The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-04-21
Great S1eighing Contest.
From the Chicago Record.

four horse teams is tale still told to the
children of the older inhabitants of the
Reserve The winter of 1855-56 was
just the kind for making record on run
ners The snow was abundant, while al
ternete freezing and thawing kept the roads
in firm condition There were almost daily
light SHOWS to grease up the sleighing
and invite the sport loving population to
enjoy their privileges, and this weather
lasted for three months
In February the people of Solon made
up a neighborhood party of seven four
horse loads, and started off for jolly good
time Among their hasty decorations they
carried muslin steamer, five or six feet
long, with rudely painted negro face on
it and the inscription, ''You can't come
it. - Such decoration was appropriate
in those days of the underground railroad,
for the runaway who reached the Western
Reserve was pretty sure to be well cared
for.
As the sleighing party rode across from
Cuyahoga county into Summit county, the
people of Twinsburg were pleased to look
upon the invasoin as challenge, and de-
termined to take the banner away from
Scion. They collected sixteen teams, and
returned with it few days later. The
people of Bedford, Cuyahoga county, then
organized and won back the banner across
the county line again.
From this time the rivalry spread
! throughout the two counties, from one
township to another. 1t was the same
story day after day--a new township had
turned out with bigger crowd than any
previous one, and won the trophy, only to
lose it the next day to another and larger
delegation. From thirty-two loads the
number increased first to forty -four, then
to sixty-three, sixty-six, seventy-one,
seventy three, in rapid succession, until
some of these parties zig Jagged clear
across the two counties, making a trip
of forty or fifty miles over the beauti-
full wooded hills of the Reserve.
Fer weeks otherwise sane people would
drop everything to join the sport, until
news Of the mammoth sleigh rides spread
over the whole country, and accounts of
them were published even in the London
dailies Finally the crowds outgrew the
townships, and 4 grand round up of all
the bob sleds of three counties was pro-
posed; Medina being invited to join, and
the banner was to 20 to the one furnishing
the most four horse and six horse teams.
The great meeting was to take place at
Riehfeld. in the northwest corner of Sum
nit county where the three counties
joined, and Saturday, March 10, was ap-
pointed as the date for this three eornered
battle of sleighbells and buffalo robes.
The oldest inhabitant viii never forget
the stirring scenes of that great day. Over
the hills the great loads poured from all
directions Now their way was overarehed
with great oaks and walnuts now they
clambered up a rising vista that ended alb
rupgly in he winter skv above; now the
summit revealed beautiful view Of the
valleys below, and bells jingled fnriously
down the steep-slope They came in
troops, Ike the rats at the Pied Piper 5
notes-big four horse loads in punches
and companies And such a collection of
horsefeSh Big, well kept fellows, in well
matched teams; scrawny, sorry plugs brok-
en- down by the winter campaign; teams
al alike and well mated; teams picked up
from all round the neighborhood, no two
alike in size or color, and innocent of cur
rycombs And as for people-some towns
were completely depopulated that day; for
these 462 loads we're attended by many
one horse and two horse loads that did not
count at all, and it was estimated that be-
tween 10 600 and II, 600 people came out
on that great ride, 1t is said that all this
frolic took place without a case of drunk
enness. although it is admitted that big
sled boxes and abundant buffalo robes
really make statistics on this point uncer-
tain.
Summit had the largest representation
Ill four horse teams-and received the
prize, with the injunction to preserve it
among the treasured archives at Akron,
their county seat. But it did not moulder
on their hands to any appreciable extent,
for they had no more than put it in cold
storage for future generations to gaze on
when Medina flung out defiance to the
victors
Memories of the great pioneer hunting
parties came to mind, for had not their
county been the scene of the great Hinck-
ley hunt, the wonder of its day? Their
horses were not jaded, since they had just
entered the contest More than that,
Summit had raised but thirty teams
more on its own territory. SO they arose
the following Tuesday and turned all eyes
toward the hilltop city of Akron.
See, this winter caravan is now gaining
the heights Now the smoking chimneys
Of the busy little city are in plain sight.
In the city eannons begin to boom, whistles
shrek, bells ring-a royal welcome from
besieged city to an invading army.
The Judges count horses-there is a dis
puted point-mules had never appeared at
previous meets. Shall a bunch of these
long earned, ugly beasts win the day
against them and allow a rival to take
away the banner? But Medina finds that
they can afford to be generous, for their
four horse teams number 1S2, a good
margin of eleven over Summit record of
Saturday, so they throw in the mules for
good measure, thus winning the prize
without any cloud on their title.
E'We'll have it back before Sunday,
was the farewell of Akron to its guests.
But Medina had shown greater strategy
than her rivals in choosing the last day of
sleighing for her final attack. In fact,
they had about worn the sleighing out on
their way over, and had to take to the
roadside for many mile on their way
home
The famous banner will be cheerfully
surrendered to any delegation that will call
for it at the county seat Medina, with
1873 teams You see, they never really
yielded that point about the mules at ALL
Such a delegation viii find most cordial
greeting at this quiet little town, but let
all sleighride parties be sure of settled
winter weather when they come, for Me-
dina mud sticks like poverty, and the bot
tom of it is somewhere in China.
DIR, ID. X Pearson, of Chicago, eele-
brated his eightieth birthday anniversary