The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-01-06
Observations Of Men and Things.
BY OUR GEORGE.

OUS0YvAVXO0S VI MOL anu 4AAAAesSs
BY OUR GEORGE.
Ice BOATING. BY IL careful inspection Of
the almanac you will see this bit of advice,
About this time go ice boating" In this sec
ton of our fair land, where roses do not bloom
in the open air during the winter months, and
where the little birds do not sit on the trees
and MARBLE their matn hymn, but rather pull
their hats down over their ears and wear
arctics ice is one of the inevitabes. In a
country where a man needs two pair of pants
and three undershirts to keep him from freez-
ing, it is safe to calculate that there are plenty
of ice factories for canning ice, and putting up
artificial winters that can be trotted out and
sold during the hot weather of summer. An
ice farm is profitable. Ice grows wild and
tlourishes best in cold wet places. It's easily
cultivated and sure crop, and farmer can
take crop off every winter without ever ma
nurng his ice farm. 1t is dug with pillow and
stacked up in the barn like hay, and freezing
rather improves the quality. The upper part
of Il piece Of ice is as slippery as bald head,
and for ice boating and skating there has never
been anything invented that can take the place
of ice. A club of young men in Belfast own
an ice boat which they keep at Quantebacook
Lake. 1t is good boat. 1t is shaped like
quarter Of pie, three colnered, and rests on
three skates, one under each corner two being
stationary at the bow, and the other moving on
q pivot to which is attached a tiller 1t is rails
ed about a foot from the ice and is provided
with a bowsrrit and mast, and carries a MAIN
sail and jib An ice boat is Just as lively us an
old cheese, and as full of business as a box of
pills The club had friend from Boston who
never had enjoyed the hospitality of an ice
boat. and he being in the city last week, they
invited him TO go out and hay a sail. He was
a medium sized man, shaped some like II pork
barrel, only he tapered more at the chimes.
lie WAS a very self reliant man, and as conf
dent us the multiplication table. He knew
nearly everything, and what he didn't know at
all, he was well posted on. Ice boating was
one of the few things that was new to him,
though he " had comprehensive idea of it."
Now comprehensive idea of an ice boat is not
worth Il last weeks 1ap.iack, and man never
knows anything about an ice boat till he has
learned it by experience. One days experience
is worth steambo at load of book knowledge.
Arriving at the lake they found the ice as
smooth AS the talk Of a hotel clerk, and Il good
stiff breeze blowing. The safest place on the
boat is right at the mast. 1t gives one a good
chance to hold on, and when the boat turns.
there is less 8 Stat" than there is toward the
end. Getting all ready the skipper gave her
:. iull'' and away she went across the pond at
the rate of about Il mile Il minute. At that gait
conversation lags and mans whole thought
centers in the one idea of keeping the seat of
his trousers and the seat of the ice boat in close
proximity. There is a gentle tendancy up
ward. and as he shoots across the ice his eyes
hang out like knobs on Il bureau drawer, and
before he had time to think, the skipper yells
''look out" which means TO clutch hard on any
thing with Il grasp of iron, and that the rear of
the boat comes round like lightning, and is 60
ing back over her track again. In coming about
the boat is turned against the wind, and when
she comes about in space not more than her
length, the tendency is for all hands to get of,
and unless they hang like burs on Il cows tail
they eriU come off. After sailing till all were
tired. the Boston man ntimated that it seemed
a very easy thing to handle the boat, and as he
should want to tell all his friends about it, he
would Just scoot across once alone and steer
the craft himself. The man who steers lays
flat down and grasps the tiller with his right
hand with firm grasp, clutches hold of some
thing with the other and trusts to Providence
for the rest. 50 started the Boston man, only
he did not GRASP" clutch or crust sufficient
w. The others stand on the ice looking and
waiting. They did not wait long. however, for
as he neared the other shore, he gave the tiler
push, but alas the wrong way and the boat
s.jibed' and came round with the wind and
then there was Il flutterng of canvas and at the
same instant Il black form shot head first from
the boat and landed on the bilge, slid some hun
dred feet, rolling over and over, spinning and
twisting. a hat going one way and mitten
another, till suddenly striking a little deposit
of snow, it came up on end and spun round
like Il top for a few seconds, and then all was
still. The rest of the party fastened to the
spot, and arrived Just as the man from Boston
was getting on his feet. He was not hurt but
the next day he visited every talor's shop in
Belfast, trying to find a piece of cloth that
would match his trowsers, and when he found
some, he bought enough to make Il new seat to
them He says that the flash OF lightning has
never been born, that could have caught him
when he went off that boat, and all who saw
him go are of his opinion. Of all sport on this
globe, nothing can touch ice boating for excite
ment and hard work. After man has sailed
day on an ice boat, it is safe to calculate that
you will find him occupying the easiest seat in
his store. the next day, and he don't get up I'M
less customer really wants something. He
feels old, and his conversation generally runs
on such subjects as the flood, the revolution
or the war of 1912. But as a professional we
urge upon all our readers, never to let slip "a
chance to ride on an ice boat, for it is throwing
away a fruit that don't grow in warm ATTITUDES.