The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-04-01
s A NEW JERSEY To6oGGAN CLUE.
lads and Lasses Taking slide-senaS
tions OF "nIcdihed Rapture"

lads and Lasses Taking . slide-senaS
lions Of "Mcdiaed Rapture"
The toboggan slide at Orange, N. j.,
consists of two rows Of posts that become
lines of red flags by day and Of fire and
coal oil smoke by night. Between these
runs a long trough that looks like grain
chute mile long. This wanders down a
long hill, across q little valley, and up a
smaller hill. 1t is alled half full of loose
snow. The participants in the sport,
with their toboggan, are fed in at the
upper end, and in due process OF time
are shot out of the lower end. Then they
climb up to the top, and the operation is
repeated.
The, toboggan resembles blackboard
without wheels, turned up in front.
Thoseof the Essex County club were
of maple and hickory. The Indian
article is put together with catgut; the
American imitation with rivets. The
more luxurious ones have cushions. To
thoroughly enjoy toboSganing one must
be gotten up in correct toboggan costume
The outfit Of tho club members consists
Of a knit cap with tassel, warr t1nic'
like go, z.vlla With a big. hood, knicker'
bock4rs, leggings and ;moccasins. The
~srame for women 10 similar, with the
customary substitution Of. a. short skir'
for the knickerbo bocGers, and q greater eH
ercise Of tassoI IN cut and color. ....
The mode Of procedure the othe1
night was as follows: The toboggan wai
put into the end Of the chute, which
came up to a square platform Like "a
spout into q wen-curb.' The bow-oars
man-so to speak-sat cross-legged, with
his knees resting on the dashboard. He
seized the ropes and braced himself. No
Q sat down in the same fashion. She
clutched No. by the shoulders and
murmured that they would die together
No. 8 did likewise. The steersman
doubled up his left leg and sat on it,
trailing the other behind in much the
same manner that the rudder is appended
to canalboat. When the starter So"
the last party disappear over the brow Of
the hill, he said sGo!" and 60 they did
with a rush.
When the steersman put the helm hard
a-port he kicked up a perfect cloud o1
snow. The sharp wind and the sharper
particles of snow smote the riders in the
face. The lamps and people fioated by
IN confused mass. Everything faded
and grew indiBtinct except the con
sciousness Saat the riders. were shoot
ing through space q and snow with
a gentle; pndulaing motion, with
out. jolt or jar. When the steers
man understood his business the
toboggan kept in the middle Of the road
When he didn't 1t caromed first on one
side Of the trough and then on the other
but It couldn't go astray, neither could
it run into q, convenient lamp post
There was, none Of the rumbling and
humping that accompanies ride on thu
double runner" Of New England or the
less pretentious 4bob-sled". Of Pennsyl
vania, There was no -o:se to tell how
fast the toboggan was going. The sensa
tions combined all the delights Of falling
down, down through unlimited space
without ti1g ti1gr-ttsrr7svSaaick r-ttsrra7svSac Of bringing az
against something hard. When the eX
perience Is ventured In any other than
the regulation suit, it is case Of amodi
fed rapture The riders hat blows of
he has faint sense Of being out Of place.
and a young geyser Of snow spouts VI
each sleeve to meet and mingle some
where in the neighborhood Of the back
bone.-New York Tribune. 81