St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1905-03-15
A Vermont Scooter in Rochester.


New Zest Added TO the Waters Coas,.
ing by ihe fnding of the Green Noun
tain Racer.
An esteemed subscriber of the GALE
DOMAIN in Rochester, N. Y, sends us an
interesting newspaper clipping of the dis
covery in the office of the Park board of a
rusty scooter. The Rochester Post. Elk,
press tells the story as follows:
Interest in outdoor sports has called
forth from hiding places several relics of
old-tashioned New England winters; but
none that is stranger to Rochester'youths
who delight in coasting than was the
vermont skipper" which came to light
this morning in the office OF the Park
board.
Some time ago Henry c. Maine, of the
park department, induced President
Stryker OF Hamilton college to send on
one of the famous Hamilton sleds which
be declared would beat anything on the
Warner hill. This sled has been the OBJ
iect of much curiosity since the day that
Mr. Maine essayed to show some OF the
other members of the park department
how President Stryker used a similar
sled on the hills OF Ithaca twenty years
or more ago. What happened at the
Warner hill during the first trip with Mr..
Maine at the helm it is not recorded; but
it is sufficient to report that Mr.. Maine
saws now that he has finally learned to
steer the thing, but he would not advise
one unacquainted with new things to at
tempt the management of this one with.
out practice.
The announcement that nearly three
thousand persons were attracted to the
Warner hill yesterday by the coasters,
toboggans and Hamilton sled caused the
owner of continuance used in the billy
state OF Vermont for the purpose of get
ting over decline rapidly without wear.
| ing out clothes to produce it at the office
| Of the Park board this morning and dare
any person to try it on the Warner hill.
There was prompt acceptance of the
challenge on the part of one of the en-
ployees Of the park department, for never
| has there been such spirit OF bravery in
coasting matters in Rochester as at pres
emit. The strange device that will make
| OF DT6aK SOmC OuC reputation 1OT skill
on coasting bill is single steel runner,
two inches in width, a quarter of an inch
in thickness and three feet in length, at
tached to board x14 inches by two
iron braces, the whole being about the
height of a milking stool. The rider sits
on the board which is at right angles
with the runner, and skates down the
hill without touching the teet except for
the purpose of steering balancing him.
self upon the single runner in much the
same manner as the bicycle rider main
tains his balance.
The possibilities of this Vermont skip
per" are YET to be demonstrated in this
city. With heavy file an employee Of
the park department today removed the
accumulated rust of years from the bot.
tom of the Il 1nner. President Lamberton
Superintendent Laney and Secretary
Stone, of the Park board, had little to
say on the prospects of establishing a
record better than that OF Mr.. Names
Hamilton college sled; but the light o.
anticipation hat sparkled in their eyes
as they watched the polishing process or
the skipper iplainly indicated that the
contest for newcomers is still open.