How to Conduct a Victorian Sleigh Ride

.

Photograph of Victorian Antique Brass Sleigh Bells mounted on an 88-inch leather harness belt that is 1.25-inches wide. Bells range from 1.25-inches to 2.25-inches. Sold by The Harp Gallery.

.

Oh, What Fun it is to Ride in a One-Horse Open Sleigh!

.

We are enjoying passable sleighing at present. To enjoy a sleigh-ride to the fullest extent it is necessary to have good warm buffalo robes, blankets, sleigh bells, &c. all of which can be found at McCram’s in Titusville.

.

~ The Petroleum Centre Daily Record of Cornplanter, Pennsylvania on February 1, 1870.

.

Kristin Holt | How to Conduct a Victorian Sleigh Ride. Report of "many young hearts bound with joy, in anticipation of a sleigh ride." From Sanbury American of Sanbury, Pennsylvania, January 2, 1874.Sanbury American of Sanbury, Pennsylvania on January 2, 1874.

Sanbury American of Sanbury, Pennsylvania on January 2, 1874. It’s been a dry winter!

.

Kristin Holt | How to Conduct a Victorian Sleigh Ride. Sociables include sleigh rides. Announced in St. Cloud Journal of St. Cloud, Minnesota on January 13, 1870.

Church Sociables (Social Gatherings) include sleigh rides! St. Cloud Journal of St. Cloud, Minnesota on January 13, 1870.

.

Isn’t it interesting that an 1870 term for “social” was “Sociable”?

.

Kristin Holt | How to Conduct a Victorian Sleigh Ride. Image: Painting ~ Sled on Brunnsviken, Stockholm. Original av Martin Rudolf Heland (1765â€“1814). - http://digitaltmuseum.se/011013840327 KapplÃ¶pning, slÃ¤dparti pÃ¥ Brunnsviken, Stockholm. Original av Martin Rudolf Heland (1765-1814).

Sled on Brunnsviken, Stockholm. Original av Martin Rudolf Heland (1765â€“1814). [Image: Public Domain, Wikipedia.]

.

More Victorian-era Humor, this time about a Sleigh Ride…

.

Kristin Holt | How to Conduct a Victorian Sleigh Ride. Newspaper article: "How to Conduct a Sleigh Ride--An Economical Substitute for Sleighing," Published in Holmes County Farmer of Millersburg, Ohio, on January 26, 1865. Part 1 of 3.

1 of 3: How to Conduct a Sleigh Ride. Published in Holmes County Farmer of Millersburg, Ohio, on January 26, 1865.

.

Note: $0.50 of 1865 dollars would be worth: $7.35 in 2015

.

~ Dave Manuel.com Inflation Calculator

.

Note the first couple of full paragraphs, below. Widows make a lovely companion on a sleigh ride. For nineteenth-century reasons, widows topped the list of most sought-after wives.

.

2 of 3: How to Conduct a Sleigh Ride. Published in Holmes County Farmer of Millersburg, Ohio, on January 26, 1865.

3 of 3: How to Conduct a Sleigh Ride. Published in Holmes County Farmer of Millersburg, Ohio, on January 26, 1865.

.

No Wonder the columnist, above, suggests pretending to sleigh ride…

.

Salt Lake Herald of Salt Lake City, Utah on February 3, 1891.

.

$5 of 1891 dollars would be worth: $131.58 in 2015

.

~ Dave Manuel.com Inflation Calculator

.

Horse-drawn sleigh.

.

Sleigh Rides: Rich Man’s Pastime?

.

Kristin Holt | How to Conduct a Victorian Sleigh Ride. From Lawrence Daily Journal of Lawrence, Kansas on January 16, 1870. A well-to-do man has a fine sleigh and a splendid pair of horses, one of the handsomest outfits in the state.

A well-to-do man has a fine sleigh and a splendid pair of horses. Lawrence Daily Journal of Lawrence, Kansas on January 16, 1870.

