Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-11
ENJOYING A SLEIGH.
The Metropolitan Idea of a Good Time
When the Snow Flies.
NOT LIKE THE OLD-TlME PARTIES
Plenty Of Toddy Takes the Place Of Cider
and 1t Comes High.
A SPIN THROUGH THE CENTRAL PARK
rconREspoNpENcr OF rHr p1srArcH

| NEW YORK, Jan. 10.-No man has ever
really gone sleighing until he has tried Gen.
tral Park. A few inches of packing snow
on top of q frozen surface is all that is re-
quired in the way of foundation for good
fun. If the air be dry and frosty-not too
frosty-just frosty enough to CONCEAL the
breath in tiny icicles on your mustache and
to cause your best girl to snuggle up to you
as closely as she can get-so much the bet
ter. 1fyou haven't any best girl with you
on the occasion. and 60 with city friend,
the sundry drinks you pick up along the
cheerful road houses on such day will
seem so much the better.
The air must be keen and frosty to make
sleighing enjoyable under any circumstances
and anywhere. Sleighing must have snap
to it-that is, some other kind OF snap
than that which pertains to the ownership of
horses and cutters. You discuss this feature
OF sleighing with your companion in the
Murray Hill cafe over a cold toddy-the
toddy should always be cold as you start out
and hot after you get in-and either the con-
versation, or the toddy, calls up tender
memories of the time you used to
Construct Your Own Jumper
With couple of ssplings, an Ak, q draw
ing-knlfe and an augur and drive forth over
shaggy and uncertain country road to get
spelled down" by some backwoods lassie
IN short hair and pinafore. The snow was
deeper and the sleighing better in those
days and there was more fun and less
| money.
Your companion, who was never in the
in hia in Dr,l1
is disposed to sneer you out of these opin-
ions. Where did you get such toddy, you
know? This proves something like settler,
though the real thing is 20 cents a drink
The recollection of having gone down cellar
for mug Of hard cider just before going
out with your Jumper" isn't worth mem
tioning to such man. But you venture it.
There was moral certainty you'd come
back sooer-I don't question that" says
your cynical city man. "Here we don't
even start sober We've got to put in three
hours this afternoon and we can't be racing
around all the time. The expense -'
How Expenses Roll Up.
The chuckle-headed young man who has
been holding your horse now comes in and
says the "'orse's been a waitin' 'alfn our"
The expense you mentally figure up as you
climb into the sleigh and give the chuckle-
81; four cigars, 30 cents; boy, 25 cents; time
on horse, 81 65-S3 20. And you haven't
started. 1t matters nothing moment later,
for you glide into Fifth avenue at the
swellest point of that swell thorouehfare
and become q part of the most wonderful
throng you ever saw in your life. There are
two professions, of one of which you are a
part, kicking snow into your neck, the
other kicking snow into your face. Thev
are made up of sleighs, carriages and de-
livery wagons-and as far as the eve can
reach there is no break iP them and no epd
The snow is banked high next to the
curbs, leaving but q single team distance
between the going and coming conveyances.
Out into this narrow passage an impatient
driver occasionally whIsks his frisky horse,
dashing forward at the imminent risk OF
collision on either side. Your CITY man.
with the observation that any fool can drive
In a country road, brings your cutter sharply
to the left upon the first opening and dashes
down this narrow defile, to show you what
bright particular fool can do in New York.
1t is very neatly done, though the space be-
tween you and the first sleigh is so finely
drawn that the paint is scraped from the side
of your cutter.
Has Plenty Of Dangers.
This is but an Insignificant incident, but
1t revives, for the time being, the recollec-
tion of the price and stiffness of the toddy
and proyokes speculation as to the probable
cost of the entire outfit laid down in Central
Park or Harlem. You can only draw a
long breath at each of these perilous dashes,
and, shutting your eyes in the teeth of the
whirling snow, mentally resolve that, if you
are kindly spared by Providence to return
unbroken to the bosom of your family, YOU
will either favorably consider the question
of hard cider or let this be your last sleigh
ride. For you are perfectly aware that any
remonstrances filed with your city friend
will be in vain as long as the sidewalks of
Fifth avenue are lined with pretty servants
and sightseers, and the windows OF the bor-
dering mansions are full of lovely and gen.
erous encouragement for somebody to get
killed.
That old trick you used to play when a
boy-taking outi the standards of the
old bobsleds and letting an old
fashioned wagon-bed full of boys and girls
slide off into the first corner snowdrift-
would be too tame Tor these people, And
yet that was right funny joke in your time
How the young fellows would scramble.
each for his girl! And how those girls
would shout and scream and flop around in
the snow bank! Even the old
Farm Horses Enjoyed That Fun.
Those young men would always swear
they'd thump the boy that did that job, but
there was always two or three of the pref
tiest girls In the crowd who would be sure
to kiss that same boy next day.
Central Park seems big enough for every-
body except on coaching days and slelghing
days. Then it appears to be little cramped
and circumscribed, not to say stuffy. On
this occasion, when every body is in a hurry,
it strikes you as particularly crowded, in
adequate for man of your means and
snowy prospects. Your old red cutter that
cost about what you are to pay for its use
this ride, takes up as much room as 81, 900
sleigh. You didn't think of this con-
foundedly disreputable old cutter before,
but are all at once conscious that you
wouldn't be seen riding into one-horse
Western town in such an outfit. You in
stinctively pull down the big fur robe so as
not to show so much of the cutters ankles,
as it were. The thousands Of magnificent
turnouts fairly dazzle you. The sleigh never
before struck you as admissible of so many
shapes, of such snowy trappings, of so great
an investment of money.
Nothing Too Fine There.
Nothing is too cloud" for q pair of fine
horses at Central Park sleigh. Moth
ing Is too gorgeous in drivers and footmen
and robes and plumes and other belongings.
Flaming yellow and yellow and black, red,
red and black (rouge ct noir), red and
yellow are the ruling plumes for harness
and sleigh. Sometimes saucy little POM
pom, or paint brush, of the horses colors
decorates the hats of the fair occupants, as
we'll as those OF the driver and footmen.
Far away, along the winding drives in