The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1893-03-16
SlOD WITH SNOWSHOES.
Horses of tho Sicrras That Wear
Strange Footge,.r.
They Are Compelled to Pull Heavy Loads
Across the Mountaias-A Travellers
Interesting Description of
EiS Trip.

Eis Trip.
"Wcll, can't say that I've seen
| horses skate, but I've seen them do the
next thing to it-use snowshoes and do
their work with them on just as well as
if they didn't have them on, or nearly
so," said gentleman from California
the other evening to New York Herald
man.
This is the way it was: About the
middle of April 4 year ago, had busi-
ness up in Plumas county, California,
and went by stage running from Oro-
vile to Quincy, the central point in
Plumas county. We left Orovillc at
seven in the morning in four-horse
'jerlSy.' 4 sort of stage wagon specially
built for rough mountain work. For
the first six hours the road was as dry
as board, but after the noon change
of teams we struck patches of snow
which soon merged into solid and deep
snow going. Tom, our driver, had
called my attention to the new team as
1t was being hitched up, saying:
'Them's our snow horses. Well soon
have to leave the wheel and take the
''sledders" when we get further up the
road
Though | had ridden behind and
upon many kinds of horses in the west,
yet had never been introduced to the
snow breed before, and l looked at
them very closely.
'They were all four white or gray,
whether from age or natural disposition
/ couldn't tell, but was much inn
pressed by their tremendous self-con-
seriousness, their extremely slow mo-
tions, the deliberate way in which they
stepped, straddling their legs rs far
apart as possible, and their reluctance
to raise mere than one hoof off the
ground ut time. Every one of the lot
was old enough to vote, and at rough
estimate twenty dollars head would
have been about fifteen dollars over
their value. At the end of the trip
thought twenty dollars apiece was fully
nine hundred and eighty dollars less
than they were really worth.
Don't think much of 'em, do you?'
asked the driver of me as he started
them up with click. No. he contin-
ued, they're not much to look ut, them
four old hide packers, but the company
wouldn't trade that lot for the best
eight flyers in the crackest livery stable
in Sacramento. But for those invalua-
bic critters tho mails wouldn't get
through six months in the year on this
route. They're snow horses. they are.
and when they strike the snow higher up
they'll put their snow moccasins on and
show you valley people how they earn
their oats
THAT old gray quartctte plodded and
worked its way along very wearily to
us until we got into the deeper snow
and drew up to n large sleigh standing
alongside the road.
"'Change cars called ont the driver,
and gents will please shift their own
traps or they'll get left Unhitching
his team from tho 'jcrky,' Tom lii.ed up
his horses in pairs in front of the
sleigh and then took out of it couple
of gunny sacks, from which he pro-
duced sixteen pieces Of wood having the
appearance of fiat dishes. which he said
were the snowshoes used by the four
horses. examined the Shoes with
mach curiosity.
"The shoe was made of q stout, sea-
soned, onc-inch plank of tough hickory
wood, fourteen inches square, strength
ened on one side by q covering OF OIL
cloth and two one-ineh wide strips of
hickory wood screwed on to the main
plate. So situated that when adjust.
ed q horses foot would be right in the
center of the shoe were three holes
cloar through the wood and oilcloth
underneath. Ono OF the holes was
largo enough to let the heavy and very
high toe callS Of the horses shoe pass
through, while the two other holes as
readily permitted thu two hind callss OF
the shoe 10 enter and come out as did
the toe cal,s Then q wrought iron
band, separated In the center, swung
on hook and eye on either side OF the
borse's hoof after he had been fitted
with the snowshoe, by passing the
calhs through, was brought together In
front Of tho hoof an inch below the cor
onct, and then tightly Joined by screw
md nut passed through holes bored In
the projecting ends OF the band. Ev-
erything fitted as snug us possible, and
when the screw was frightened up no
amount Of scraping or kicking could
loosen II from q horses foot The snow
team understood the business perfectly
and took II US u matter Of course that
they should be thus decorated.
"Thcy actually seemed to know q
little more about II even than Tom did. |
Indeed, one old plug held up his off hind
foot and knocked Tom on the nrm with |
his shoe Us hint 70 have the nut
screwed n little tighter on the Iron
band. Though never before saw
horses no quccrly shod md apparently
anchored with these strange gcarings, |
the animals seemed 10 consider II quite
the proper thing TO have the shoes on.
"The passengers having by this tIno
piled nll their traps into the sleigh we
made another start Tor Quincy, but nj
a snail's pace as far ~ speed was con.
ccrncd. After we got under way wc
found the snow getting deeper every
yard. until In places. Judging by tho
trees, IL must have been at least fifteen
feet deep, became quite interested
In the sagacity Of the four horses and
their singular clcvcrncss In handling
themselves on their unusual footing
found out why they were no slow In
moving and why they straddlcd no
wide. Their slowncss was 10 prevent
sinking too deep In the snow from the
heavy trcading and the straddling 10
Keep them from skinning their legs or
cutting n tendon with tho edges Of the
'snowshocB.'