Governor Hoyt of Wisconsin tells a story of Mr. Lincoln’s great
admiration for physical strength. Mr. Lincoln, in 1859, made a speech at
the Wisconsin State Agricultural Fair. After the speech, in company with
the Governor, he strolled about the grounds, looking at the exhibits.
They came to a place where a professional “strong man” was tossing
cannon balls in the air and catching them on his arms and juggling
with them as though they were light as baseballs. Mr. Lincoln had
never before seen such an exhibition, and he was greatly surprised and
interested.
When the performance was over, Governor Hoyt, seeing Mr. Lincoln’s
interest, asked him to go up and be introduced to the athlete. He did
so, and, as he stood looking down musingly on the man, who was very
short, and evidently wondering that one so much smaller than he could be
so much stronger, he suddenly broke out with one of his quaint speeches.
“Why,” he said, “why, I could lick salt off the top of your hat.”