The Republican., 1900-04-26
GREAT SLEIGH RIDES.
Contests in Which Whole Towns
Took Part in Ohio Nearly Fifty
Years Ago.

contest between several counties took
place in the winter of 1S55-56. The rec
ord of the long drives and the endless
professions of four-horse teams is a tale
still told to the children of the older
inhabitants of the reserve. The winter
of 1886 was just the kind for making
q record on runners, says the Chicago
Record. The snow was abundant,
while alternate freezing and thawing
kept the roads in firm condition. There
were almost daily light snowsto grease
up the sleighing and invite the sport
loving population to enjoy their privi-
leges, and this weather lasted for three
months.
In February the people of Solon made
up neighborhood party of seven four
horse loads and started off for Jolly
good time. Among their hasty decora-
tions they carried muslin streamer,
five or six feet long, with a rudely paint
ed negro face on it and the inscriptions:
You can't come it, Such decora-
ton was appropriate in those days of
the underground railroad, for the run
away 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 invasion as a
challenge and determined to take the
banner away from Solon. They col
lected 16 teams and returned with it a
few days later. The people of Bedford,
Cuyahoga county, then organized and
won back the banner across the county
line again.
For weeks otherwise sane people
would drop everything to join the sport,
until news of the mammoth sleigh rides
spread ever the whole country and ac-
counts of them were published even in
the London dailies. Finally the crowds
outgrew the townships and a grand
roundup of all the bob sledS of three
counties was proposed, Medina being
| invited to join, and the banner was to
go to the one furnishing the most four
horse and siX-horse teams. The great
meeting was to take place at Richfeld
in the northwest corner of Summit
county, where the three counties Joined
and Saturday, March Is. was appointed
as the date for this three-cornered bat
tie of sleighbells and buffalo robes.
The oldest inhabitants will never for
get the stirring scenes of that great
day Over the hills the great loads
| poured from all directions. Now their
way was overarched with great oaks
and walnuts; now they clambered up
rising vista that ended abruptly in the
winter sky above; now the summit re-
vealed q beautiful view of the valleys
below and bells jingled furiously down
the steep slope. They came in troops,
like the rats at the Pied Piper's notes
big, four-horse loads. in punches and
companies. And such a collection of
horsetlesh! Big, well-kept fellows. in
well-matched teams; scrawny. sorry
plugs broken down by the winters
campaign; teams all alike and we'll
mated; teams picked up from all round
the neighborhood, no two alike in size
or color, and innocent of currvcombs.
And as for people-some towns were
completely depopulated that day. for
these 462 loads were attended by many
one-horse and two-horse loads that did
not count at all, and it was estimated
that between 10000 and 10000 people
came out on that great ride. 1t is said
that all this frolic took place without a
case of drunkenness. although it is ad-
mitted that big sled boxes and abun-
dant buffalo robes really make statis-
tics on this point uncertain
Summit had the largest representa-
tion-171 four-horse teams-and re-
ceived the prize with the Injunction
to preserve it among the treasured
archives at Akron, t-eir county seat.
But it did not molder 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 vic
tors.
Memories of the great pioneer hunt
ing parties came to mind, for had not
theircounty been the scene of the great
Hinckley hunt, the wonder of its dav?
Their horses were not iaded, since they
had just entered the contest. More than
that, Summit had raised but 81 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 gair
ing the heights. Now the smoking
chimneys of the busy little city are in
plain sight. In the city cannons begin
to boom whistles Shrek, bells ring
a royal welcome from besieged city
to an invading army.
The judges count horses. There is a
disputed point,-mules had never an
peared at previous meets. Shall bunch
OF these long-eared, ugly beasts win the
day against them and allow rival to
take away the banner? But Medina
finds that they can afford to be gen
erous. for their four-horse teams num-
Der 1872, good margin of II over Sum-
mit's record of Saturday, so they throw
in the mules for good measure. thus
winning the prize without any cloud
on their title.
The famous banner will be cheerfully
surrendered to any delegation that win