The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-17
Plenty of Snow but No Sleighriding
Once Favoite Sport but
Indianapolis People None of

fellow who has lived here any length OF
time never thinks of tucking his girl into n
cutter and driving her out under the moon
to the jingle Of the sleighbels. He takes
her to the theater instead, and home in a
frigid street car. To my mind this is way
behind the old-fashioned plan Of being
alone with her, and with the stars shining
down. the weather just cold enough TO put
life into the horse so he can jerk the sleigh
over the snow as though he had nothing
behind him.
cit is mostly men who can look back on
country life that buy sleighs now. and they
don't want very elaborate ones. Just a
plain: single-seated. light cutter is the most
popular
Il remember sold fine Portland cutter
a year or so ago to an old man who was
farm. The sleigh he selected was very
plain. but built so that the horse could
have good. free action. The only thing that
he objected TO was the bells. This sleigh
had them on the shafts, and he made
remove them. He said. 'Oh / don't want
chimes that play tunes / want plain bells
that just Jingle. When / go sleighing I
want to be able. II feel like IL, to shut
my eyes and think am moving along the
roads between the old rail fences OF Posey
county. like used TO do years ago
The dealer, who full of his subject
and in a laxative mood, went on in a rem
iniscent way:
"sleighs are thing that you want to sell
as quickly as you can; that Is in this part
Of the country, for fear the weather will
change while you are talking. / remember
one time man came in to buy a sleigh just
after heavy fall OF snow. He was one OF
those chaps who tell all their affairs IL
you lend a sympathetic ear, and when we
got to talking sleigh he told me that he had
try, and had been wanting for years TO take
her an old-fashioned sleighride in his own
rig. as he used to do. This was the first
winter he had been in a position for II, and
he was selling the opportunity.
DAY TOO LATE.
st happened TO glance out and noticed
that the icicles were beginning to drip, and
it was growing cloudy and looked as IL
we might have a rain and a sudden thaw
He bought one OF the best cutters / had
in the place, and said I needn't hurry
about delivering IL, but insisted on send
ing II up that afternoon, for knew that IL
the next morning IL was raining I would get
message countermanding the order.
II sent the sleigh up to his house that
same afternoon. and the next morning I
got my check for II. but II rained all night
and the beautiful snow disappeared very
quickly.
Il suppose one of the reasons that sleigh
so uncertain knew a doctor 0 once who
had been raised in the country, and like
the old man, he took pride in It. He en-
sealskin cap and gloves. muf1e himself up
In long ulster overcoat. and get in a
! sleigh behind a fast-stepping horse and
make his professional calls.
One time. along in January, he had a
call into the country. and there fine
! sleighing he. OF course. vent In a nice light
1 cutter. When he started IL began 10 get
| cloudy, and when he was about ten miles
from town warm rain came up, and be-
| fore he arrived at his destination the beau
tful covering Of snow was washed away
| and his sleigh was left in the mud
| He had 10 hire a farmer to take him the
| rest OF the way TO his patient He also had
| 10 hire boy 10 ride his horse back TO
| town, and had to ship his sleigh back by
| the railroad. and from that time on you
could never get that doctor into another
y sleigh"