Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1873-02-18
Jyiufrr Fairs in Russia.

The principal of them is the fair on
the ice ot the river Neva. There you
see races with slcdges and skates. and
with horses. dogs, goats, and stays. har'
messed to different kinds Of sledse We.
hiclcs They also have their horizontal
roundabouts, and their perpendicular
high. iliols. like scdan.chairs going up in
the air and down again. But the grand
amusement of all is that ol the 'ice.hils." "
They arc thus constructed: \ strong
scaifolding is raised to the height of thirty
feet. with landing ut the top, assembled
by u ladder. From the top OF the landing
- slipping plane of boards is laid. about
twelve feet in width and ninety feet long,
descending in very acute angle TO the
surface of the frozen river. This inclin-
ed plane is supported by wooden piles,
decreasing in height, and the sides are
protected by parapet OF planks. Upon
the down.sloping plane are laid square
slabs of ice, close together. and then
water is poured all down the slope. This
water lrcezes-hal minute or 50 OF =
Russian winter is quite enough for that
and the incline then presents broad
sheet OF pure ice From the bottom OF
this incline the snow is cleared away up
on the level surface OF the frozen river
for the distance Of six hundred feet. and
twelve feet wide (the same width as the
inclined plane). The sides Of this level
course are ornamented with dark green
frs and pines Each fair goer who wishes
to indulge in the national amusement
provides himself with peculiar sort OF
sledge-more like butchers tray than
anything else-ascends the ladder to the
landing at the top, seats himself in his
tray on the ed &c of the glittering incline.
of he goes and away he skeels down
the slope of ice. Such velocity does he
attain before arriving at the bottom, that
he is not only carried along the six hun.
dred feet OF this icy level below, but
clean up to the top OF another ice hill like
the first. with another sopo on the other
side, down which he skeels with the
same rapidily rs before, and away again
to an equal distance on The level below.
A succession OF these iair.goers, fur
mantled, seated in their sliding trays,
balancing themselves as they cut along,
one close upon the oter. yet no chance OF
overlaking each other (unlesS by some
very unlucky and very unusual upseO,
presents u most peculiar and cxtraordina.
ry scene. Whenever the balance does
happen To be lost by man, down he
goes all the same, to the continual peril
of his limbs or his neck, and it impossi-
BILE TO predict whereabouts his head long
career will be stopped. Boys sometimes
boys will do anything-by way OF a
delightful increase Of the danger, skate
like flash down the bright inclined
plane, balancing themselves on one leg
A GERMAN FAIR.
The jahrmarkt, or fair, of Germany is
very different sort OF thing from an
English fair, or an Italian carnival, OF
any scene OF uproarious merriment and
extravagant exhibitions. There is really
very little fun in the jahrmarkt. For my
own part. could see none. 1t is not,
much more than market, except that.
instead of the chief features being con-
fined to eatables, there is preponder-
ance in the jahrmarkts OF clothing, toys,
sweetmeats. cakes, crockery. pipes, and
Tyroleso blue and scarlet caps. Book
also, especially of n pictorial kind,
abound; indeed, one of the greatest fairs
in Germany is at Leipsic, which is ex'