Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-24
Alta Twenty Mile Clip.

ITHOUT single national winter sport of its
nv own Switzerland has adopted the weather
M I pastimes of every nation in Europe and in the
M last five years has developed them to point of
w thrilling perfection. The Swiss have taken the
bobsled and the toboggan out of the hands of
the English and shown them how to hundred
and twenty miles hour in three mile run; they have
taught the Germans skeleton sled running with additional
thrills and twisers native Coney Island than the
of Teuton; they Norway skiing
and skating, and they have provided such exceptional
facilities for curling and hockey that the national organ
cations of Scotland the home of curling journey to the
Alps by special train for their annual tournaments.
Winter sport is five Years old in Switzerland land of
and ice, where previously winter meant almost
Information In this sport they five years ahead of
Americans. They have attained this lead with other
advantage than superior eye for busness-for
at bottom, it is all business with the Swiss Cheeses,
watches and cuckoo clocks help support few of the
inhabitants, but the real industry of the country is
tourists
In the United States have every advantage of eli
mate and meteorological conditions that have made win
ter sport popular in the Alps We match their high
mountain valleys of Davos St Mortz Grndelwald Adel
boden and Engelberg with dozen famous pateaus in
the Rockies the Aleghenies and the White Mountains.
Denver is gateway leading to ideal spots.
Within few hours of New York city itself summer
resorts which the natural advantages of the Alps
for winter Fairgrounds Pocono and the Delaware
Gap not three hours away Saranac Lake, Ampersand,
Lake George, Saratoga and the Mohawk Valley in New
York State; the Berkshres Massachusetts, foot
hills in Connecticut-Lenox is already the autumn haunt
of fashion, and it needs accessories it into
winter resort with its rare dry air. weeks sunshine
and a. equable temperature Vermont and New Hamp-
shire have of spots especially susceptible of deve
opmen and the additional advantage of furnish
ing highest attitudes to be found in the East The
Swiss have picked their attitudes ranging from
$500 feet to 5000 feet
SSsNSgS
With the Japan to soothe the rigors of
its winter Winds California enjoys the balm of perpetual
spring. Ascending the peaks of Sierras traveller
enjoy all the degrees of climate seasons
So long he is of his own altitude he can chose
his own climate. This feature is especially well illus
rated in the Truckee River district where already
lean monnaires have taken advantage unique
matte conditions by building winter homes the valleys
and summer homes in the clouds. And these are only
few hours journey apart
1t only of years we have taken the word
of skilled physicians that high attitudes with rare cold
dry air and plenty of sunshine form climate for
convaescens in and pulmonary diseases Euro
pean doctors the first to point the way and
so very long that the English and Germans sum-
moned the requisite of dig their way
through the to the Engadne in Switzerland mid
winter There, altitude of more than 6OOO feet and
surrounded by from three feet feet Deep
feeble pioneers sought health The temperature
above the freezing point during the months at
night the mercury hoyered between FIVE ten degrees
below with occasional swoops icy regions of
twenty, thirty and even forty degrees below AT
in the sunshine the thermometer vibrated between
fifteen and twenty-five degrees above.
Convaescents about without overcoats discover
ing that sunshine in the of high attitudes is brac
ing beyond the hopes of matera medc These pioneers
thrlved to the amazement of the Swiss
themselves 1t is remarkable fact that sport as
exists to-day originated among these groups
sumptves and anaemcS who had the hardhood brave
a winter in the Alps Davos the birthplace of the
pastme that to-day has become popular among Euro
pean travellers that it has almost doubled the income
the SWISS government as an amusement proprietor.
we have the same ideas of mountain re-
sorts as the Swiss had before they learned their lesson
from the band of convalescens We shiver shudder
when the Weather Man tells that last night it was
forty degrees below up New York State The native
didn't shudder or shver In all probability he was
coppng wood in his shirt seeves-red flannel of course
When his wife told him it was cold.
SSggssSSgS
Up there, in the mountains of New York State or of
New England there twelve of snow and the side
OF the mountain smooth the sugar frostng an
apple jumping But no one has yet forward among
us with suclent enterprise to record
toboggan run that mountain We are accustomed TO
unbearabe to the average American of the cities Pres
dent Roosevelt IN of his of door books tells us
ha tar from being Arctic the temperature of the Maine
woods is so mild during the day that go about in
summer undereothng and be comfortable if he keeps
moving 1t is at night that the mercury drops
appreciates fully what might call the poetry of
warmth-a warm bed. 1t is instinct ar
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