The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-03-20
eTObOgganing."

Then there is the toboggan sliding
''tobogganing," as it is called-beside
which your Boston coasting is simply an
appetizer to square meal. Whoever
would enjoy one of the most profound
and unspeakable sensations of life must
come to Montreal and take in the long
slide of the Montreal Toboggan Club
grounds. There is nothing in the way
of speedy motion which will compare
with it except CREASED lightning, and
there was no feature of the last carnival
more thoroughly enjoyed by the Ameri-
can visitors. For the benefit of those
who have not seen a toboggan, let me
say that it consists of long strip or
strips of wood about three-sixteenths of
an inch thick, from fifteen to twenty
four inches wide and from four to eight
feet in length, bent up at the forward
end and strengthened on the top side by
round side and cross bars about an inch
thick. A soft cushion is laid on to min
imize the effect of the bumps if there
happen to be any on the track. On this
cushion the ladies and gentlemen seat
themselves, generally tailor fashion,
eIO otOoioiAalA, AOH6NCI, EtCuHlllS9 Oh
his left leg with his right hanging out to
steer by. The load having been nicely
slowed, sometimes as many as half a
dozen persons, the steersman takes his
place, warning cry of "All ready
is given, and the toboggan is
gently started down the Hill. 1t
soon gains impetus and the sliders
gather themselves more tightly to-
gether, but this must be done
with caution, as any awkward move
ment is attended with danger to the
mover and the safety of the whole load.
When any part of your clothing tries to
blow away on toboggan Slide let it go;
any desperate or awkward attempt to
save it may cost you more than the
probable damage to the article About
quarter way down the slide your We
locity has increased very perceptibly;
half way down you feel as though you
were flying through the air, and Just
before you come to the foot of the hill
you seem to have taken leave of all idea
of time and distance, and to be making
one grand rush into space with just a
faint kind of conception of the possible
consequences of a sudden stoppage and
a kind of desperate determination to
| hold on and be brave about it, any
| way.
If you are on the long slide, you proba
| bly, lose your breath, and as you are
gasping for it you realize that you have
reached the bottom and are spinning
over the level snow at somewhat mod
flied rate of speed. Soon your tobog
gan stops, and you are suddenly reused
from the reYerie you have fallen into
during the closing run of your tobog
gan by the cry: up and out of the
way" and scramble up and out of tbs
track in a most undignified manner
| just in time to avoid being run over BY
a heavily loaded toboggan which file:
past you, having got its superior mo
mentum in consequence Of its greater
weight. So great is the rush on tn,
slides at times that the toboggans fol
tow close behind each other When YOU
begin to take stock of your sensations
you find your blood tingling at the emf
of every toe and finger. Your teetl
chatter possibly Your eyes sparkle
You feel as though you had had an ex
perince worth recording in your diary
and ten to one you want to climb tn
hill and try it again. Some people ge
enough in one slide, but they are usual
ly people who have not been able to ge
, their lives insured or have fear of dy
ing before their better halves. Al
healthy and properly constituted peopl
t want to try it again. -Montreal Con
Boston Globe.