The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-03-14
srRIplNG ON sNow-sHoEs.
Useful Invention borrowed from the
Indians Its Art aud Mystery.
Montreal Co" Philadelphia Rec3rl.

Indians Its Art aud Mystery.
Montreal Co.. Philadelphia Rec'ri.l
The Indian snow-shoe is very differ
ent thing from the long, thin, wooden
skate on which the natives OF Scandina-
via slide over the drifts and down tho
bills. and which, el6ye, has been in
.roluced into the mountain regions OF
the far west. Take a fish shaped frame
of tough wood two and half or three
feet long, and ten or twelve inches
across at its widest part--ten inches Is
The regulation racing width-an put in
two light cross pieces near the head and
tail. Fill the compartm thus
formed with 4 netting of fine strips OF
deer skin, leaving near the upper bar
an open space rs lars as tho paIm OF
your hand, curve the wooden frame a
little forward and you have the snow
shoe. 1t weighs only few ounces, but
itS supporting power is immense. The
theory is simple enough that of the
expansion of the sole of the foot, so
that broad surface is obtained and
the weight SO distributed that the shoe
scarcely sinks an inch in the snow.
Tho mecca sin is this only wear with
the belle rauurtte a stoit toe strap
IF deArskin eros ies tho snow-Shoes just
aft of the upper cross bar. and under
this the snow=shoer slips his toe, lash
ing the snow shoe to the foot with fine
strings of hide. Only the toe Is fas-
tened. as the contrivance of wood ard
netting is to tc dragged or scu led
along, not liftel bodily. Its width,
which at first seems formidable, is in
reality no impairment, rs the expert
slips ono foot over the other rs he takes
his stride. IF course, the shoes worn
by woodsmen and lunberers, who carry
heavy burdens and have to make their
way through un3roken drifts, are much
broa nor and stronger than those em-
ploycd in racing or tramping, but the
principle throughout is the same.
The stranger who experiments with
the snow-shoc is apt to pronounce it an
embodiment of total dcpravity. Hav-
ing arrOyod himself i'll blanket coat,
Slsh, tn ne. mittcnS, knlckerbockors,
lcygings and moccasini and fastened on
his snOw-shocs, his literally first steI
is to move Off and set the toe OF one shot
firmly on the tail of the other; then,
when he undertakes to lift the latter
tot hu makes frantic and undignifeC
effort to stand on lis head, and tumble'
ngloriously on his face, driving hi
arms into the snow up to his shoulder,
the insinuating capacity of snow
un Tor such circumstances is incredible
and anchoring his feet by entanglint
his snow shoes.
But when once tho art and mystery hav(
BON mastered he will DO convinced that
he has acquired the very poetry Of mo
ton. A long stride is necessary to clea
tho shoes. there is no backward slip; tn
frosty air makes activity indispensable
and the Who'll, frame CLOVIS and tlngle
gloriousiy. The eNertion is so Sigh
that one no more feels his snow-shOe
than bird its wings though there is
NAL de raquotte resulting from over
work, especially with heavy shoes i
wet snow, which makes the sufferer fe'
1T every step as if tho bones Of b
instep had been broken, and the fra
turcd edges were GRADING on each otht
and he goes stridng over the drift
leaving behind him "a trail as of SON
gigantic prcadamite bird with cane ses
charbottoms for feet, proudly pityin
the pedestrians who struggle throug
thc snowy paths and the sleighers wi
B liver under their buffalo robes.