The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-01
TINE BRONX ON RUNNERS.
Getting Lots OF Fun Out OF Three weeks or
sleigbing Before New Years.

Three weeks of sleighing before Christ
mas and a full month of winter before
New Years that is the record of the New
York suburbs for the current season.
Not even the thaw and the rain that fol-
lowed Christmas spoiled the winter sport
of bows in The Bronx. The fields remained
deep under snow, and although the sleigh
ing was spoiled on all but the remote country
roads the coasting was soon better than
ever.
With more than four solid weeks OF the
latter sport Bronx boys and girls have
pressed into service every imaginable
thing that would serve as a sled, and 1t *
wears since Santa Claus carried so many
new sleds in his pack for the young folk
of the suburbs These unlucly boys and
girls whom Santa Claus forgot have rugged
up the quecreSt looking things 10 make
up for this neglect. When "a barrel stave
could no. be found an old rocking chair
has been made TO serve the purpose, and
as for bobsleds there il not loose lumber
enough in all The Bronx 10 supply those
who build for themselves.
Grown folks have been almost az excl ed
as the children. and the first fortnight of
snow set all sorts of vehicles on runners.
Wheels were brought out again the day
after Christmas. but the runners are in
readiness for the next snowfall, and the
whole upper Bronx is praying that it may
come Don.
The fact Is that winter going Ia better
In the upper Bronx with good thick layer
Of packed enow than under any other con-
ditions Then it is that the sub,lrbanite
leaves Of his galoshes unless he goes to
~
turns the snow of the uncleared streets
into mere slush The thing the suburban
dreads is a thaw.
one postman who has been going slickly
on his long rounds for three weeks in tiny
red sleigh OF his own manufacture finds
that be can get about so fast in no other
vehicle His turnout IL really the gayest
tbing IN The Bronx. He has "A notion that
some one in authority in the Post Office De-
rartment down at Washington has but 10
see The vehicle to recommend It as the Of
fetal mail carriage for winter use in all
regions where snow IS abundant.
The only inhabitants Of the upper Bronx
who have suffered much from the severe
and early winter are the wild birds Many
If these have sought the depths Of the
swamps in the great parks, where DOM
paratvely warm springs have kept the
GROUND open and afforded IA chance for food
and water.
Others have been driven from the wood
lapds and fields Ia the grounds Of suburban
homes. where they occasionally feed with
the chickens or keep a lookout FOR Il shaken
tablecloth beautiful crested ero-ieak
vns seen after the second heavy snow
fall feeding on the dried sec>ia of tho tulip
poplar. which remain on the trees all win
ter ami afford food for the squirrels when
adj else fails
In tine midst Of sharp snow-torm near
the middle of December a brown thrasher
was seen seeking food near suburban
homestead These birds ordinarily leave
the region before frost and return only
when tho spring Is we'll established
A. 10 the squirrels, their tracks lead
thickly across the snow from tree 20 tree
and they arc eating whatever they can
find In some cases they, or perhaps the
rabbits. have been known TO cot the bark
from the lopped Of branches 81 trees felled
in The Bronx for frewood
Many Of the wild birds, squirrels md
-abbits are shot by the Italian pothuntcrs
of The Bronx. When an Italian family
gets out OF work which often happens In
winter every member Is on the lookout
for food and fuei The deep SHOWS have
made the gathering Of fuel almost impos-
-ible to the women, hut the men wander
about tho snowy woods in search Of game,
and WING an occasional pigeon caught IN
,ni1fichf from one dovecote 10 another.