The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1888-02-29

feasting. The pleasures of winter ito
those who can afford them) nre certainly
greater than those of summer; and dwell
ers in the north already affect to pity
those of middle and southern latitudes,
"where snow cannot be depended on"
But south and north, in summer as in
winter, the appliances man has invented
to overcome climate give more pleasure
than the climate gives pain-in the one
the cool sherbets and flowers, the joys of
the ocean beach and forest; in the other
the sleighs and skating, the toboggan
slides and ice palaces, the hot suppers, the
rich robes and all the joys Of winter holi-
days, How painfully different with
our rude and remote ancestors. All their
legends abound in illusions to the horrors
Of winter; the night riding hag that came
on the north wind, Feuris and the snow
wolf, the demons of frost and the gaunt
goddess of famine that followed in the
train of the snow god. When the Gospel
was preached to the northern barbarians
they expressed natural wonder that the
Syrian Christians had made the place of
future punishment hot; their own ''helle"
came in an endless cloud of snow, and
bore the incorrigible to thrilling region
of thick ribbed ice," which was never to
melt. In all ancient literature we find
scarce an allusion to winter festivities;
but they did make a great festival of the
day when, according to their astronomy,
the sun started north once more and
promised spring-and that day has be-
come our Christmas.
The Russians were probably the first
nation to idealize winter. From them we
get the artificial ice hill. which, with the
addition of some Canada Indian features,
has become the toboggan slide, The RUS
SLAMS of century or two ago really en-
joyed winter, especially the wealthy
classes. They wrapped themselves in
costly furs and raced on skates or in
sleighs; they wallowed in the snow, rolled
over each other in rude sport and liked 1t,
The common people, clad in leather and
sheepskins, had still ruder sports. One
trick to try PEASANTS nerve was this:
Taking his stand on u point ten feet or
more above the water of a creek or pond as
the ice was forming, when it had reached
thickness sufficient to make the test se-
we're, the hardy peasant would plunge
head foremost through the ice, breaking
it at one place as he went down, and at
another as he came up. The man who
could break the thickest ice and come out
alive was the champion of the day.
From the Russians also we received the
design of the ice palace, which has been
all the rage in recent winters. OF course,
like oil other buildings, 1t began in utility.
The Laplanders, Esquimaux, Samoiedes
and other hyperboreans have utilized snow
and ice for setter against cold winds from
time immemorial; the Russians, first
using the ice hut as a temporary con-
venience, soon made it thing of joy, and
the Americans have, Of course, improved
on Russian designs Wonderful tales are
related of ice palaces on the frozen Neva.
Every school boy has read of the marriage
of the dwarfs, attended by the Russian
nobility, in the grandest of all the ice
palaces, built by direction of the gloomiest
tyrant of the Romanoffs. There is
dark addendum to the story, to the effect
that as morning drew near the little bride
and groom were stupefied with wine and
laid beside each other on couch of ice in
room which was then closed with ice,
this being their last sleep; but as it is not
absolutely proved, let us hope it is not
true.
The ice palace idea did not at first take
very well in America. 1t was looked on as
boys play, and for many year boys and
young men continued to pile up rude edi-
fees Of ice, gradually improving the style
and attracting more attention. At length,
in January, 1888, Montreal's gay citizens
took up the idea in joyful earnest and as
tonishePthe continent with their success.
Visitors came from every part of the
United States and Canada, and people
were astonished at the architectural pos
sibilities Of water-the solid blocks serv-
ing as stone, water, freezing as it was
poured on, serving as admirable mortar
1t was like new discovery. limitations
were Nany on the American side Of the
line the next year; but by common con-
sent st. Paul was soon recognized as the
winter capital for sports. Her first great
ice palace, in 1885, was a brilliant sue
cess; her second attracted the attention Of
the world, and her third, now in use, far
GEORGE THOMPSON, W. A. VAN sLTKE,
President First Vice President.