The sun., 1899-02-05
COASTING AT HAMILTON.
ktWINTER SPORT IN WHICH Am THE
STUDENTS ENGASE

J.ats of Forty Miles Hour More
CLINTON. N. Y. Jan. 3l.-These are the day
whom the students OF Hamilton College. .peTchet
high on It's hill overlooking the 0riskany Val
ley. have a sport peculiarly their own and un
surpassed at any educational institution in the
souptry. Other colleges have their boating In
the summer and their skating In the winter
out none cAa boast OF the magnificent coast
ing which for century has been tho joy and
pride OF the boys who owe allegiance TO the
quaint old school Of learning founded by the
Indian missionary. samuel Kirkland. Coast
ing Is ne much n part OF the Hamilton stu
dents life in the winter as are his books. II
is more than pleasure; II Is almost neces-
sity Sleds are their street cars. their cabs. and
white unfortunately. they can only be used aS
modes ot conveyance in one direction. the ra-
pidity with which they annhilate space going
down hill compensates for the labor required
to drag them back and more than oompensates
In the matter OF saving time.
Hamilton College Is situated about mile
and half from. the village OF Clinton. The
village is down in the valley OF the Oriskapy
and stretches along dead level for half a milo
toward College Hill. to the old stone bridge
across the creek which names tho valley.
Then there is another level stretch for perhaps
400 yards. and the hill begins. Up 1t goes for
an eighth of a mile and then the road
turns Sharply 10 Ine rlHnt lot uHblntl
eighth OF mile, and then there Is another
turn. this time to the left. and half-mile In
einc very steep in places. is before you. At
the top Is another level stretch whore spreads
the college campus. 1t is q beautiful place in
the summer. with view to the left which
reaches to the foothills Of the Adirondacks.
forty miles away. while down in front is the
Oriskany Valley spreading out toward the dim
church spires II Utica, situated where the
Oriskany. the Mohawk and the Sacnuot val
leys converge. There is no pretticr picture In
all New York State than this panorama of hills
and dales OF forests almost primeval. OF cul-
tivated fields OF thriving towns and villages.
But In the winter it is wrapped in snow. IL
lies in the heart Of the snow belt and month In
and month out the Jinglinr OF the seighbellS
and the huarse cry Of Road from the students
as thev speed down the hill on their sleds can
he heard without n days intermission. AZ
soon as the lrst snow flies. generally late In
November or cary IN December. out from the
students storerooms come thc sleds. and they
are beauties. There is none of these low-built
kquatty little arrangements that bring mans
knees up into his neck when he sits astride OF
them They are built for hard work and heavy
burdens. Most Of them are eighteen inches
high and from three TO six feet in length. The
runners are of polished steel and the frame
work OF the sleds is strengthened at every
joint with wrought iron braces rivetcd hard
and fast. At their forward ends are ALWAYS
iron handles. SO thht IN" steerSmah from ms
seat In front can the better cohtrol.hls cratt
bv lifting it onto its runners ends when oc-
casion demands il. These seds are always
painted and vanished. and. their lines being
extremely graceful. are really Very handsome
They are all made to order to suit the require
ments OF this particular hill. The students
are very proud OF their sl"ds. They become
almost ms attached 10 them as DO morse own
ers to their thorouGhhreds ana great Is tho
rivalry between the sportivcly inclined young
men concerning the relative swiitness Of their
respective sleds.
During the early part OF the winter the
coastlng Is confined almost eHtireN to the
side walk. on the inside OF which stand rows OF
hedges. backed in place by barbed wire. For
merlv there were wooden fences also, but
within late years these nave disappeared. On
the outside OF the walk in row "t trees. COM
mencng at the very top of the hill and con-
tinuinE in an unbroken line clear to the bot
tom. They are not more than from twenty t.
fortv feet apart. ana IA YOU stand and look
down the hill thev seem to make one solid bar
rier OF living timber On Senior Hill. by:whch
term the first rnrt Of the half-mile straighta-
way is known. the trees are giant poplars. al
most 100 years old. ana so enormous that
their trunks are crowdnE onto the space re-
served for the walk. From the end OF the
ponlars TO the first turn Is called Junior Hill
nh, oCSr,., S,,ho,,rr> ,I;u ard o,o,,,,1 .h
'"'" 'o''o" ''"'''o''i"'e mn an" "tou',u the
next angie. down at the bottom. Is freshman
Hill. This latter is the steepcst of all and is
.,,,,ooo, 20 ,,,,,is,, ,l,I,o. ,;t, MI ,. 80
supposed 10 Np,ly colIeHe NE. Inc trees On
the three lower hills are mostly elms and ma
pies. which are not SO large as the porlars. but
,,n,oss oro Il. = ,,ood to,rs,,,,, ~. 40 30,
uplesS ohe - to"n s'ee's''"n 'heS aie SUM
ciently close to the sled's pathway to make 1t
very uncomfortable
~ M "a tho ;rr ,,,o+ orar, ,ro.b,,,o,, ,,,,o.
80 '"'S - ''' l'o ''la' eNotf freshman must
tackle lie must learn to steer his sled down
this aisle and make two sharp turns with his
.ln, ,,hioh ~ ,,nohoo,od ,,,o -, +Io ,ata 80
Seu' which, II unche'keu' goes a' the late OF a
mile minute. He will have two or three
maybe even four men on the sled with him.
.nd urloo. ba tro,,s ,,,s. ,,.ho, no 4, ,i
.h "u'oSs no Nn|"S !"st Mil"' ,'o iS noinS'
there ls danger ot smashup. very little
snow makes the coastng on the sidewalk SIM
,,y na,ont A. th, ni,o, ,ru, o.aa. 49,,
''' pe'''''' -" t"o "i"'e' Eio"9 'ie'cNF anu
more snow falls there is worn beaten track.
where the runners glide, with n mound in be-
tween This makes if T,ita EASY for n rnvice
'"ev", i"'9 ""NeS ~ '"''e cary 'o' noHico'
until the turns are reached and then comes
the test of skill When there has been n thaw.
- N'''''''