The Portland daily press., 1895-02-26
especial to the PRESs.)

81 Especial to the PRESS
Fryeburg, February 25th. The "Snow
Shoe Section" of the Appalachian Club
of Boston have now extended their win
ter soiourn at the Oxford Hotel in this
town for eleven days, having come here
a week ago last Friday. This is the first
time that they have visited Maine hotel
in the winter. They have snow-shoed to
the top of the peaks surrounding Jackson
and have visited other places in New
Hampshire and Vermont. They learned
of the ex ceptio al advantages to be
found at the Oxford, and thus a con-
tract was made and they came here.
The largest number at any one time
was 60, and as they we've mostly middle
aged people, who wanted room to
themselves, they just about filled the
second and third floors of the house
Luckily, the proprietors, Messrs. Mark &
Hastings, extended their winter steam
heating apparatus last fall SO as to IN
clude the third story, and thus were able
to heat with steam, all the chamb ers OF
the great summer hotel except those in
the fourth story. They have a 2O-horse
power boiler, and despite the cold wealth
er here the house has been warm.
Last Friday there were so mem bers of
the club here. Twenty of them left Sat-
urday morning, leaving 80, and the re-
mainder will leave early this week.
There are nearly as many ladies as gen
tlemen in the party. The average age of
both sexes.is at least 40 years, the young
people being in very small minority.
Most of them are snow-shoeists of many
years. experience. If this is remem bered.
when one sees a lady go years old start
ing out to climb mountain in freezing
weather and over mighty drifts, it will
perhaps not seem SO wonderful. There
are several such ladies in the party, and
one of them must be several years be-
yond 60.
The fields all about the village are COW
erd with snOw-shos tracks, and the oa:ce
OF the hotel is full of 9 snow-shoes. As
the party assemblies there on one of these
belOwzero mornings, at 9 or 8. 80 O'Clock.
ready to start off on a six or even-mile
drive to some neigh boring hill or noun
tain, up which they intend to climb, the
spectacle is unique and interesting in
the extreme. They come down the stairs
into view in their various costumes, as
varied as their ages and physiques. Here
is an elderly man. short and stout and
red-faced and white-w hiskered, suggest
captains, who steer their great ocean
ships to this port in the winter. He has
on, perhaps, leather jacket and a Cana
dian cap, and carries a camera on his
back.
Then come lady, similar to him in
shape and age, wearing large, flowing
boomers and neat moccHsins.
Several ladies wear short skirts, COM
ing half way below the knee, their feet
and ankles being encased in leggings.
There are also some divided skirts.
Most of the men wear the high over
shoe that buckles around the ankle.
These are found to be better than mecca
sins, because the TN bber sole is not so
slippery, they shed the water better,
and are more easy of adjustment.
Thus appearing, the 30 or 40 people,
bearing their snow-shoes and cameras,
flock out Of the hotel as merry almost,
as if they were 90 years younger, and
climb into the vehicles that have been
built COR their especial benefit. A wide
platform surmounts two heavy logging
sleds, and on this are fastened four set
tees. two on each side, end to end, and
facing each other. There are two of
these teams, drawn by four horses, and
they will hold 25 people each.
~ELast Wednesday the entire party thus
drove to Mount Kearsarge, and 10 of
them climbed it, including two of the
younger ladies. 1t is three miles up by
the carrlage roao. The gentlemen 90 in
front and make a good path, the shoe
ing thus being made as easy ais walking
on floor for the ladies.
Of course 1t must be vigorous man
or woman that can walk three miles ur
such mountain as kearsarge, und er
any conditions.
Thursday they took the train up Craw-
ford Notch, and made the easy climb of
Mt. Willard. A snow storm came up and
obliterated the view, before they reached
the top. 8 '7-"''7's -'
Friday they drove to Mt Pleasant,
eight miles from this village, and nearly
forty of them, including IS ladies, trav-
ersed the two miles to the Tip-Top
House.
Saturday, seven of the gentlemen took
the train for North Conway, and as they
had an unusual experience in the climb
ing Vt Moat Mountain, their names are