Tobogganing

Lovers of winter sports and pastioies ' will doubtless bc gl:ul tü learti that tliis i -toisón will see inaugurated in thig rity ' mie of tbs delightful winter sports and ] pastimes herctofore alinost cxclusively eonflned to the Dominion of Canada. A number of yiung gentlemen of this city have formed a company and are now erecting a tobogitan The placo selected is near what Is kaown as the "cat hole,"- on 12tli st., in the Gth ward. New England tirstadopteu tliis i-port in the states, and the love for it has spread to sucli nn extent that in New Jersej', New York, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan and many other states, slides have been erected. It is by no means necessary to reside in a hilly country to enjoy this healthful sport, as artificial slidus have taken tlie place of natural ones, even in rough-sur, faced Canada, where .he sport originated. Defect are to be found In a natural sudeand to overeóme them artificial ones have in many places been substituted. It would not be amiss to give a short explnnatin of what really is a TOliOGGAN 8LIDE. Tlie top s called the tower, a platform from which the tobogganist starts. Leading downward from this, at an angle of about 45 degrees, are the chutes (it boing usual to have two, three or four attached to one structure), In which the toboggnn runs. TbeM chutes and the track beyond are packed very firmly with snow, over which water is pouted until it freezes into a sol id mass of Ice from six to eight inches deep. E ach chute should be from four to six fect vid', and protected on e&cu side by wooden guards to prevent the toboggan and its load from leavinsr the track laterally. The ice track is carefully planed anti swept until its surface is as smooth as glas, and over such a surface the speed of a toboggin issomethinjj marvelous. The costumes of the ladies and gentlemen are quite often of picturesque beauty. They are fashioned from soft woolcn blanketsof blue, scarlet, orange andother attractire colors, citlier solid or tiistefuHy blended, and wlien a tobogán slide is in full blast the scène presented under the glare of electric light or the lurid glow of the torch is certainly one to be reniembered. A great raany people will ask: " How can you teil a good toboggan, anyhow?' Briefly then the requisites for A PERFECT TOBOGüAN are resiliency or spriiigtiiess, combined with strength, speed, and lightness, and the quality of quickly yieldinjf to, and recoverine frora contact with uneven surfaces of cc and snow wlien under great speed. These qualities prevent sudden strainsfrom breaking and permit the most exhilerating speed with safety. A good toboggan is usually made of uinple, kilndried, and lüghly linished. It consists of seven slats, oval shaped on the bearing surface, three of which are slightly thinner than the others, and these are providedwith the patent steel shoe, with flanges turned into the wood in such a way that uo bolts, screws or rivets are used along the bearing surface which makes a most perfect thing of the kind. With a toboggan slide in full operation Ann Arbor young people will have no end of sport during the coming winter and spring.