
organization Of horseshoe pitchers,
and that he may pitch horseshoes
in the White house yard to recup-
crate from the strain Of running
the country, the friends Of this hne
old American game hope that 1t
may achieve . new popularity.
There is . tendency in this coun-
try to follow the lead Of the presi-
dent in matters Of sport MIR. Roose-
velt undoubtedly did much to pop
ularize the study Of birds, and he
probably also helped by his example
to swell the army Of American
hunters. On the other hand, 1t 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.
The American mind does not take
easily to Wordsworth, but 1t should
take easily to horseshoe pitching.
For, although played in England
and Scotland, the game Is indisen-
GUS to the United States, and may
confidently be regarded as 100 per
cent American. Furthermore II
smacks strongly Of that American
of yesterday, to the spirit OF which
We are now trying to return-the
America o. peace, contentment
"normalcy," America supremely
self-satisfied in the belief that 1t is
the greatest and most perfect ma
ton on earth. America dosing In
the warm sun Of prosperity un.
troubled by its relations with the
rest OF the world.
A Rural Sport
Horseshoe pitching had its origin
in a thousand little crossroad
towns, where, on summer evenings
well-fed farmers gather under the
tree in front of the blacksmith
shop. For the most part they sit
and smoke and talk. They are mo-
restless men. They never pla!
tennis or golf or anything els'
strenuous, because they get plent!
of exercise pitching hay and dig
ging potatoes. But now and AGAR
the spirit Of play strikes them il
a mild and friendly form. Ok
horseshoes are lying all about. TIVE
pegs are driven into the ground
and soon a game is in progress. 1
is good-natured, easy-going game
Contested points are decided finall.
| by an umpire armed with a straw
There is no hard feeling, no per
spiration, no excitement. 1t is tn,
typical sport of q well-fed, easy
going, oomplacent folk. You cal
imagine a man with revolutionar,
thoughts in his head playing
fiery game Of tennis, but you can
not imagine him playing QuOits. 7
is not, in fact, a game calculated t
appeal to any man who is leading
an exciting life. whether its excite
ments are chiefly intellectual o
chiefly physical. Its pleasing bu
monotonous movements >and mill
crises are diverting only by con
trast with daily tasks even NOR
monotonous. 1t belongs in the sam
school Of things with the old swim
ming hole, the country fair, tn
church sociable. 1t traces its an
cestry even farther back to tn
days Of husking bees and Quiltin
frolics. 1t is associated with tn
smell of wet black earth and grow
ing corn, with the long still c0un
try evenings when frogs and crick
cts sing, with simple tasks an
neighborly feelings, with a frie
chicken dinner on Sunday and
good soothing sermon, and a Ion
nap in the hammock on the froI
porch. 1t belongs to the good oil
American school OF philosoph
which holds that God is in Hi
heaven and all is right with th
world, that civilization began afte
the revolutionary war, that ever
American boy has q chance to b
president if he will just lie on hi