The Portland daily press., 1883-01-16
A Winter Carnival.
The Programme of the Gala Week at
Montreal.

Montreal.
Montreal citizens are just now looking for
ward to much pleasure from the winter carni-
val of outdoor sports to take place during the
last week of January. Il is expected to be the
Inauguration of annual events oil this kind,
and preparations are being made on large
scale to insure its success. Winter sports in
Canada quarter of a century ago were con-
fined chiefly TO the boys of English and Scotch
families, then resident in most of the large
cities. In the young country the senior has so
much to do with earning the bread and butter
that sports with them were looked upon as so
much time thrown away. The French ele-
ment seemed to find no time for outdoor amuse-
ments then, the dancer of La Belle France
and more comfortable freside games claiming
most of their attention. They have not en-
tirely recovered from their apathy in this re-
spect, for while there are many score of snow
shoe and skating clubs throughout Montreal
and the suburban villages, there are not more
than one or two in which the French descend
ants. leaving the sports of the fireside, indulge
in the more vigorous ones Of the hillside, val
ley and ice-locked ponds. The boys of %
years OF age are the leading men of Canada to-
day, and, to their credit it NAV be said that
their love for outdoor sports has grown with
them. From the late Sic Hugh Allan down
to the youngest member of the snowshoe clubs
all have gone into the work of preparing to
make the carnival success. The result is the
preparation of an excellent programme.
An ice palace is to be erected at some promi-
nent point of view, its main turret to reach
156 feet, while its other dimensions will be in
lrn1 W..
with the electric light, and the effect is ex-
pected to be very fine, especially as eolored
glass is to be used in its construction. Two
days OF trotting races are arranged for, these to
take place on the frozen bosom of the St, Law
renee. Cutters, of course, will be attached to
the trotters and some excellent prizes have
been provided for one day of gentlemen's road
sters, and money prizes for the professional
men. There will be also grand curling bone
peil, in which all the clubs under the iurisdic-
tion of the Royal Caledonia Curling Climb are
expected to compete. This game is one much
played here A very attractive feature of the
carnival will be the skating night at the Vic
toria Rink. grand historical procession in
connection with this is on the programme,
which seen in the light of thousand Jets, will
have very fine appearance. An afternoon
will be devoted to snowshoe races. The snow
chloe has almost ceased to be utilized for any
thing except pleasure tramps across the toun-
try. AT one time in the history of Canada the
snowshoe was exceedingly useful. Her maj
estys troops were always instructed in its use.
In fact an army would be useless in this eli
mate during the winter without it, But now
adays moonlight strolls with the ladies, to
whosefeet it is the duty of the cavaliers to fit
thesnowshoe, is one of the attractions to make
snowshoeing sport. Then the rendezvous OF
each particular club in the country, some
three or four miles away, sometimes dozen,
make long tramp from town. The more
ia nil ioll he
company generally is Sometimes nearly 100
snowshoes are in Indian file, following their
chief. Often in the racing competitions In
dians are pitted against white men, whom
they always outrun in the long distances, but
are beaten in the short distances up to half a
mile. On the evening of the snowshoe day
there will be procession of snowshoers by
torchlight The route will be taken up the
side of Mt. Royal, the snowshoers to disperse
at the summit, each seeking its own head
quarters
Tobogganing, or Indian sleigh coasting, will
monopolize one evening, and the slides at Cone
street, Antoine, will be Illuminated with cleo
trio lights. AS this sport is almost exclusively
Canadian, word may not be amss in deScrip-
tion OF it, The toboggan, or Indian sleigh, is
made from long, Hat strips OF hickory of a
thickness of from one eighth to one quarter of
an inch, and from IS inches to 80 inches wide,
according to desire, while the length may vary
from three to seven feet. The long strips that
are fastened together to make the desired width
are turned up at one end, after the manner of
the old Dutch or ''turn-up'' skate of 20 years
ago Upon the toboggan may be placed a
cushion or not, as to choice. Generally there is
very good cushion on each. The steering is
done by the gentleman In charge of the tobog-
gan, who sits in the stern of the craft, with his
cargo of ladies fair in front of him, Some to-
boggans will hold five or six adults very com
fortably. All who make til trip get upon the
toboggan, just on the brow of the hill or Slide
The sherman is the last to embark. He is sup
piled with sharp-pointed hickory stick, about
four inches long, one held in each hand. He
is gently pushed over the top of the slide with
the freight OF ladies' If he finds his craft veer
to the right he strikes hard with the right hand
stick into the snow to bring her straight again.
All the time he and his toboggan are careerng
toward the foot of the hill like the wind and
be must be clever if he would miss an upset.
His bevy of fair damsels do not like to be up
set and rolled unceremoniously over the gener-
ally frozen surface of the hillside: Thus he ex-
erts all bis energies, and, if he is strong and
clever, brings his craft safely to the hill bot
tom. Then there is walk back in the moon
light or torchlight to the summit OF the hill,
and the ride is repeated. But while the steers
man must know his business in regard to the
safety OF his craft, he must also be accomp plished
in the knowledge of how to upset the toboggan
into soft snow bank. Some of the jolliest of
the parties rather like to be suddenly hurled
have their stout beaux pull them out again.
The advantage of the tobogganer over the bob
sled is that, on the former, spill means only
shake or two. AS the toboggan skins along
with only an inch between his body and the
snow, he has not far to fall when the upset
comes. Woe betide him, though, should he
run into tree. A few lives have been lost in
this way by reckless and venturesome gentle
men,
But. leaving the outdoor sports, attention is
drawn to the grand ball at the Windsor Hotel,
which is to close the week of carnival The
governor and all the provincial leutenant-gov-
ernors, members of the cabinet of Canada,
mayors of New York, Boston and other Ameri-
can cities; Governors of States adjacent to Can
ada and mayors of Canadian cities are to be in
yited to this ball. This, it is hoped, will be the
crowning event of the carnival Arrangements
are being made by railway companies for ex-
cursion rates during the week, and should the
committee of management meet with the assis-
tance of Jack Frost, and obtain fine weather.
very much enjoyment will be had by those who
love the Canadian winter sports.