No 14l 15.¢' Lincoln The Athlete --------1~ During Lincoln's life­ time, his reputation for physical prowess was a political asset. Today, it remains an important part of his image as folk hero. 1Y1e conclusion of Professor Miller's article on Lincoln as a billiards Even wilh hos head supenmposed on !he body of [], player, along with the John C. Calhoun. as on lh•s 1865 pml by James F. Bodlker. U1c:oln looks capable of holdong hos illustrations on the own W11ll Geotge Washonglon (lUI• .,., '( f, /'(' cover and the following page, reflect different aspects of is lht quarttr1y bullttin or Lincoln's physical activity, as seen both by his contemporaries The mission of The Lincoln Museum and by future generations. is 10 inlcrprel and pre~l\"e !he hislory and legacy or Abraham Uncoln lhrough research. conscr\'allon. exhlblry. and educalion. Edllor. The Whig l'arty, to which Lincoln belonged for most of his political career. Gtrllld J. Prokopowia. Ph.O. llislorlanll)irttiOr o( l~ublic Programs was frequently tarred by its Democratic opponents as a haven for effete, Contnbutors: aristocratic dandies and weaklings. The only two Whigs ever elected to the Joan L nuupach. Dir«<or White House, William Henry Harrison and ZacharyTa}1or, \\ere able to escape C&tolj1l Tt.d<y. Dor«<or of Coll<ctions/Artbi•i51 this taint by virtue of their status as military heroes. Since Cuy l'ouna. Dor«!O< of lollltetu.g Lincoln himself admitted that his brief stint as a militia r.. ....,..._ ..-...... Jfl.. n "lWt "'.._. w..t.. 200 £asl 8trT)'. p 0. Box 11138 Fort lll)~t.lodoana 46801 -11138 (219) 455 3li04 Fox: (219) 455 6922 t·[email protected].<orn hllp/,..__Thtl.incoln\luseum.oiJ! 0 l!m Tllf< UMOM \hJWilm (On !he CO\'Cr. Oelail Irom !he rover ol Cla«t(.rll/uotrotni n. tl2 (t958). LISN 0162«61$ ltaluring Lincoln wrestling wilh Jack AnuSirong. llLM •o7921) J • • • I • • • ( TJ.;·~~ ~"-' tAM~~,. ~,u, ••'"· "~­ f.,.. -.u~. ~ #,~ .. .4u .,._ T H E NATIONAL GAME. THR EE "oUTS" AND ONERUN''. ABRAHAM WINNING THE BAll.. -··- .,.. ____.. , Currier and lves used the popular new game of baseball as a setbng lor-----=========~ this cartoon of Uncoln's dom•nanco over h•s nvals on ~the 1860 preSidentoal electoon. (tU< •34981 captain in the Black Hawk War of 1832 Of the Founding Fathers, only hardly qualified him as a military Washington is remembered for his hero, he could not follow the examples physical as \\ell as his political deeds. of Harrison and Taylor. Instead, he There are no folk tales of Jefferson benefited from widely-told stories of chopping down cherry trees, or of his strength and physical skill, as John Adams tossing silver dollars exemplified in his wrestling match across the Potomac. Lincoln's size with Jack Armstrong in New Salem and strength made him a comfortable and his legendary rail-splitting ability. partner for the athletic Washington in These stories helped to distance him the American pantheon: even had from his party's negati\'C cultural image. Stephen A. Douglas somehow won the election of 1860 and saved the Union, it is unlikely that Americans today would picture the fil-e foot four inch After Lincoln's death, the memory of "Little Giant" on the same platfonn his athleticism played a part in his ele· with the six foot two inch "Father of vation in the public mind to a status M. Leone Bracker explocotly connec1S Our Country." - GJP equal to that of George Washington. the nobli•ty of I.Jncoln's character With the manual labor of hos fronber youth ., The Raflspltffer(charcoal draWing. 1934.) (TlM 115861) Abraham Lincoln And The Art Of Billiards Conclusion to the article begun amusement of the large crowd which thing of his technique in approaching a in tire Spring 1997 issue. soon gat hered": (e) Lincoln proposed shot, the type of table, and who paid; tile game and refused Fake's offer of a spot and it acknowledges his story-teUing as (i.e. handicap) or "forty points in the social discourse during the game itself. By Tim R. Miller. Ph D. hundred"; (f) in order to play. Lincoln Unfortunately, tbe article is highly suspect. Ass«iate Professor. "di,-ested himself of coa~ waist-coa~ collar, As \\ith tile Urbana story, the l.a Salle Management Deportment and necktie, rolling his shirt slee,oes to his article lacks credibility because in October. Uniuersity of Illinois or Springfield shoulders"; (g) when shooting, he ·very 1858, Lincoln was not there.