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

wick:
He who has been brought up in a
great city, and been accustomed from
childhood to the roar and hustle of a
metropolis cannot fail to be impressed
by the natural beauties OF any coun-
try, the more so should the country be
one to him quite foreign. Denizens
of a great city venture to say-cau
at all times appreciate the beauties
of the country-if possible, more so
than those whose life is spent entirely
amongst rural surroundings. 1t seems
that, like most people who are pleased
amidst novel environments, they are
more impressed and notice details
which escape the eye of those who
from constant contact are familiarized
with the beauties of the place At the
same time, people whose life has been
spent in the country are quick to dis
Germ many things i'll city which to
the townsfolk are beneath notice.
The impression in Europe concern
ing winter in Canada is that the heavy
snowfall and excessive cold combine
to make winter-not as is really the
Case-an enjoyable time, but rather a
hardship which is a great drawback
to an otherwise beautiful and pleas
ant country. This being the easel,
as a stranger to this country-can
safely say that l was agreeably sur
prised at my first winter here. The
snow loses a great deal Of its unpleas-
antness when seen in the country. In
a large town a snowfall is anything
but beautiful. The fair white snow
which in the country beautiios every
thing is in great city trodden into
slush and mud almost as soon as it
reaches the earth. Small wonder then
that when a small snowfall, such as
we have in London, causes SO much
inconvenience one should get the i'm
preston that a large snowfall must
be attended with a proportionate
amount of discomfort.
Winter all over Canada rather seems
to be looked forward to with pleasure
than dread, and l think it would be
harder to find a more suitable place
to get a good idea of what a Canadian
winter with it's attendant sports is
really like than in the country dis
tricts of New Brunswick.
1t has been my good fortune to
spend the last winter in the vicinity of
the st. John river, and I have more
than enjoyed my sojourn among the
"bluenoses." How the people of this
province obtained this classical title
am unable to say, but for the benefit
Of those, who, like myself, are ignorant
of its origin, l must say, that the eX-
treme temperature is not responsible
for it. Neither is this term owing to
any incompetence on the part of the
people, for this province is one of the
sbaunchest advocates Of temperance in
the dominion.
The first snow came towards the end
of November-a heavy fall too; heavy
enough to cause people to hasten to
bring out their sleighs; but, as usual
ly happens, a few showers Of rain
soon made short work of the snow and
it did not really come to stay till after
Christmas.
But if the snow had not yet come,
the frost had as we soon knew. King
Frost laid his icy hand upon the
river which was quickly covered with
a beautifully clear coat of ice. 1t was
~ 10 % bo -I- Lg,,r
held full sway-although of course the
Ice was not yet sol 4 enough to enable
one to go on all parts of the river
in safety as I earned to my cost, for,
whilst skating alone one night, I hap
pened to strike one of the weak spots
and, as natural result, went through
Luckily | got out all right without as
sistance, and, beyond the ducking
and the Inconvenience of walking
home with the thermometer at zero,
was none the worse. This mishap,
however, came as a well-timed warn
ing to me, and you may be sure that
needed no second lesson as to the fol-
ly of skating over new ice.
nut Tue ShdtluS WuGu the river
was frozen solid! To be able to go
for miles over the clear ice-to hear
the musical ring of the skates against
the CLASSY surface and to feel the
keen air as it whistled past in ones
rapid career, Skating is more than a
mere pastime-it is a positive delight
when INDUCED in under such circum-
stances; and when at last the snow
did come, although it brought other
sports in its train, yet everyone felt
a tinge of regret that its coming
meant the spelling of the ice and
therefore cessation of what is one
of the most exhilarating sports pos
sible to indulge in.
But we had plenty of skating before
the snow came. Over three weeks.
But in the daytime, and at night when
the glorious moon lit up the whole
river and made it appear more beauti-
full than ever it did in the daytime,
or, when the moon failed US, with
large hOn6rps kent gning which It