New-York tribune., 1886-01-22
U1yDSLED or TOBOGGIN3

We observe with q good deal of surprise an
attempt on the part of so conservative paper as
The Boston Poet to exalt the tobOggan at the ex-
pense of the sled 1t labors to curry favor for the
former by arguing that 1t is safer than the latter
The sled" says The POst will run wherever there
| il pitch and snow enough. toboggan Will not
| Though having a more primitive origin, IL really
demands the intcrpostion of art to greater extent
and in this cooperation is included fair degree OF
security against accidents. IObogganing Is really
safer than coasting.'
One can well imagine the righteous anger that
will ell the soul of the small Northern boy when he
| reads this unprOyoked libel on the nohenslve
American sled In his eyes the sled Is one OF the
institutions Of the country, so he reSents any
conspiracy looking to Its supersedure by the
toboggan. IIe has no quarrel with the toboggan
provided it will keep lts place, and he holds that its
place is Canada we'll over the border Or If It must
appear on the hills of the United States, he
demands that it shall exhibit tho modesty that
belts an unnaturaZed alien. What was good
enough for tho fathers is good enough for the small
boy They coasted the happy hours away when
thev were Young. and would have scorned the
suggestion that the splendid sport was attended by
any danger to speak of. The small boy, the worthy
son of brave sires Is not to be scared out of his sled
on the ground that tho toboEgan Is safer. In tho
vocabulary of the small boy there is no such word
as fear, so the missionaries who would fam convert
him TO the toboggan must try another tack.
aThe interposition Of art towhich The Post alludes
In ts plea for the tangled .tobosgan. has been
| remarked by the small boy. But he inssts-and
with reason that the Interposed art has mostly
been expended upon the costumes OF those who 60
| tobouqaning Tho small boy never makes an
elaborate toilet to coast His coasting garments
have the unadorned simplicity of his sled and of his
| character Not so with the tobogganers. They
dress for the sport carefully as they dress for
recepton. In The Albany Journals account of the
toboggan revel In which Governor Hill participated
| Is this paragraph:
The majority wore red suits Nth black trimmings and
toqucs OF the clap coort bIaek anu orsnse' Oeder 10
wore whole suits Of Oranse ana BLACK AIew ossayed 10
their suits match ther conrleAions ahl' thhHnH
thas red suits would make their lar faces look pale
wore suits mid colors OF ligt blno ana sCu draD
few costumes OF white nted down tho slide ks sialll
slides aud ono bright yellow one wnmIea oy on the
end OF a tOboggan looking like hospital nag at half
mast
This sort OF interpositon of art" of course adds
| picturesaueness to toboggauing but the small boy
is justified In taking the position that it does not
furnish security against accidents" The Post is
| equally maladrot in its allegation that there Is
more cooperation about tOboggan than about
| n sled. after admitting that tho sled will run
wherever there arc pitch and while the
toboggan will not The small boy laughs n
sceptical laugh at the proposition that the kindly
! spirit of cooperation can reside in n would-be
usurpcr of his sled. which demands something more
than pitch and snow before it will act the motto
Jacilis desoensus.
| = However. the world Is wide and steep in Places so
that there is room alike for the sled and the
tobogVan The latter may come it to DO
here. But the former is not going to go.