Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-25
THE ART OF snow sHoEINa.
No Man IL Born to 1t and Only Faith
full Practice Makes Perfect.
From .he New York sun. -

L rom .h9 New 1Ofk sun. >
When Capt Glenn of our army was sent
with detachment OF soldiers to carry out
some extensive explorations IN Alaska last
year he found that show shoes would have
to play an important part in the work. An
Incident occurred one day that proved to
him Il was high tirpe to- break in all the
men who had not learned the art Of snow
shoe travel The spectacle he and his party
Witnessed was amusing 70 all except the
unfortunate person who Supplied the fun.
1t was before the party had started in
land The hospital steward was instructed
to cross a certain glacier and report to
Lieut.. Isearnard. 1t was necessary to wear
snow shoes as the weather was not cold
enough to form a crust that would bear the
weight of a man. So he put on the togS,
and Capt. Glenn AYERS in his report, which
the War Department has just published,
that no one was ever seen who was so ut
terIy HELPLESS with such foOtgear attached
to him as this hospital steward
He persisted in sticking the toe of his
shoes into the snow. and this error kept
him in trouble. Then about every third
pace he would step on one shoe with the
other and keel headlOng over into the snow
In this situation he was a mere mass OF
helplessness, and. do what he might. he
couldn't arise until somebody came and
boosted him to his feet. It took him eight
hours to travel two miles and before he
got back to camp he had given up snow
SnDelnS. lie came Ill "bhiAiibS through the
snow up to his hips and dragging his shoes.
This convinced the captain that il was
absolutely necessary for every member Of
the detachment to know how to use snow
shoes. and so the edct went forth that the
steward and every other man who had not
previously acquired this knowledge should
use snow shoes for a walk of five miles
every day till all were proficient.
All of which calls to mind that in the
very winter that John Milton entered Cam
bridge University. 1873 there was a ire
mendous fall of snow in England. the like
Of which had not been seen by the oldest
| inhaDItant. and history records that it kept
deep and soft for weeks. The English had
heard Of snow shoeing in Norway and the
arctic regions. and some of them. who
had to get about somehow, took to making
snow shoes, and learned the guile that was
| IN them. A modern novelist. who tells a
| story of that period. has his hero describe
his experience with this footwear:
II built myself a pair of strong and light
snow shoes, framed with ash and ribbed of
witty, with half-tanned Calfskn stretched
across. and an inner sole to support my
| feet. At first | could not walk at all but
| floundCred about most piteous!y, catching
| one shoe in the other, and both Of them in
| the snOwdrifts. to the great amusement Of
| the girls no were come to look at me. But
after awhile | grew more expert and
| crossed the farm yard and came back again
tthOugh turning the worst thing of ain
| without so much as falling once"
| All arctic explorers have testified that
| snow shoeing is not easy to learn, and that
| ii is stHi more difficult to master The Nor
! WeEian ski.