St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-02-06
sNowsHoEs AND ToBoGGANINs.

SNOWSHOES AND TOBOGGANlNS.
Among the pleasant features arranged for
the carnival program to-day there will prob
ably be none more entertaining than the
concert given tonight by the Winnipeg
Snowshoe club at carnival hall. While our
people now know all about the mysteries of
tobogganing, they have only theoretical
knowledge of snowshoeing. 1t is true we
have number of snowshoe clubs in the car
nival organization and many of them are
equipped with snowshoes, But so far as
the practical use of the snowshoe itself is
concerned, probably not one out of ten
knows anything about snowshOe tramp.
The exhibition tonight will convey cor
rect idea of snowshoeing. The st. Paul
boys will also be enabled to learn some new
tricks in the art of bouncing from our Win
nipeg friends, who are skilled in all the arts
of the sport. Independent of the many at
tractive musical and recitative features
announced in connection with the even
ing program the entertainment will be
a valuable school to the young men of st.
Paul who are ambitious to become expert
snowshoers, and in this respect alone will
be worth ten fold the price of admission.
There is no reason why snOwshoeing in
winter should not become as popular with
our young men as boating in summer. 1t is
true that tobogganing is to become the pop
ular winter sport, because it can be enjoyed
by greater number of people and with less
inconvenience than snoWshoeing. Still,
snowshoeing is by far the manifest amuse-
ment of the two. The exercise is more
beneficial. There is more development of
the physical system and a great deal better
opportunity for the requirement and dis
play of skill. TObogganing is little more
than fast sleighing. There is no doubt of
the fact that it is beneficial. 1t is an ex-
hilarating sport and fascinating to the ma
jority of the young people. Its chief ben
eft, however. lies in the fact that it entices
people out of doors in the winter season
and gives them an opportunity to fill their
lungs with fresh air and to be stimulated
with pure ozone. On the other hand. snow
shoeing requires its devotee to leave the
city and to find his playground Oh the
prairie or in the woods where the
cruSted snow has not been broken. But
when once away from the limits of the
snowshOer has more fun in an hour than
the tobogganer could have in day. He is
not limited to one slide. The boundleSs
prairie offers field for trial of his skill.
When the end of his course is reached he is
not compelled to toll back up a steep in
cline, dragging his vehicle after him. Nor
in the enjoyment of his amusement is he
compelled TO sit with cramped limbs while
gliding down the groove which has been
constructed for him. and trusting entirely
TO the mercy OF his motor, which he is una
BILE to control. TO bring him safely to the
end of the slide. The snowshoer selects
his own course and goes in whatever direc-
ton he is inclined. He is not confined to
beaten paths He is his own pilot and his
own engineer. He is himself the motor.
The snowshoe is his servant, to carry him
whithersoeyer the master listeth. To the
ambitious man there is more inspiration in
snowshoeing than in tobogganing. because
it has less the feature of automatic work
about it.
Our Canadian friends prefer SHOWS hoe
ing because they have become expert in it.
and know its superior advantages 1t is
singularly fortunate that the carnival has
been visited by our Winnipeg friends
We are novices in winter sports. AS sin
gular as it may seem. still it is none the
less true, that the people of st. Paul knew
as little of outdoor winter amusement as
people who live in the farther South until
the carnival spirit seized us. Then it was
we began to study up those things. Anc
the more we learned about them the more
interested we became until now the indi
vidual who is not tobogganer or snow
sheer actually feels lonesome. Our to-
boggan slides have given US the opportunit,
TO gain thorough. practical knowledge o.
that sport. But, as to snowshoeing. W.
know little beyond the theory and no
muah of that. Consequently tbs informa