Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-07-12
v sumriEa DOWN A MOUNTAIN.
snowshoe Thorapson's Remarkable Leap OF
$50 Feet.

Snowshoe Thorapson's Remarkable Leap of
1870 Feet.
The sport OF ski, /" or snowshoe run
ming. so long popular in the Sierra
Nevada mountains, is beginning to be
practiced in some OF the northern of
the Atlantic states. An eastern ex
change says: ''Ski running, Scandi
navian sport, is becoming popular in
Minnesota. The performer slides
down hill on long wooden skates, or
foot toboggans, and at prepared jolt
makes leap into space. Ninety five
feet is the longest ski jump on record
In Norway.
Ninety-fve feet seems a immense
leap, but it has been SO far surpassed
in the Sierras that no fastener need
ever try for the championship. The
champion ski runner and leaper of
the world was John A. Thompson
better known as "Snowshoe Thomp-
son"-who died in Alpine county,
Cal, about thirteen years ago.
Thompson was born at Upper Tins,
Prestije1d, Norway, April 80, 1927,
and died at his home in the Sierras
MAY Is, 1876. He was the father OF
the whole race of snowshoe runners
of the mountain counties of Califor-
mia. He made the first pair of Nor
wegian snowshoes ever seen on the
Pacific coast.
Thompson's greatest leap was made
on the side of steep mountain just
west of the town of Genoa, Douglas
county. Darling down the side of the
steep mountain he made leap of 1SO
feet. This leap is vouched for by w.
P. Merrill, postmaster at Woodfords,
in the high Sierras, and by several
citizens of Genoa. The leap was made
from a terrace half way down the side
of the mountain, and the leaper landed
in drift of snow over fftv feet in
depth, where for a time he was buried
out of sight,
G. P. Gregory now deceased, who
was for some years neighbor to Snow
shoe Thompson in the mountains,
said, in speaking of the feats of the
great ski leaper: = did not see him
make his great jump off the side of the
mountain back of Genoa, but | have
often seen him make leaps of fifty anC
sixty feet at Silver Mountain, Alpine
county"
The people of Silver Mountain min
ing camp were wont to amuse them
selves in winter by descending big
mountain near the town and ther
darting down to a valley below or
their snowshoes. They had starting
point only about half way up the side
of the mountain. Snowshoe Thomp
son sometimes Joined these parties O.
ski runners. He was not satisfied with
a run down half mountain-ht
wanted it all.
He would circle round till he haC
reached the highest peak of the bis
mountain. He would then utter thu
wild war cry of the old Mortimer, an(
then with his balance pole poised hori
zontally before him in both hands
would come flying down the side o
the mountain like fiend of the wind
When he came near to the crowd O
townspeople standing midway dow
the mountain, Thompson would stool
almost to the ground, then suddenly
springing up would go sailing through
the air high above the men and wome1
watching the descent. At times h
would make several leaps, each o
from fifty to eighty feet in a singh
descent. His ski leaping was not
little like "sky flying"
Snowshoe Thompson was a yer,
sinewy and powerfi Il man. He stoo
six feet in his stoefT ngs and weighe,
$50 pounds. He had the blonde han
and beard and the blue eyes of hi
Scandinavian ancestors, the old Sc
rowing Northmen.-Virginia City En-
terprise.