Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-05-17

garrison, Everybody enjoys slejghing
and everybody INDUCES in it here to
the utmost, TO go out, well wrapped
up of course; to hear the CHEEKY jingle
of the sleigh bells and the rythmic-
al beat of the horses hoofs over the
icy road; and to enjoy the smooth mo-
ton as you travel swiftly along-is, TO
one who is uuaccustomed to sleighing,
as novel as it is enjoyable.
But to know what sleighing really
isis to gallop over the frozen sur
face of a river. This is the way to
thoroughly enjoy it, for then you learn
how smoothly it is possible for a
sleigh to run. Even the horses seem
to enjoy the sport under such circum-
stances. With their sharp shod hoofs
they never slip or falter, but go on
steadily mile after mile and seem to
thoroughly enter into the spirit Of the
thing and need no encouragement
from the driver. A sleigh drive on the
st. John river behind a fast trotting
team is indeed an experience to be
remembered.
After Christmas the skating Kinks
opened. Skating in rink although
of course not comparable with skating
in the open, yet, given good baud,
good ice, and a charming partner, a
very pleasant evening may be en-
joyed. One of the Kinks in this vjcin-
ity is given up entirely to curling.
This game, although a stranger finds
it difficult to understand, is very
amusing to watch. One player stands
at one end of the rink and shouts to
those at the other end. They shout
back and the first then sends his stone
down the rink. Instantly two or three
other players rush forward with
brooms, sweeping the way clear for the
stone, at the same time dancing like
Indians and yelling like maniacs
When the stone reaches the other end
everyone shouts in a different key and
then another sends a stone down the
ice and the dances and lamentations
take place as before. No wonder that
curling is spoken of as the 'roarin
game"--it is nothing if not but roar
ing! OF course l know that this is
not a scientific description, but this is
how the game appears to novice.
1t is during the month Of January
February and March that the most
severe weather prevails; the Their
mometer gradually goes down to 10, &C
and often to 80 degrees below zero
but the air being so dry, the cold is
not noticed as it would be near the
coast in a seaport town such as st.
John There 20 degrees of frost is felt
as much or more than 40 degrees in,
land.
When there is a good depth OF
snow; when it has packed" well and
drifted UP everywhere, covering fences
and bushes. then is the time to in
dulge in snowshoeing. With these
even novice can, after few hours
practice, tramp over the snow for
several miles without feeling any
more fatigue than he would do after
walking the same distance over bare
ground. In snowshoeing, the great
thing is to wear plenty of socks
three pairs at least,-partly of course
to keep the feet warm, and partly to
prevent the ieathern thong which
Iastens on the snowshoe from cutting
into your foot for the soft moosehidc
moccasin which is worn, being very
thin, hardly prevents the fastening
from chatting the foot. If this prccau-
ton is neglected snOwshoeing be-
come more of travail than a pleas
ure.
OF course, like all things, snow
shoeing requires a little practice and
it is extremely difficult for a novice
to keep from getting his snowshoes
entangled, and to get into the way OF
letting them drag after him as he
steps forward. Should he fall las he
often does)-he will find it very awk-
ward to get Up again, for the snow
shoes being so large, prevent him
from getting a foothold, and so he gen
orally rolls on his back until he can
manage to kick his snowshoes off
But he is more than repaid for any
Jriflng inconvenience he may ex-
perience whilst learning by the pleas
ure he will ultimately get when he is
able to go along without any fear OF
losing his balance.
A very pleasant way of spending a
day is to snowshOe out TO one Of the
camps. A party is got together and
you start in the aytime-tramping on
steadily till you arrive at your desti-
nation-a little log hut in the woods.
On arriving snOwshoes are soon kicked
of, water is obtained from a stream
hard by and fire is soon going. Din
ner is cooked and eaten with thar
best Of sauce-hunger, for snowshov-
ing IS hungry work, and the rest of
the ..me is given up TO song, chat
and card playing, and start for
home is made after the moon has
risen.
II the woods are beautiful during
the day, with the snow half covering
81