American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-01-12
SLEDGNG IN MANITOBA.
sport in Which One Should be Able to
Speak Three Different Languages.

r Sport in Which One should be Able t,
Speak Three Different Languages.
Correspondence New York SUM-
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Dec. S.-To {
dweller in the greatest game preserve
in the world, the descriptions of the
doings of the Amateur Fox Hunting
Club along the flats of Long Island pro-
woke smile. If the club lived here il
is probable that loftier ambition would
possess it; instead of hunting the nim-
bic and elusive fox, his larger and more
aggressive cousin, the gray wolf, would
I furnish the proper excitement. A party
is organized here, well mounted, each
member armed with revolver A few
miles out upon the prairie wolf may
be scared up at any time, and then be-
gins wild scurry and chase of a dozen
or more miles, and discharge of small
arms closely resembling the fire of a
struggling skirmish line. The chase is
glorious, leading over broad expanse
of level plain, covered only with short
herbage of insufficient height to afford
/ the least cover for the quarry. For the
cool summer mornings, or the dry,
crisp days of autumn, there is no sport
! like it.
When, however, hunting the fox has
| succumbed to the icy influences of win
ter, the club might find excitement in
dog7sledging. No other pastime COM
bines more requisites of true sport. 1t
concentrates the poetry of motion with
the development of Drawn and muscle,
oils the wheels of free and Uninterrupted
imprecation, and tends to elevate the
ornamental yellow dog into an animal
of utility.
Suppose, for example, that you have
belligerent animal in your train that
misses no opportunity of countermarch-
ing suddenly in his harness and pros
trating the unoffending steer or lead
dog next to him; the attack being made
with so much vigor and suddenness that
the victim instantly capitulates, and
g turns turtle'' in his traces. This
unlooked-for assault is accompanied by
flank movement on the part of the
" "foregoer," who, whenever there is
any thing in the shape of fighting going
on, is sure to have tooth in on his own
account, and never being very particu-
lar whether he attacks the head of the
rear dog or the tail of his friend in
front. All this leads to fearful confu-
sion IN the train. The dogs Jump on |
one another; they targle traces and
back bands and collar straps into knots
and interlacings that battle your cold |
fingers to unravel. Very frequently
they roll themselves into one huge ball, |
rolling over each other in the snow un-
til they look like one hydra headed dog, |
with countless legs and unnumbered !
tails. Under all these provocations,
what are you to doP You climb out of
your sledge and try the whip, only to
find that its rapid application makes
them infinitely worse, by suggesting the
idea to Brandy or Capitaine that they
are being badly bitten by an unknown
belligerent. Nevertheless, you whip
and whip until, tired out to no purpose,
you hire some one else to continue the
process, after which you sit down in the
snow with misty impression that no
language can do justice to the subject,
until, in moment of frenzy you follow
the example of the poet of Perth, who
50 stoode in ta middle of ia roode and
swoore at large" AS though by magic,
the dogs cease fighting at the familiar
sound, and tug away at their collars in
peaceful tranquility, and the only true
secret of dog-driving is learned. 40
70 become thorough expert in dog
irving man should be able to impre-
cate freely and with considerable va =
,iety in at least three different languages.
No.one tongue affords expletives enough
% do the subject justice. The Indian
ongues are probably the poorest ones
employed in dog-driving, owing to their
poverty of expressive adjectives.
{ Michastrin'' is the nearest approach
o profanity in the Cree tongue, and
means, simply, bad dog. English af-
ords a larger vocabulary, and answers
he purpose tolerably well; but what
ver number of tongues the driver may
peak, one is absolutely essential to sue
ess in the art, and that is French.
}urses seem useful adjuncts in any Ian !
,uage, but curses delivered in French
viii get a dog through and over any
hing.
The sensation produced by the canoe
Ike motion of the sledge may be likened :
0 that gained by sitting on thin board 1
ragged quickly over badly macadam- 4
zed road. In driving a train, the beat ,.
ng and cursing are incessant, especial L
7 in starting One hears hoarse voice
alling out, Brandy, marche! Whis-
y, marche!" Immediately followed by a
yells from the covering dogs.
hen comes a fearful thrashing and Z
ounding, and the poor brutes move off =
owling.
After train of dogs has become worn d
ut toward the end of a long days =
ourney, the drivers often accelerate u
1eir speed by an operation known as u
sending dog to Rome'' This con- N
sts of striking him on the head with a 81
lrge stick until he falls senseless to the G
round. After little he revives, and .
18th the memory of the awful blows
lat took his consciousness away full
pom him, he pulls frantically at his
,ad. Ofttimes dog is sent to Rome O
ecause he will not allow the driver to W
range some hitch in his harness; then, d
lille he is insensible, the necessary al Z
.ratiOn is made. and on tho animals