Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-03-08
BENEFITS SNOW-SHOES.
They Have n Record of TWO Miles In
-Four Minutes


To-day or tomorrow, says the Virginia City
(Nev.) Enterprise Mr. w. p Bennett, for
many years superintendent Of the teams and
stages of Wells, Fargo IL Co, in the days be-
fore we had any railroads, will send east the
snow-shoes on which he formerly travelled the
Serras. The snow shoes are of the NorweG
ian pattern, and are as fine a pair as has ever
been seen on the Pacific coast. They are made
Of white ash and are little over 10 feet H.
length. The balance or guide pole, is also OF
white ash The shoes will be shipped FROM
Gold Hill. They 90 first to Chicago, thence
to Toronto. Montreal and other places in Can
ada, when they will be sent to Norway, Me,
and to Niagara Falls. John J. Valentine.
head man of Wells, Fargo IL Co. ,on the Pacf-
c Coast has given orders that the snow-shoes
are to be carried free to the east. If they
can find any one in Canada capable OF run
ming on these Norwegian shoes they will
nevermore boast Of the Canadian pattern of
snow. shoes. On the latter man cidmsily
wallows along in the snow, but on the former
lie skins over it like bird. Mr.. Bennett has
had several letters from Canada in regard 10
his Norwegian shoes. 1t appears that they
there wish TO try them on their slides agains
their toboggaus. Let them also try them on
snow against their own pattern of snow
shoes
February %. 1867. Mr.. Bennett made
memorable trip across the Sierra Nevada
Mountains on the shoes lie is now sending
east He had strapped upon his back Wells,
Fargo ~ Co.'S, express, and was in big snow
storm for forty-flve hours. The snow was %
feet deep on the two SUBMITS of the Serrias.
Mr. Jameson, an old stage man, was with Mr..
Bennett on the second summit When they
reached that point the storm ragged so furious
ly that they could not see which way to go
They at last found the telegraph wire, aud
pulling IL up out Of the snow followed IL for
a distance of five miles, making little over
half mile an hour. In coming up the sum
init they had thrown away 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 Hin, where he gave out.
Not being able TO ride horse, he was drawn
TO Sportsman's Hall on sled. When Mr..
Bennett got back 10 Virginia City from this
trip Mrs John w. Maciay (then Mrs. BRYANT
and Il widow told him that twenty wears
from that time his snOw-shoes would bc
thought relics worthy of place in any muse
um of curiosties Twenty years have now
ELAPSED.
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
ne made it in four minutes. However, the
snowshoes ran away with him, or he would
not have made such time. lt was against his
will, out VIXEN he started he could not STOP
could only use his guide pole and hold his
cSg- ..
their eastern trip the snow-shoes will
oe taken 10 Carson and deposited among the
-elics Kept at the State House.