Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-03-02
BENEFITS SNOW-SHOES.
They Have II Record OF TWO Miles I'm
Four Minutes.

TODAY or tomorrow, saws the Virginia City
(Ney) Err prs', NJ. w p. Bennett, for
many wears superintendent Of the tea ms and
stages OF Wells, Fargo Il Co, in the days be-
fore we had any railroads, will send east the
snow-shoes on which be formerly travelled the
Sicrrss- The snow shoes are Of the Norweg
Ian pattern, and are as fine a pair as has eve,
been seen on the Pacific coast. They are made
Of white ash and are a little over 10 feet in
length. The balance or guide pole, Is also Of
white ash The shoes " Fill be shipped from
Gold Hill. They 20 first to Chicago, thence
to Toronto, Montreal and other places In Can
ada, when they will be sent to Norway, Me.
aud IL Niagara Fails. John j. Valentine.
head man of Wells, Fargo 81 Co. on the Pacif-
ic Coast, has given orders that the snOw-shOes
are To be carried free TO the east II they
eau find any one In Canada capable OF run
ming on these Norwegian shoes they will
nevermure boast Of the Canadian pattern Of
snow shoes On the latter a man cldmsily
wsllows along In the snow, but on the former
lie SIX ms over IL like a BIRD. Mr.. Bennett has
had several letters from Canada in regard TO
his Norwegian shoes. 1t appears that they
there wish to try them on their slides agaiust
their ~toboggans. Let them also try them on
snow against their own pattern Of snow
shoes.
February q. 1861. Mr.. Bennett made a
memorable trip across the Sierra Nevada
Mountains on the shoes he is now sending
east. He had strapped upon his back Wells,
Fargo X Co.'S, express, aud was In a big snow
storm for forty-fiye hours. The snow was %
feet deep on the two sumnits of the Srrrias.
Mr.. JuimesOn, All old stage man, was with MIR.
Bennett on The second summit. When they
reached that point tho storm ragged so furious
ly that they could not see which way to 20
They at last found the telegraph wire, aud
pulling IL up out of the snow followed IL for
a distance of five miles, making a little over
ha a mile M hour. In coming Up the sum
init they bad thrown awav their coats as be-
ing too heavy in their exhausted condition,
and being now in their shirt sleeves they were
almost frozen as they painfully followed the
telegraph line. Mr.. Bennett kept on till he
reached Fresh Pond iIill, where be gave out.
Not being able TO ride a horse, he was drawn
10 SpOrtsmau's Hall on a sled. When Mr..
Bennett got back 10 Virginia City from this
trip Mrs. John w. Mscksy (then Mrs. Bryant
aud a widow told him that twenty years
from that tine his snow-shoes would be
thought relics worthy of a place I'm anv muse
um Of curiosities. Twenty years have now
elatsed.
The fastest time Mr.. Bennett ever made on
the shoes he is about to send away, WAS from
the summit down the kingsbury grade into
Lake Valley. The distance Is two miles, and
he made II In four minutes. However, the
snowshoes ran away with him, or he would
not have made such time. Ii was against his
will, but when be started he could not STOP
could only use his guide pole and hold his
cor ..
r their eastern trip the snow-shoes will
pe taken 10 Carson and deposited among the
-elics kept at the State House.