The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-03-28
SNOW SHOES.
How the Canadians Over
come Blockades.
The Pleasures and Danger of Cold
Weather.

A correspondent of the New York
Tribune, writing from Montreal, says that
verybody in Canada is mere or less of
snowshoer, or has been In his youth. The
use of the snowshoe in Winter is universal
outside the cities. The Indians, who con-
frIved them. OF course wear them, for they
have to make their living 10 Winter large
ly by hunting, and without the shoes it
IS Impossible to get about. The in
habltants" use them. too. for their work
about their farms and in cutting trees:
and in the country. where the roads are
badly broken, or dritted SO full that thew
cannot be broken at ALL snowshoes
are a necessity. And even those
who live in the large cities have occa-
sion to use them, not 10 sport. but in
very serious earnest. for was told the
other day by prominent member of
the Montreal bar ana @. g., that he
never made long jorneys in Winter by rail
without his snowshoes with him.
Trains are not at all unlikely to be
showed up IN Canada-their irregularity in
Winter after a snow storm is surprisingly
regular and excites no comment at all
and there few less entertaining places
than q snowbouud train. The lucky pos.
sesser of pair ofssnow-shoes, however, is
perfectly independent. and when he gets
tired OF the company Of his fellow travel
ers, or when the supply of food gives out
and the passengers are threatened with
death by freezing or starvation, he can put
on his shoes, and. without concern for
drifts or anything else. go off to the
nearest farm house and wait quietly until
the train is dug out again. The uDiyers-l
atty of snow shoeing led naturally to the
formation OF the snowshoe clubs, the oldest
Of which. the Montreal. was established
over forty years ago, With the institution
of the old Montreal Club, snowshoe races
which had been but little thought of
before. began to acquire a serious interest.
At the first the rivalry was chiefly
between the whites and the Indians, and
the latter. thanks TO the endurance which
they had gained from their out door life
and from their skill with the shoes. had
things pretty much their own way at
oil distances. But that did not
last long. The whites quickly be-
came as expert in the management of
the shoes as their red opponents, aud
having better turn of speed, got the best
Of them at short distances. though the
Indians retain their supremacy in the long
races. those of three aud four miles. and
do still believe. Itkis pleasant to read
amongathe winners of thirty years ago the
names of the father and uncle of the
Lamontague boys. Ernst and Rene, whe
seem to have won as many races for the
old Montreal Club in the last generation
as the yonger ones have won for the New
York Athletic Club in this.
From year co year the snoWshoe races
have increased in Importance. and have
gained lin interest as new clubs have
been formed. and friendly rivalry be-
tween them has sprung into life. Now
there are some eight or ten clubs ia this
city alone. and runners come from all over
Canada to take part IN the annual races
here. But the races are not By any m cans
the object AID end of the snowshoe clubs
They haya other. and it seems to me
better, purposes, one of which is the pro
motion OF pleasant social intercourse smonR
members; the other thu general physical
development Of all the members of the
club, not by severe and exhausting train
ing, but By weekly tramps Of moderate
length in which all the memb ers of the
club can take part. and which keep all the
men in good condition, without taxing
them TOO severelE.