The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-02

week. To be sure, there was much more
snow after the great blizzard than
there was last week. But then the
snow spoiled the skating. POSSIBLY the
ice was thicker ana better adapted TOT
skating earlier IN tine season, put AZ
that time the coasting was not good.
The conditions for the enjoyment OF
both sports simultaneously are oetter
now than they have been this season.
Besides it must not be forgotten that
this is vacation. Children now can
spend the whole day coasting and -skat-
ina. Before they could only snatch a
few hours after school for the sport.
Every hill In the city where coastlng
is allowed, was fairly covered with
sleds and coasters yesterday and the
few days preceding. Bcb-sleds, sleds
on high runners and plain, ordinary
sleds followed. one another in rapid
succession down the inclines. When
boy couldn't get a sled he took a plank.
Anything that would slide was good
enough Anything that would permit
him to keep up with the crowd.
There were little girls who piled
three on a sled and slid down feet fore
most making no pretense at steering.
They usually stopped short in snow
bank before they had gone thirty yards.
Then there were little boys Who picked
up the sled and ran q. hundred feet or
SO before jumping on. They always slid
head foremost and stesred with feet or
hands. as the case might be. caring lit
tie for damage done TO shoes or nit
TENS. They always succeed III making
their sleds go a long distance on the
level after they have passed beyond the
hill and never give up until, by Sc
ries OF wriggles and pushes, they nave
forced their wooden steeds to cover the
last inch possible.
Occasionally, five or six boys tasten
their sleds together with ropes and try
to improvise a bob" Then they take
their places and start. 1t is lots OF
fun for those on the first sleds. but the
& man at the end is in much the same
position as the end man il the old pas
time of crack -the-whip." The chain OF
sleds gyrates and twists, rolls and
Turns, and ii the end man is not capa-
Rsple of keeping his seat like a rough
prider, he is likely to ind himself on
= sudden anywhere from ten feet to ter
yards away from the road
Older boys use nothing but the
X bob. Other methods of coasting arr
too tame for them. They must hav'
something that goes fast and steer
like ship. But the supreme advant
age that bob" has over an ordinar,
sled is that it provides room for girl
and lots of them. 1t is SO much NOR
fun sliding down hill with loud ant
Z merry company than 1t is all alone
The sled goes faster the experience :
o hundredfold more thrilling and whel
1t comes to tumble every one goes i
heap and nobody is hurt. Besides
the labor Of drawing the bob" I'D hi
is d'vided and passed from one to an
other.
but the young people do not hay
monopoly OF the pleasures of coast
Ing Residents of the north end ca
tell many a. tale of mddle-aged an
elderly people who are supposed t
have outgrown their youthful amuse
ments and to be leading staid, digni
ned lives, forming little coasting pan
ties and renewing boyhood and girl
hood days on some steep hill. The
always select some dark night, whe
they imagine their undignified action
will be yelled by obscurity But tn
precautions have availed nothing. Cos
alp has II that a party composed {
some of the most select families of tn
north end were seen enjoying a bob