Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1875 — Snow-Shoes. [ARTICLE]

Snow-Shoes.

Snow-seoes are a dependence here that we would rarely think of resorting to; but in this colintry no man expects to travel off the beaten roads without them. They are in fact indispensable in the woods or in the fields. Now and then snow will be crusted over and you may walk upon the surface; but this is only occasional, and at other times you must depend upon the snow-shoes to keep from sinking through the snow—not to the bottom, but till you can’t get any further down. In sugar-niaking time, which is before the snow is gone, there is no other way of getting round but on snow shoes. This, however, is the case in Vermont and our Northern States. In addition to the regular, sober uses of i snow-shoes, they use them for fun. and the young people get up parties to walk by moonlight over the snowy fields, and otlierwise make sport with them. They i have in this city a snow-shoe club—the : Stauacona —that cultivates the use of i them as a tine art. gets up matches, races, and that sort of thing. Last Sat lirday there was a race given by tnis club at which there were several prizes distributed —to say' nothing of a large amount of fun. The races came off on I Esplanade, under the patronage of the ! Mayor; and the military band was on ' hand to make the affair still more impos- ! ing. A great concourse of Spectators was on hand, and a vast amount of fun resulted. A race upon snow-shoes, which are very much like a pair of basket-cov-ers, one foot wide bv three long, cannot be a very graceful affair, and may easily afford the spectators more fun thaif the performer; for there is every danger of tripping and falling head foremost into the sno v, with a poor chance of getting up till some one else has won the race.— Quebec Cor. Ashtabula Sentinel. Aaron Brown, an eccentric old jeweler, dropped dead in St. Louis the othfr | day, ana four wives have appeared in I court to swear out claims to hiso estate.