Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-01-09

killing adds many elements of exhilaration
and pcturesqucness to tho long and dreary
winter season. The sort. while not extra dau-
gerous. is by no means free from hazard 1t
takes considerable skill To guide a toboggau
along its swift course to the foot of the hill
and as much to get out OF the way of the
toboggan behind, which comes along as fast
as an express train Many of the tobosgan
slides are d mile long Like Mark Twai.As
jack rabbit, one caa hear the sliIers whining
iopy after they are out of sight The ele-
Eleut Of danger mates the So all the more
fascinating. The greater tie number Of to-
bog,5ans demolished. run INTO and their CAV
loa1s spilled, the rlCre tie Ilirth, the swifter
the toboc5a ans are made to cours. down the
slide tie Gore exciting the sport is and the
better lied The to.,cc-;;Saas start With
rush from tie head OF tie slide quickly in
succession, perhaps too close behind each
other for safe;Y-5ut the Eiore the merricr;
a9d 50 it goes, There is al intcxicatns fas-
citatlua aioat it all It is oven ntoncattrx
to watch t1eln
Cufhug Il another great winter sport
Nearly every city IL the northwest has a
curling club. made up for the most part Of
brawny Seats. One Of the finest organizs.
tions in the west is that in Milwaukee, wuare
there is large Scotch population The bon
spiels" are frequent, and the sport attracts
many admirers from all classes. The teams
play for medals. and the championship games
are universal events of more thai local in
terest a great Glapy snowshoe cabs have
sprung up in Minnesota and the country
beyond the past few years II is not known
il what country the snowshoe was first In
vented and put into practical use In nearly
all Of the Snowciad regions Of the north trey
have been found oil constructed OF the same
materials, and varying only in size and shape
The EsquirlauS and l.hplanders use them.
and they have been discovered il numerous
tribes IN northern Asia. In the museum Of
st lgnatius college at Rome pair of the,-s
Astatic silowshr-s are to he seen The snow
shoe is made entirely OF wood and oiled hide
or catsut. The frame consists of one piece Of
ash about half al inch thick bent to a long
oval and fastened closely with a cat-ut where
the two ends inset A strip Of Fat wood l.
then fitted across the frame about four inches
from the top the ends being mortis,d half
way through to hold it in place. A similar
cross bar is Fitted about two feet from the
ends TO give the shoe spring and
strength. The interior of this frarna
work Is then closely woven with cateut or
oiled hide, which allows it to pres on the
snow with the full weight Of a man with lit
tie or no sinking. A hole about four inches
square Is left behind the cente,' of the front
cross bar for the partial p-otrusion OF the
toes in iiftiny, the heel and carrying the shos
forward The original snowshoes measured
from two to SIX feet IN length aud from thir-
teen to twenty inches in width, but the
Standard shoe now in general use is from two
to four feet In length and from ten to sixteen
inches in width For club races the shoes arc
ordinarily reduced to the regulation widtA,
which Is ten inches Moccasins are slwnvs
worn on the feet whils snowshosing. Tie
shoe Is fastened by toe strap Of mooss skin
acros the back Of the to- opening, leaving
tbs haal tree to rise and fall In walking. M
clubs make weekly tramps across ths covu-
Try, have regular club houses and are social