• lie may have carefully squnrl ed J himselr; (h) the game been in the area twice during the month. F. L. Fake and the was played on a "table being of the ancient On the 27th he ga,·e an address in La Salle 'Hustle'? six pocket pattern"; (i) Lincoln talked and l'ermont, Illinois, and on the 28th made a told stories, ·pemaps SC\oeral or them,· "hurried \isit" to the Tremont House in According to modem pool star Buddy much to the delight of the large crowd in Chicago ·ror a few moments ... on his way flail, "hustling" in the world of pool and the "little room," as he played; Gl Fake to l'etersburg." That trip could possibly pocket billiards involves the use of the apparently won the fi rst game, because have taken him through l.a Salle and con, or scheming, for profit or advantage Lincoln refused the offer of a 50 point spot Ottawa, but there is no such indication of some variety (usually money, sex. or (in a game to 100) for tile second game, (nor or a speech or any kind). Otherwise, personal property).• This brings us to a ·saying he had not pla)oed his best game, he was only ,.;thin 50-60 miles or l.a Salle particularly intriguing article. etc."; (k) they "divided tile expense at one time that montll, at Toulon, Illinois, On February II, 1949, tile l.a Salle, the finish"; (I) much story-telling went on on the 8th; but his mo\'emcnts to and from Illinois News Tribune ran an article with by Lincoln, particularly ·or whal he did that location originated toward the south· the opening line. "llere is tile story of not know of billiards, making everybody west (i.e. Galesburg to Toulon, Toulon to Lincoln playing billial'lls in l.a Salle, which happy with a performance long to be Oqua"ka. Illinois and Burlington, Iowa).• Charles Ulysses Gordon has so kindly sent remembered"; and (m) tile participants Like\\ise. the article's reference to Lincoln's us: It is a delightful piece and rich in later ·went to Ottawa· where Lincoln and giving a speech \\ith Douglas in Ottawa detail. It contends that: (a) "one day in Douglas spoke "in the public park that during October, 1858 is troubling. He did October, 1858" (b) Lincoln "by chance" evening to a large audience." debate with ll<Juglas all ncross Illinois in met Frederick L. Fake (c) at the Hardy What n marvelous account! II shows 1858. at Ottawa, Freeport, Jonesboro, !louse in l.a Salle while "detained a few Lincoln proposing tile game. rejecting Charleston. Galesburg. Quincy, and Alton. hours for tile lack or transportation": (d) offers or handicap, and partially disrobing "Ottawa· seems to jump out here, but that three games were played "to the keen as he prepares to play: it describes some- debate took place on August 21 , and Lincoln I e e 1 ' • • '/ I ' entered town for the debate from Morris.~ fatigued mind'." The passage has appeared a lot or things that do sound like him to the east of Ottawa (La Salle is west of elsewhere, for example in John Grissim's that I think are probably not his Ottawa). The La Salle article has Lincoln history of billiards.~ But I have been either. Because they're on subjects entering Ottawa the wrong month and from unable to locate its source, having pursued that he had no reason to give an the wrong direction• it across the range of writings by and opinion on ...."'5C Why the reference to the LaSalle about l.incoln. In a recent interview, John As should be evident by now, I believe "hustle"' Because of the context of the Grissim could not recall the comment or its that Lincoln had every reason to offer an ar1icle, which is suspicious. It was written citation, and had no notes of its origin.• opinion on this subjecL Nevertheless, to ninely-one years after the event is alleged The fact that Grissim repeated the quote date the search for the origin of this to have taken pia~. and Charles Ulysses proves nothing of its authenticity, but does passage has led down blind alleys. suggest that it has appeared in still other Gordon's source for the story is Lincoln's A more reliable first-hand attount of purpor1ed opponent, Frederick L. Fake. sources, since it's unlikely that Grissim found the passage in the Neosho. Missouri Lincoln conversing about billiards was This unverified attount of an event that recorded by J. llubley Ashton, Assistant took place when Lincoln was elsewhere is newspaper article from 1948 (when he was only seven years old). Attorney General from 1864-69. According thus drawn from the remembrance or a to Ashton, "on a bright morning in May, "Captain fake." My bet is that as these When l asked Illinois State Historian 1864 ... I accompanied my Chief to the words drift to the world beyond and are Thomas Schwartz if this quote sounded White !louse for the purpose or being picked up by the cue-spor1 hustlers of days like Lincoln he responded: presented to the President." Lincoln, who gone by, more than one has a grin.