.

Kristin Holt | How to Conduct a Victorian Sleigh Ride. Report of a fellow ingenious enough to rig up something that resembled a sleigh. His conveyance compared to a beautiful black team and sleigh driven by a wealthy man. The Daily Kansas Tribune of Lawrence, Kansas on January 16, 1870.

Report of a fellow ingenious enough to rig up something resembling a sleigh. His conveyance compared to a wealthy man’s team and sleigh. The Daily Kansas Tribune of Lawrence, Kansas on January 16, 1870.

.

Coal Boxes (keep your toes warm)

.

Kristin Holt | How to Conduct a Victorian Sleigh Ride. "Nearly all the livery sleighs in use in Wisconsin have little iron boxes full of coals to go with them." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle of Brooklyn, New York on January 26, 1870.

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle of Brooklyn, New York on January 26, 1870.

.

Kristin Holt | How to Conduct a Victorian Sleigh Ride. "A Brush for the Lead", lithograph by Currier and Ives, 1867. In the song, the lyrics compare a sleigh ride to a "picture print by Currier and Ives". [Image: Public Domain, courtesy of Wikipedia]

“A Brush for the Lead”, lithograph by Currier and Ives, 1867. In the song, the lyrics compare a sleigh ride to a “picture print by Currier and Ives.” [Image: Public Domain, courtesy of Wikipedia]

.

Sleigh Rides: Dangerous Fun

.

Broken Bones

.

Kristin Holt | How to Conduct a Victorian Sleigh Ride. Young lady's arm broken in sleighing ride accident. The Salt Lake Herald of Salt Lake City, Utah Territory on January 9, 1880.

Young lady’s arm broken in sleighing ride accident. The Salt Lake Herald of Salt Lake City, Utah Territory on January 9, 1880.

.”

Runaway Horse Tumbles Driver

.

Kristin Holt | How to Conduct a Victorian Sleigh Ride. An accident tumbles driver from his sleigh, then the horse ran about town! The St. Cloud Journal of St. Cloud, Minnesota on February 3, 1870.

A sleigh-ride accident tumbles driver into the snow, then sends horse on a run around town. The St. Cloud Journal of St. Cloud, Minnesota on February 3, 1870.

.

Another Runaway Horse and Sleigh Upset

.

Kristin Holt | How to Conduct a Victorian Sleigh Ride. Sleigh Upset, It's Occupants Thrown Out but No Serious Damage Done; a pedestrian struck by runaway horse-drawn sleigh. Published in Brooklyn Times-Union of Brooklyn, New York, March 8, 1890.

Sleigh Upset, It’s Occupants Thrown Out but No Serious Damage Done. Pedestrian struck by runaway horse-drawn sleigh. Published in Brooklyn Times-Union of Brooklyn, New York, March 8, 1890.

.

Sleigh Collides with Railway Train

.

Kristin Holt | How to Conduct a Victorian Sleigh Ride. Fatal accident as sleigh collides with train. Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on March 17, 1870.

Two men killed by the collision of their sleigh with a railway train. Reported in Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on March 17, 1870.

.

Sleigh Runs Over Child in Street

.

A FARMER ARRESTED.–About noon yesterday, a farmer named William Burgeman, while coming into the city with horses and sleigh on Grand River street, drove very fast, and when near Perkins’ Hotel, ran over a boy named Pierson, injuring the lad severely. The farmer did not stop to see the damage created, but put on the whip. The affair was witnessed by Olli-eer H.H. Johnson, who pursued the farmer, and, after chasing him about a mile, through streets and alleys, he was caught and locked up at the Central Station.

.

~ Detroit Free Press of Detroit, Michigan on January 11, 1870.

.

Invitation

.

Have you ridden in a horse-drawn sleigh? What stands out in your memory of the event?

OR Have you read a Victorian-era book with a scene in a horse-drawn sleigh?

.

Please scroll down and comment.

.