The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1891-01-29
WINTER In NEW BRUNSWICK.
How tire People KaJsy themselves IN the
Domain % Queen We In the winter.
-Hov . Great TiaAl wave
Hsas Thigs Lively.-OthsF
n.s.-.sas-- $500

INV orN8h Nh0EA "8NC
Hsas Thigs Lisely.-0thsr
Isssrestins rspios-
81. JOHN, N. B. January 10, 1891.
DEAR JoURNAL:-An unprece-
dentsd fall Of snow lat least for late
years. has set the InhsbItants Of this
country thinking and specializing.
It has been their custom In the last
few years Of alleging that the great
snow falls Of their youth have dis
appeared. Some winters here there
has not been enough snow to make
good sleighing, and now that II has
"all come ut once" they have sbsnd-
oned the various theories which ex-
cite people about csues for dlsap-
pesranee Of moisture, snow falls,
etc. As / look upon the mountain
Gus banks which snow plows have
pushed to the sides Of the pavsments
and streets, ! recall old Cotton
Mather's quaint words In describ-
ing an extraordinary Massachusetts,
winter: There came on o snow,
which had covered the ground few
days before, made q thicker mantle
for our mother than was usual. And
the storm with Il was, for the fol-
lowing day, 90 violent rs to make
all communication between the
neighbors everywhere to cease.
People for some hours could not
pass from one side Of q street to
another" And even 80 was Il here
few days ago. The great snow
fakes fell rs do the leaves In the
vast forest In autumn-time, steadily,
lightly, kindly. II was like those
great flakes OF q Russian winter
which Nereschstgin has depicted so
startlingly on one Of his canvases.
There was no wind and q mild at
mosphere. 1t was such q storm as I
saw In my youth, but do not re-
member to have seen since. And
speaking Of the snow storm, natur-
ally leads me to speak Of some Of
the winter customs and some OF the
winter sports Of this climate. One
Of the peculiarities OF this country
In winter Is the wearing OF fur gar
ments. 1t IL almost universal and
yet one can hardly see any reason
for Il. In Boston, where the wealth
er Of winter IL as severe a. here-but
not SO lasting, you observe almost
as few fur caps, gloves aud garments
as In our Kansas land. One would
suppose that q person from the
sunny, balmy praIries OF Kansas
would jump into the furriest Of fur
garments upon his arrival in this
north land, especially II the natives
felt them absolutely necessary.
But ! affirm it as q solemn truth
that with the usual winter clothing
worn there II no more need for furs
habitually than i'm Kansas. They
are, where worn, here as elsewhere,
productive mostly Of sweat baths
alternating with chills, resulting
colds, pneumonia and other wintry
ailments. So, il you would don furs
In this latitude IL would be but to
follow the fashion. and that Is all.
On these hillsides which, follow
ing a wet storm, often become q
glare Of Ice, there Is some need to
step with caution, for you may go
sprawling onward. onward until the
waters of the harbOr are reached.
Hence what are called "creepers"
are in demand. Gentle reader, do
not suppose that TO wear creepers, IL
Is necessary to crawl abjectly about
on the knees, as In your nursery
days; for the instrument il not worn
at the knee. II IL q continuance
affixed tO the heel Of the boot. IL
contains several short spikes, which
make your tenure on Ice secure.
This continuance IL of such nature
that the spikes can be turned into
the hollow of the boot when indoors.
Now many wear these, but more go
on all the days Of their lives without
them at all necessary. AS
the man walks by, clad IN creepers,
there is sharp grating sound Oh
the pavement like mailed warriors
"heel stamping about In some dom
Another popularity TO remind one |
that ice IL treacherous, is seen In the |
lady pedestrian; tramping along
with q cane which has q spike In the |
end Of 1t. To see q finely dressed |
lady so equipped, feeling her way
along. Is To see In the i'm
agination one OF those long cloaked,
female worthless Of |
the Salem witch.ers Il beg pardon OF
the ladies for this allusiOn), or Of |
the celebrated Mother Goose picture
book. The aged dame thus falter-
ing along can be pardoned; but what
shall we say Of the young lady with
cheeks aud straight, 1.-the
form thus equipped. The mystery IL
thus solved: II IL the fashion. IL
was the Princess Louise upon her
visit here, who set the fashion, and
thus IL II attempted TO be faithfully
followed by the fair.
During these wiutry days there
have been the diversions usual In q
wintry climate. The snOw-shoe,
and snow-shoe clubs, and the tobog-
gan ride, are more particularly
Quebec sports, and are not common
here, although somewhat INDUCED
10. But the sled IL and has been
king Of the highways. Sleighs, and
al manners and conditions Of them.
rom the Russian sledge TO the old
fashioned "bobs," line the fine
iriyes from the city out into the
There 10 q merry jangle Of
sleigh bells, night and day, way In
he night, tin horns blown by sleigh
riding roysterers. make you sensible
hat you we're once young yourself.
Great many seated barges, with four
md six-in-hsud, 60 gliding by. The
nan Of wealth and station, with his
machine on runners, with
'oat Of arms and plumes and coach
nan rushaa nv Like a matanF Tha |