Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-04-24
Winter In the sferras.

Weekly, thus recounts some OF his recen'
experiences in the snow regions of the 81
erras
"Tired of the cars, which were then tied
up at Emigrant Gap, l left them under
a great snowshed, and plunged down a
steep hillside into the village below, which
was family indicated by a few chimneys
that here and there broke through the
beautiful undulating blanket that lay
high and thick upon the mountains, the
knolls and valleys all around me. The
trees, numbered with deep white snow up
on every projection, rested their middle
branches upon the soft bedding of snow,
so that they looked dwarfed and mishap'
en-. In places great granite bOwlders sat
in hollow wells scooped out by the wind,
and on the tops Of such stones rested
nightcaps of snow that were taller than
the rocks themselves. Drifts rose in cork
screw shapes that ended IN fantastic curls
upon their tops. The way to some of the
houses was by tunnels, but looking straight
down from above them there could only
be seen little white walled shaft oppo-
site the door, as if hole had been dug
there to let in breath TO the people indoors.
The snow had banked against the houses
up to The roof-line, and then had mounted
upon itself and grown in weight and
depth until there was danger that roofs
would be crushed in. That was why |
saw men on Norwegian snow.shoes walk
ing over their own roofs and stopping
there to shovel snow into battlemented
walls beside them. Thus they walled
their houses in each day, only TO find them
submerged on the morrow, as the snow
continued to fall.
My short walk TO the nearest tavern
was chain of lively adventures. Safe
inside the tavern door, | saw row Of
Norwegian snowshoes dripping against the
wall. found that upon them the villa
gers travel in the winter, and that with
out them they would be jailed in their
homes. Canadian net work shoes would
not serve. The snow is too fine and dry.
Therefore the shoe in use is board four
inches wide and from nine to dozen feet
long. The women 90 shopping and Wis
iting upon them. The doctors travel
twenty five miles at time upon them on
their rounds. The girls coast upon the
roofs and smaller knobs upon them.-
The venturesome young men actual ly race
down the mountain sides upon them at
twenty miles an hour, and even jump ra-
vines and leap over cabins and houses
with these shoes in the course of their wa
gers and their dangerous fun.
That and nightly dances in the snow
bound villages are all the fun the people
get. There is too much winter in the ST.
erras for carnival frolics such as are had
in Canada. Winter on these California
terraces is too severe to be trided with or
turned into the basis Of long roll OF
sports. In the larger towns the people
dig tunnels from house to house and house
to store, and at one station | went into
supper by way of a tunnel from the cars
to the depot restaurant. saw no horses
or sleighs, but | was told that when the
snow depths cease to deepen and the trail:
are pressed hard down, horses are often
used. When they step aside from The
trails and sink all bat out Of sight, THEN
owners find that they tire of struggling
and desire to resign themselves to death
Then the plan is TO choke them with 6
slip-noose around their necks when they
fight so frautically for breath that they
can be led back to the trail. 1t some
times happens that horse that sinks be
side the trail slips down through the snow
upon the roof of buried house. Ther
there is great danger that he will continue
downward through the shingles and int
some ones parlor or bedroom.
In all the United States there is NJ
other winter and no other snowfall lik,
this. Five years ago it lay twenty-thre'
feet on the level in these mountains.