Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-02-18
THE BOB.
Wherein 1t Surpasses Its Rival, the
TObOggan.

Toboggan.
Albany Argus.
Rome had It's chariot races and
Greece it's Olympian and Isthmian
games. the glories of which have been
sung by poets innumerable. But what
were they as inspirers Of enthusiasm
compared with the Albany bob9 The
patrician youths of the Eternal city
or the ardent competitors on the
shores of the Agean never knew the
tingIing sensation of sliding down
hill with score or more companions
on a lightning bob, with gong sound
ing, horns blowing, and a steersman
in dazed condition of mind, uncer-
tain whether he will run into horse
car, a policeman or snow bank.
The most frantic struggles Of the char
ioters in the Flaylan circus, or even
IN Byzantium, when the wars of the
green's and blues were at their height.
could not be compared, Ia the estima-
ton of the adolescent Albanians, with
the excitement of race between two
well appointed hobs on an icy slope,
with the delightful uncertainty OF
where they may land.
The toboggan may turn up It's nose,
or what serves for that nasal organ,
at what it considers it's plebean rival,
and claim certain fashionable prerog
atives. But the bob holds its own In
popularity, and goes its shining way
down hill in triumph. The dainty
toboggan must have slide especially
constructed for itself; the sturdy bob
asks for nothing more than a fair
spriHkling of SLOW and never winces
if it encounters a cobble-stone or two
on its journey. It does not believe in
discreet silence, either, but Justify an
nounces it's approach with all the dis
cordance that brass, tin and the lungs
of It's crew can furnish. 1t is as ten
derby cared for when not on duty as
the petted toboggan would wish, and
when in its snug quarters it is RECALLED
with stories of it's pow narrated by
the enthusiastic crew in their adjoin-
ing room.
The esthetically inclined may not
be able TO discover any quality of the
beautiful in the bob, but the small boy
does, and is ready to argue on the
subject at moments notice. Ruskin
says:
7sAny material object which can
give us pleasure in the single conten
platoon of it's outward qualities, with
out any direct and definite exert1on of
the intellect, is beautiful" Now, the
bob does not call for any direct
or definite exertlon of the intellect,
but as for it's outward qualities any
small boy in Albany will tell you
they are Immense" It has the ap-
pearance of the felicitous fulhlment
of functions in many things, such as
getting up to its destination in hurry
splitting its crew occasionally in the
most unexpected manner, and never
pausing for moment to consider
what may be in its way. There are
occasions in the brief life of a bob
when it inddlges IN sort of royal
progress Or triumphant procession,
On such occasions it is hauled around
the streets with brass band playing
uncertain music before it and legion
of enthusiastic urchins after it.. The
bosom of the bob, if the carpenter had
provided it with such an appendage,
would on such occasions swell with
pride The bob now reigns with un-
disputed popularity in Albany, in
spite of the rain, hoping for favor
able cold wave to show it's running
quality.