National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-15
WINTER SPORTS,
The Thfrteenth-Street Fun Recalls Kate
eAfinH IncideutA Ont West.

The Thfrteenth-StreetP Pun Recalls knfer-
estinE Incidents Out West.
The sport of the boys Thirteenth street recalls
an incident of Michigan life many years ago. A
deep snow was followed by heavy rain, which
settled the usual downy covering into a mass al
most as solid as ice. In one of the fields owned by
farmer in the central part of the State hill
with rather easy slope of several hundred yards,
and at the foot long level stretch Of meadow.
| Here the boys used to slide down on their home
made sleds, and rare fun it vas. After day 50
the older members of the family went ont to look
on, and finally yielded to the mportunities of the
youngsters to take
JUST ONE RIDE"
The one ride stirred up the sluggish blood, and
the result was that one was followed by many
more. Twenty-four hours later and the neighbors
men, women, and children-had assembled to
the number of twenty-five or thirty. The moon
was full and the suface Ike glass. The little sledS
were too few and too small, and the inventive
genius of the farmer suggested big sled usually
used for drawing logs. Bottom boards were fast
ened to the sled, and dozen or so of eager and
delighted individuals got aboard. Down the long
hill they few and shot out over the broad meadow,
distance of nearly half mile. In the mean
time the farmer had ordered up one of the teams
of work horses, and they trotted off hitched on to
the Sled and the laughing chattering party were
soon at the
TOP OF THE HILL AGAIN.
Some of the more timid were afraid that the sled
might upset, and so means of transportation was
provided more safe and comfortable than the big
sled. A sort of fatbOat, known in that country as
'stOneboat" or "log-boat" as it was used for
drawing either article, was covered with straw and
buffalo robes, and upon these the passengers sat,
packed like sarines i'll box. This vehicle carried
them further still down the meadow, and, when
another of a similar sort was added by neighbor,
it required several teams to bring back the sledges
to the hilltop for another fly down the long course.
Night after night the sport was kept up, until
thaw spoiled the snow Later the same party Or
ganiZed an
EQUALLY INTERESTING ENTERTAINMENT
by cutting q hole in the centre of the ice on
neighboring lake and sinking large post. To the
top of this fastened asIna tree laid across the
end OF the upright post so that about ten feet of
the larger end was upon side, while the other,
which was shOrn ofall branches until it was scarcely
larger than mans wrist stretched out in an Oppo-
site direction To the short end pair of horses
were hltehed and to the other the improYiSed ice
boat of the hillside. As the horses moved
i'll a small circle around the post the boat
fastened TO the sweeping tree-top by long chains
swung out, and when the gait of the team was
increased to trOt the speed of the boat was like
the wind. Once the chains, which had been
heightened as much as possible to increase the
circumference ofthe circle snapped, and away to
the further shore sped the boat with its living
cargo, and long before it stopped the men and
horses were in hot pursuit of the runaways For
several winters this sport was renewed whenever
the ice was strong enough TO be perfectly safe.
That was sliding of the most eXhiarating sort