The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-01-20
THE JOLLY
COASTERS
Their Love For High Hills and
Steep Grades.

est Hill WITH Most DIFFICULT Turns,
Their Idea of Great BIiss-AImost
Winter Carnival Last Friday
Night.
Not every resident of Morristown has
looked with favor on the unusually fre-
quent falls of snow this winter. Slip
perry sidewalks are the dread of not
few, and, coupled with those unsightly
spots in front of many houses, where
snow shovel seems to be an un-
known quantity, make life miserable
for some folk. But there are others.
To these the softly-falling white flakes
are the harbingers OF good time
coming. Visions arise of swift jour
neys down white-coated hills; and
the small boy and the small girl, and
others not so small, chuckle in antici-
patton of the joyful hour when the sled
and the "bob" will be unceremoniously
pulled from their abiding place in the
cellar or the barn, and away to the top
of the nearest high HILL For no true
coaster" cares button about hill
that doesn't decline with the suddenness
of Colorado canyon.
Morristown is the home of many coast
ers. 1t is now, and has been since the
Oldest persons hereabouts began the
journey of life; and as they climbed one
hill, figurativeiy speaking. they enjoyed
the journey all the more if kind Provi-
dence permitted them to occasionally
! Aida rapidIv down another
Last Friday night was a red letter
time for the coasters For them the hills
were in condition. During the after
noon sleet had fallen on the snow, and
by the time supper was over the ground
was deeply covered with q CLASSY sur
face. Soon the gongs of the big hobs"
were heard, and innumerable small sleds
and their owners appeared on the hill
tops. The hills Of Court street, Washington
street, High street, Water street and
Pine street presented a scene of activ-
ity and mirth at once inspiring and
well calculated to drive away dull care.
Nearly everybody Had sled of some
kind, from the gorgeously painted "bob"
to the low-lying belly -whopper. This
latter the small boy takes in his arms,
strikes a lively gait, suddenly throws
the sled on the frozen earth, falls ON top
of it, and is carried by the momentum
thus gained at an astonishing rate Of
speed down the hill and around street
corners for perhaps two or three hun
dred yards. How this feat is accom-
plished without fractured bones and dis
located spinal column is understood only
by the initiated. A long ''bob," on
which perhaps dozen girls and boys
would be clinging to each other with
grim determination to make the trip or
die in the attempt, would start from the
top of Court street hill, and, at speed
which would discount the Chicago
Limited, would whirl around the corner
into Washington street, continue to
Bank street, and thence to Samuel F.
Beach's carriage shop. All this distance
by force of gravity A more risky trip
would be down Court street hill, turning
to left, and continuing down Washington
street hill to Mechanic street The turn
to the left, however, is not over popular
A well-loaded Jumper" came to grief
at this place Friday night. The steering
apparatus refused to work and the sled
and it's load flew diagonally across Wash
ington street and bumped into the curb.
An Involuntary Decentralization oc.
CURED, and Postmaster-elect Fennell
says that next morning County Clerk
Voorhees, and Sheriff Durling were seen
gathering up hat pins. feathers, hair
ribbons, gloves, and other souvenirs OF
the catastrophe. DR. Wilkinson, who
doubtless views all such matters in a
philosophic spirit and whose office is
located at the spot promptly emerged
from his doorway, and hastened to the
overturned sled. Fortunately no one
was injured, and the doctor remarked
that it appeared to "be case for the
Fred Schmidt CO. mot for him.
Barrel slaves, soap boxes and a dis
carded clothes wringer did duty as
sleds on some hills.
On Water street hill, known in DAYS
gone by as Town Hill" a remarkably
quick run was made almost to the rail.
road bridge. Morris street hill was
once known as "Chain Alley. and was
popular with the coasters of long ago.
ana is by no means lonesome hill now
when the snow is right Being one of
the busy streets, for shedding purposes it
is not held in as high esteem as the
time-honored Town Hill"
High street hill was more popular in
other days than now. owing to the fact
that the ancient Bridge street has been
transformed into the great thoroughfare
Of Speedwell avenue. and the constant
stream of travel makes coasting down
the hill a dangerous pastime-- too dan
gerous by far. Old Bridge street de-
rived its name from the bridge (near the
Folly building) built over the swift
running brook whose waters fed the
wheels of the old grist mill once owned
by John Flagg Voorhees,, father of our
esteemed townsmen, George E. and
James r. Voorhees,. Vice Chancellor
Pitney also owned the old mill at one
time. Now it is a grist mill in name
only. Water still furnishes the power
for the machinery, but corn and wheat
are no longer brought to the mill; times
have changed, and the old mill has
changed with them. 1t is now an over
all factory and in place of sacks of