The New York herald., 1879-01-04
SLEIGHING And SKATING
Thousands of Pleasure Seekers Defy
the Freezing Weather.
JINGLING BELLS AND SWAPPING WHIPS
Central Park Thronged- Clouds Of
Picturesque Equipages.

and "took it out Of all the sieiahriders 1t howed
all through tho night on Thursday with diabolcal
malice, and was up betimes yesterday morning
earnestly set upon spelling sport.
'.In be blowed if don't go sleighing to-day"
said well known horseman in the Astor House
rotunda yesterday about noon.
"You'll be blowed if you do" responded his friend
who stood near and who had been outdoors. Then
several persons smled-at the horseman's expense.
1t was easy to talk about sleighriding but it was
hard to get the Sleigh "what shall do ?" exclaimed
a lady, young, fair. wealthy and exceedingly chic, to
the writer Then she explained the predicament. II
can't get sleigh. can neither buy nor borrow nor
hire I've sent my coachman to and -
and - mentioning the principal carriage makers).
and they all say there isn't sleigh to be had in New
York"
Everybody wanted q sleigh, for, after Thursdays
beginning and the unrelenng freeze Of the twenty
four hours following the storm, the roads were
to be in capital condition Everybody who could
get sleigh got into it and then it that partc
ular exclamation began to be heard All up and down
Fifth avenue people said "whew!' 1t especially
in Fifth that they said it, because there the
seighs to be found and everybody who has read
DR.. Franklin knows that sleigh is the coolest
place in the world 1t was especially noticeable that
people cold when they crossed the Grand Circle
ut the Fifth avenue entrance to the Park Here they
the writer and then with sort of defiant malice
continued, II suppose they all say whew' to draw
attention to the whews of their trappngs. They're
not whewsed to this sort of thing, suppose"
"Whew are you talking tor said the writer, and
presently there was one less Park policeman:
HOW MERRY sLEIGHRIDERs WENT OUT.
Like lightning the gayly trapped horses flashed
across the noble esplanade into the Park. Half
mad with the excitement Of the smooth road. the
merry shouts and musical bells behind, the emula-
ton Of their drivers and the keen sting of the wind,
they pulled at their bits till the drivers arms were
fra6 Epf into m n Z IN
it seemed, than their drivers. they fairly few
along when the road was clear and when the gray.
There were not many ladies out probably
there would have been if the winter wind had been
"not so unkind." Yet many We're out. MufHed to
their eyes, with dainty and swathed in
furs and wrapped in fur robes, the heaviest and
warmest to be had, they laughed the wind to scorn
and drank the keen air, filtered through their wraps,
most greediy. They looked warmer than the men.
Perhaps they were bur there little choice. The
Park bitterly cold. 'Ever so far below zero,'
everybody said it must be. with the indefinite
ideas OF what zero really is. The wind came across
from the Palisades, leaping the North River at q
single bound and gathering all the tiny crystals OF
drift thut lay loose in the way it hurled them
in binding piercing terrible cloud across the
roads. 1t impossible to through these clouds,
and it seemed almost impossible to drive through
them, but to the horses the weather proved
with rage they vet seemed to enter into the sport
with the keener zest, and no horse was out who
showed less than his best gait.
SOME OF THE TURNoUrS.
The style Of equipages varied as the day
before Every thing that could be fastened on run
ners was in use, that many grotesque turnouts
were seen but the handsome ones were far in the
majority. One of the handsomest of all went by as
the writer entered the Park. 1t was drawn by two
magnificent high stepping grays. perfectly matched
in mcttle size. color and action, and gayly capari
soned. Long crimson plunes hung from their ears
was ornamented i'll gold, and each saddle was
an elaborate Russian bell set of bells. apparently,
OF silver, musical and soft in tone. The ribbons
were handled by coachman portentous in ap-
pearance as drum major OF the seventh regiment,
beside whom sat q groom as elaborate. but not
large black and would have seemed
heavy had slighter span been drawing it. 1t wa
low in the body, with high drivers seat in front
Of which the dashboard curved in Hogarth's line OF
beauty. Behind were two seats, on which four
ladies' sat- There were or It looked as though there
coors of the ladies' wraps made them look like
forest in autumn.
little way behind came more modest, but not
less elegant equipage. 1t was drawn by. black
free action The sleigh was black, prcked out with
gilt and modelled somewhat like Hanson cab.
the drivers seat being behind and above the body Of
the Sleigh coachman in livery drove. and in front
sat a lady and child.
A turnout that attracted fully much attention
to the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. also to the inmates~was .
large red sleigh. 1t was drawn by two horses. big
bay and little gray, both of which were more re-
markable for bone than for blood and both of which
were evidently accustomed TO much harder work
than drawing sleigh. Their bells loud and as
II.
while the harness picturesquely patched with
small pieces of clothes line. The sleigh the body
of q huge wagon mounted on four old fashioned
bob runners, and its seats consisted mostly Of
abundance of straw at the bottom OF the wagon Tho
number of people in the sleigh it impossible to
tell. There were ever SO many grown people. and
apparently small child for each straw They did
go out for STYLE IL evident but they seemed to
enjoy looking at the gay phantasmagoria Of which
they part, well as though they had had the
handsomest cquipage in the Park
Beyond the Park. for nobody knows how many
f,,Il .g a.
along the road went the colder it grew, and Tho
more evident was the necessity OF stop. At every
Whoa every one that thrs,eth." the sheds were
full of blanketed horses while the pazzas and bar.
rooms were filled with lovers OF trotting.
HOME.
Coming home, as it was the day before. harder
than going out, for ee clouds Of drifting snow had
to be faced. and sleigh ride became before 1t was
finished, O feat OF endurance not unworthy of COM
parison with Nine Andcrsons tedious series of short
walks Bursts OF speed. even when no half-frozen
Park policeman was IN sight, were Of less frequent
occurrence than on the way out, and toward night
the road was almost deserted. Few cared to go out
in the evening, even after the moonlight showed how
beautiful the Park would be ut night
SKATING SCENES IN CENTRAL PARK.
There were two methods OF skating greatly in vogue
Chamber cautiously along the banks of the lake
against the wind. making exceedingly slow and most
uncertain progress. The other was to try to stand
still the windward side of the ice. The results OF
the latter method were various The most probable
thing to happen was the speedy and disastrous over
utterly impossible, he would at start forward
propelled by the mighty breeze. His gar.
ments would at as sails, and as he would
go faster and faster the seeming certainty
of ultimate smash would his hair to stand out
faster and faster he would rush to almost inevitable
ruin. Few skaters even Of the most skful couldcall
themselves sure footed ut the tremendous gait the
wind made Imperative. and almost every one went
down who tried to sail before the wind II by .
favorng chance he kept his feet il matter of
small risk TO make curve dextcrously enough Of es.
care the Cbarybdis of the opposite shore.
so dangerous well AZ uncomfortable was the
sport that few, comparatively, attempted It, aud oe
these few n smaller proportion than usual were
ladies' Small boys, VINO had no fear of any conse-
ouepccs and who.s indeed were safest, Offering the
least ar,a of resistance to the wind were In a large
majority but the small boy grew speedily stiff
with cold, Notwithstanding the violent exertions he
made, and the warm rooms provided for shelter
were more crowded than the ice during the whole
afternoon The Ice said to be In good condition.
The statement is made with reserve Az the reporter,
prudent man, was well content 10 rely on hearsay
aridrnce. He for one, had desire To icmnt Prnxi.