Passaic City record., 1893-01-14


saw.
It was pretty hard for the haymakers
in the summer to swing the scythe and
rake the hay up and down or back and
forth across the steeply rising ground.
Mr.. Swazey, who owned most OF the
slope, declared it was standing tempta.
ton to rival the vineyards ne had seen
on the river Rhine by planting terraces
of grapes across its bosom.
It remained for Ella Waldron to dis
cover the true purpose for which this bill
was formed $50 she sald. 1t was IN the
earlv winter of 1885, when the snow COW
cred the whole expanse that she caught
the inspiration as she looked up its
dazzling cloak of pure white to where,
half mile above, Swazey's south gable
just peeped over skeleton trees.
ssWhat q toboggan slide!" she ex-
claimed.
Twenty seconds later she was before
the gate, starting up the high road with
the intention of unburdening her mind
into the responsive ear of Will Swazey.
One of the town boys was just COM
ing along on the way up the hill. 1t was
Dick Carson, Wills chum.
ssGood afternoon, Miss Waldron. I'm
going up to"
.sOh, Dickl' interrupted Ella, unable
to restrain her enthusiasm. 'sPve got
such an ideal You know the Swazey
hillside, behind the house-such to-
boggan slide! And we can form club,
YOU know and-and I was just starting
up to see Will about it. Don't you
think it's perfectly splendid ideaa"
sH'mm exclaimed Dick. ssSeeing
that l was going to propose the same
thing to Will, think the idea is pretty
fair"
mo, we're you really2 Well, come
along then and we'll"
ssNo-o, I guess not, returned Dick,
with a pretense of doubt. 81 guess I'll
turn back and mail an order to New
York for toboggan and an outfit. J"
s.What for9 There's plenty of time.
Besides, it isn't settled yet"
ssoh, yes it is-if you're going to tell
Will you want it,"
sOh. you tease" cried Ella with a
little flush. s'Come along, now, and
don't be saucy."
And this explains how the Luna To-
boggan Club came to be formed, and
perhaps little more besides.
There was great excitement over it and
enormous curiosity, you may be sure, un-
til finally two crates of toboggans ar
rived from New York with boxes of the
regulation Canadian costumes for boys
and girls.
But the winter seemed to have passed
then, for the air was mild and the snow
had vanished. But change came and
one February afternoon big fakes began
to fall, faster and faster and next morn.
ing they were falling still and the hill
was sight to behold.
Everybody was late to school, for
everybody must look over his toboggan
and his suit, to make sure they were all
right, and then they all lost more time
as they gathered about VIII Swazey by
the gate and listened to his mothers in
vitation to great Inauguration spread
at their house after the sport was over.
For of course the Swazey house, just al
the top OF the hill was to be the head
quarters of tie club.
Words can hardly describe the gay
excitement of the night. Children and
parents alike came, the former wrapped
up to the ears in their brilliantly colored
suits, and dragging their toboggans, the
latter merely as spectators of the exhila
rating sport.
Ana such a scene as it was on thu
crest of this snow covered hill, with tn,
moon shimmering on long, glass,
crust sweeping down and away for yer,
nearly halt mile!
But when it came to taking the frs
plunge at this new sport, there was som,
hesitation.
.sCome along Ella; let us take th'
lead, and Ella responded with an alac
rity which, it must be confessed, sh,
really did not feel.
Everything was in readiness, the
were seated and wrapped in carefully
Will behind to do the steering; the
there was little push of the foot, th
toboggan moved over the brow of th
incline -wbiz. they were off like flash
gone almost as soon as started, into tn
deep shadow of the town outskirts.
There was breathless aDd frightenes
silence among the spectators until
faint, far shout came up from below
betokening that the adventures wer
safely landed.
Then clutching maternal hands re
laxe1 and the young people scramble
for the nexs start.
Will. with his usual brightness, ha
ordered every available family sleigh t
be waiting al q certain point to brin
the tobogganers back, and, as fast as
toboggan came whizzing to the bottor
amid perfect cloud of snow crystals
thaJ piled into the vehicle and wei