Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-02-09

being wide enough TO furnish point OF
contact for the owner. These required
some skill in management yet as they
could be made in ten minutes, whole
school, upon a sudden snow, could be
started down hill in an hour or two, with
such laughing, screaming, and hallooing
as would wake the seven sleepers. Next
in rank are the board runners, shaped out
of solid plank, and 1oored over strongly.
Coarse ungainly and heavy, as they were,
some great sliding has been done on them.
II is not the handsomest horse or sled, or
editor, that gets along best-is it Then
came to our admiring eyes the framed
sleds with open sides, fine runners well
shod with steel, and at length iron-framed
underpinning all through To all this is,
in modern days, added blaze of paint,
and names lofty as the stars. We admit
that great improvements are made in
beauty, and in convenience; but is any
better sliding done on these superf1ne
sleds than used to be, and still is, done by
the old, rude, homely lummoxes of coun-
try make (For that word see Webster)
OF all positions, the worst the most in
excusable is what used to be called
belly-bumper or when one lies down upon
his sled, with head to the front, steering
with his toes. The position is ungainly,
the head is thrust forward and exposed to
danger, and in case Of need, the body is
in helpless position.
Next is tho side-saddle posture, or
when the boy sits cuIled up from the rear
of the sled, with one leg under him, and
the other projecting backward for rud-
der
The upright posture, with legs extended
over the sides, or carried forward between
Al.
true position for bold boy of the sled.
He has the use of his whole body,
and the perfect control of his sled
and if he comes to harm, it must be set
down to the large account of profit and
loss which every spirited boy runs up.
Let no man revile the joys Of ice-clad
hill or ridicule the task of tugging a heavy
sled up the hill for the sake Of rushing
down again All, yes-but that down
ward rush is ecstacy.
Clear the COAST Here goes! Right be-
hind is rival sled Away we go, every
yard Quickening the rate; we come to the
Jumpers, and fly through the air as if shot
from catapult, and strike down again
with Jar that makes the sled crack.
Clear the coast! Here we come! The
BOYS draw aside Neck and neck we go!
glorious! There is sturdy old farmer
who never could find out what boys were
made for. He won't get out of the way
not hel He shakes his cane as a warn
ing. Too late-we strike him just above
the ankles and he goes over our head like
a shadow, but we hear him come down
behind like substance! In second we
are away and out of reach and hearing.
OF course there is a fuss and we are call
ed up and the master, with twinkle in
his eye, scolds us and says we must say
we are sorry; and everybody says served
him right, the old curmudgeon, he ought
to have kept out of the road; and we find
ourselves the heroes of the school.
Then who will forget when our pretty
cousins wanted to take a cruise on our
sled, and how our sisters, too, were the
guests of proudly polite boys, and how
the courtesy of the hillside was shown to
the girls as ardently and disinterestedly
as ever it could he in after life on more
important occasions.
Perhaps the teacher was willing to
| show his condescenson and take passage
/ on double sled Great was the hurrah
/ raised for him, and ecstatic the yell uni
versal, when, by deXterous turn at the
| bottom of the hill, the sled went out from
( under him, and he made the few remain
ing wards of distance without help, and
turned up quite like heap of dirty snow.
/ All, Mr.. Bonner, let your horses slide !;
come take my new sled Dexter, go up to
, the Worcester hills, and spend day in
"coasting," and come back declaring that
of all races, none, for pleasure, can beat
a sled, with a good fellow on it, upon a
mile-long hill, with smooth and icy
track