The Portland daily press., 1894-03-30
vyINTsl. ir4 CANADA.


outtl~or Pleasure When the Temperature
Is Twenty Below Zero.
Business is so much interfered with in
thu snow season that men and women
alike are bent on amusement There are
some matniticent turnouts, for Canadians
are good judges of horsefesh, and there is
grest rivalry among the members to dec
oraae their sleighs with the most beauti-
ful furs and the prettiest women. The
sleighs are made of fancy woods, highly
polished, with silver bells and mounts,
and how captivating the 'chosen fair
looks On the box seat, muffled up in sa
bles. her eyes dancing with pride and an
tieipatsd pleasurel Though the tempera-
ture is probably 20 degrees below zero, the
sun is SO bright and the sky so blue that
you want sunshade, but your hand would
be frozen If you dared to hold one up. The
driver Is cold enough, kept busy as he is
with his lively ssfour.'' Many strangers
are compelled to wear smoked glasses in
the snow season. The glare from the in
tense blue sky on the white snow is blind
ing.
A Montreal belle who would wear the
latest New York hat instead of her fur
cap had both Of her ears frozen while
WNtIAxAAA tIO CdIAlFd1 HrOCCSclCA PASS
After gently rubbing them with snow they
began to alter their complexion from snow
white to the color OF raw beef. Her beauty
was spoiled that night at the carnival ball.
IL is painful sight to see stranger ut
terly unconscious that his nose is frozen,
for common humanity compels one to tell
him the unpleasant fact. Moonlight sleigh
picnics are in great favor. When the moon
in Tho al chs cto rf IL tho mix
are in warm blanket coats, covered up to
the eyes with huge fur robes, as the rugs
are called. The faverite drive is round
tho mountain-the Mount Royal of JAG
ques Cartier-which gives the city its
name, and is laid out as public park,
with olubhouses at intervals of mile,
where the sleighs stop and every one gets
out to ge warm with hot bovril, coffee
and games At the clubhouse at the top
OF the mountain the blanket coats and
rubbers are taken Off. and, as it is Ca
madam picnic, of course there must be
dance.
Tobosganing is almost more enjoyable
by night than by d.. tbs danger is more
apparent. A tonogaasa down the Tuque
Blue cin5 slide is very different matter
from cost.i.ug on the natural snow, which
is ST. of:.ali coz FUSED with Gobogganing. On
tbs 1.seas Blue slide the course is sheer
don;e 10 mountain side between boards
whtea yontain a sheet of CLASSY ice just
wide cough to fit the toboggan. The to-
began is started off shoot like switch
tasls railway. What follows is best de-
se-fhsd by the Chinaman's "Swish, swish,
watkee back mile.' The track is light
cd with faring torches. An old lady of 20
ysSrs, who had lived all her life in Cali
focnia, came to Montreal to see the carni-
val. She would not leave the city until
she had been down the periIous Tuque
Elua toboggan slide. It often surprises
strangers that open sleighs arc the ordi-
nary means of conveyance in a country
where for months the temperature is be-
low zero.
There are scarcely dozen covered cabs
in Montreal. Canadians always go to
balls and dinner parties in open sleighs,
well wrapped up in furs. Sleighs are cheap
in Montreal One can drive anywhere
Within the city limits for 25' cents by night
or day. The poorest sleigh has liberal
supply of fur robes, and the driver is al
ways well covered in fur coat, generally
OF buffalo pelt. 1t is pretty sight to see
the country carriers bringing in their
sleighs to market full of hay and farm
produce across the frozen st. Lawrence
Milk one buys by the pound-frozen. The
market is held in the old French quarter
of the town, and in the winter it is most
picturesque.-Pal Mall Gazette.