The morning call., 1893-01-02

q ing under favorable circumstances.
Imagine a keen, clOudleSs day, with a
bright, warmthleSs sun shedding its magic
rays upon a long snow-elotted incline.
1t is cold. bitterly cold.
The feathery facets OF the freezing snow
mantle glitter with thousand diamend-llke
scntillations, each of which seems to pierce
the retna, sending an icy shiyer down the
backbone.
Pedestrians. whose playtIme is past, hurry
by. wrapped to the nose in overcoats, shawis
and furs, stamping vigorously to keep the
sluggish blood from congealiRg in their
:. nunbed limbs.
Earcaps, thick boots and clumsy looking
gloves abound and the keen wind whistles,
. cruelty and gaiy wthal. through thousand
vain defenses.
The keen norther is playing the role Of
"I.a Belle Dame Sans Mere," and to-day
she is queen OF the whitened plains
But the children laugh at her prerOgatlye.
For them she is only another element of
delight. as with Frightened eyes, roster
cheeks and wildly flying hair they defy her
maddest caprices.
The hill is alive with quantity padded
little creatures in all kinds of fiower-hued
wrappings.
Little Red Riding Hoods are struggling
along with Little Boys Blue, painting up the
glorious slippery Hill. the surface of which
is SCARED with parallel intentions.
And the noise-it is regular Babel Of
ringing laughter, timoTous shrieks aud JOY
Gus chatter.
Behind each child or little group drags
the important center Of all this enjoyment
II is an Insignificant object enough. but
none the less the result of all-working
egoiution's experience.
The first sled for children. was probably
little rOugkeF. as planned by primeval man
and shaped with stone ak aud flint knife.
Then 1t was, in all likelihood, simply two
runners. curved at the ends, and connected
with braces dashed firmly with thongs of
hide, the aboriginal child seating himself
on an untanne1 pelt and covering his feet
with the slack end.
Then the tiny neolithic urchn would
toilsomely haul his wonderful toy up some
desulate ridge the surface OF which vas
properly cruSted over with frosted snow,
and slide with grim gravity bat solid IN
ternal rejoicing to the paternaI 81 maternal
levels below.
Thousands of years have passed since
that first solitary little experiment. but the
thrill of its successful result has not yet
ceased 10 yibrate.
Steam aud electricity have transformed
deserts into communicating cities, nature
has been steadily growing at a progressive
ratio into new-fangled civilization. but the
little stone boys coaster remains at bottom
practically unchanged.
The most striking difference in the situa-
ton to-day is the ''nlmeT0usness" Of the
little boy.
Nature in this respect, as in others, has
not been idle, and the number Of pleasure
seeking children nowadays seems posi-
lively lillmitabe.
Whole armies of caterers to ehildTeG's
sports have sprung up, but the coaster Is
still mainly built On two runners, although
the erOSSpieees are no longer dashed. but
moriiced and clamped. while the seat and
fancy work are fearfully aud wonderfully
made,
As 10 prehistoric days, the sleigh Is
dragged up some convenient long sloping
hill and with a little preliminary yum IS
launched by its owner.
One Of the most modern and daring forms
Of the coaster is the Eagle"
1t is a long, low, fakish-loOking craft,
fully six feet in length, the runners, of only
I've inches in depth. being scientifically
curved TO the upper edge from the rear heel.
Over the latter is the seat, about eighteen
inches wide, being the width Of the entire
machine
The propeller of the ''eagle" has to be a
boy of some nerve.
Selecting a steep enough scene of opera
items he raises the coaster, and running
with il clasped TO his breast for some len
yards he hurls himself face downward ON
its narrow seat and shoots with perilous
FelHcity down the track
One leg trails behind, and a skilful touch
Of the toe steers the lightning course
through threatening breakers till the port
is reached.
One after another the daring "eagles"
III \ -
sings With The peculiar whir of the knife
like Iunners,
On the plains Of Iowa and other hilless
sections the coaster still ekes out its
pleasnre-giVing existence.
Upon the advent of snow and subsequent
night frosts ancient affairs Of clumsy build.
with short dnmpv runners, curved merely
at enc end, are brought to light from some
forgotten lumber corner.
Gravity as a means Of propulsion being
lacking the old ranch horse is called into
service and it is common TO see the old fell
low dragging two or three such sleds, tied
together with an cid balerope, through the
village streets, the Voyagers being little boys
and girls astrde on a board running over
the connected sleds.
Compare this easy jog-trnt locomotion
with the flying pace of New YoTk's wealth.
lest c0astiBg children.
Their coasters are made almost entirely
OF light ironwork; the runners of OPEN
work iron and steel, with polished handles
and soft-Cushioned seat. On these the
gilded darlings glide gently down the
safest inelines, and then some nurse or
man servant drags sthe smaehine uphill
again for the operation to be re peated.
C0astlng IS not always so safely accom-
pllshed, however, and many accidents are
reported from want of care.
On enc occasion the occupant Of an
Eagle" shot down terrible grade to find
his course crossed by freight-tran.
de lost his head, and instead Of throwing
himself OF his flying bird stuck TO il
biiaGly
Tie engineer Of the locomotive saw the
sled Coming and applied The brakes, slow
ing down the speed, but shudderingIy
awaiting the catastrophe he could not avert.
lie shut his eyes, and when he opened
them II was to stare amaZedlv at the spec
tacle OF tie boy on the Eagle shooting
gayly down on the opposite side of the
track.
He had miraculousIy cleared the snow
leyeled roadbed, passing by hairs breadth
between the wheels Of the moving cars.
1t was by the merest accident that the boy
escaped death, but be vehemently declared
that he did it on purpose, and therefore
gained lasting reputation for intrepid dar-
ing far in advance of his years.
Jumping 50bs" Is game Of amusement
always open to the boy who has no sled, and
he can enjoy sIelghrides all day If SO dis
posed.
Bobs are also q convenience to the boy
who owns sled but is too tired to drag It
up the bill after sliding down. BY hooking
on to the bob with his toWlIne he can coast
with little or 20 exertion.
''Bobs" are the big iron-shod runners
which farmers, teamsters, milkmen,
butchers, groeers and others substitute for
tie wheels of their vehicles in Eastern
towns and villages when the snow is on the
ground.
Even the buses and hacks that convey
passengers to and from the depot are placed
on runners, so that passengers can transfe
on the snow.
When the hobs bloom forth then does the
heart of the village boy glow within him,
particularly when the farmer comes to
town.
As rule the granger makes his own hobs