New-York daily tribune., 1859-01-25
SKATING IN CENTRAL PARK.

All things considered, tie skaters on the Central
Park ponds lad more delectable time OF yesterday
than any previous occasion since the first freeze OF
the season. The day was model day; the su.shine
was fret rate article Of sunshine praise be TO old
Sol who came up to his work Ike celestial trump
as be is, and bazed away all day without winking;
the air ives delicious of the greatest hits Of the
season not cold enough to CONCEAL the passive locker
on TO wbten the tips Of his ears and nose, turn nis
cheeks skimnilk blue, and render his fingers nerve
less and brittle as the pendant iccle and yet not
warm enough to thaw the geld surface OF the ponds
and render locomoton thereon even like unto peram-
bulang Broadway in its recent state Of saline sush,
The ice was smooth and frozen solid enough to be
free from weak places and the sgnboards threatening
an incautCus world with Danger were for the
most part removed to the Shore where their solitary
word Of warning became the and deision of The
small bcys, and the targets at which innunerable
rounds of ignomnious ammunition were fred in the
shape of cigar-stubs.
All the conditions requisite to thorough enjoyment
OF the skater were present save one, range, length,
BREADTH extent, space in which to gyrate, loom in
which to throw himself wherein te get up high
pressure speed ard take his days pleasure at the rate
OF a mile a minute. A man can't do any skating
worthy Of the name any twenty acres of land that
ever was submerged. He may imagine he can, but he
can't any more than Re can run foot-race in a par
lor. or do credit to his aquatic accomplishments by at
t.mptipg to swim in q bath-tub. TIE deluded man
who thinks that the lsborous sliding that is done at
The Central PAX is anything, even remotely, approach
ing the perfection of skating has as true notion Of
what can be done with sk ates the kitchen girl has
Of the properties Of steam when she cooks her dump
lrgs by that agent, ard then imsgines the cooking
Of dumpliugs TO be the ultimate power of steam. Tne
Central Park ponds are toocircumscrbed for any geru
re skating but they plenty big enough for eternal
lots of fun IL the entire Park could be Hooded avery
sizable little pond would be thereby formed, but it
would stil be too small for any display of first rate
science.
However snail the Park ponds are, they answer the
desired end and smuse the people and so lopg as they
really deude themselves with the fond fancy thst they
are doing wonderful things in the skating way, is,
p.rhsps. a piece of unchertableness to undeceive
them especially all the grumbng in the world can't
make the present lakes any bigger, or create any new
ones Of more extended area. What we have said
above has been merely by way of protest agans. the
etsraring Of The ignorant into the belief that what
tey there see of favorte amusement lie the pertec-
ton of the noble art. So We will say no moro OF
what is not t. be seen, and make mention of few
things that are TO bs seen and that wei worth any
mans while TO see.
A good atured happy crowd often thoussnd Joyous
people six Thousand Of whom are on the ice engaged
in the various patmes that practicable in go great
crowd the rest Of whom spectators on the sopng
banls and al OF whom ale elated and " hilarious to
the last degree" is sight worth seeing And yester'
dsy II ere was fully that immense number congregaed
in the Centr, Park TO amuse themselves for few
hours on the ponds. Probably three-fifths of the
persons on the ice were sk.ters, who exhibited oi
course every degree Of grace and ski within the pos
abilities of tire ftterpg circumstances. 50 CREST was
the crowd that the maneuvers Of the skil!fu! we're
peos ssarily less brilliant thsn they could WISH and the
bunders Of the learners less noticeable In the trench
dous hubbub. Collisions were frequent, but were
always good-ratortdy forgiven, not single qdarrel
growing out Of sry Of the muttudnous accidents oi
this sort.
TIE "Cur,ing" Clubs we've bu.iy engaged in their
f,vorte sport on ore of the ponds which seems to Do
,t apart for their speei.l accommodation, proceed
ipg especially TO be commended for the game IS dan
eeIous oue 10 sAa.ers and should never be permitted
on poLd where skating IS the specially.
The chief point II attraction IL the Lsties Pond,
which is reserved exclusively ior lsdies and their
a,te ndani gentlemen, and which is ygo ousy guarded
fom the dtsecrstion of those miserable individuals
who cannot present feminine ticket Of admission, BY
the corstab, eyeions Of Capt. ReRwck aad squad OF
police men, This is to be psr :ulary understood, ths
this poid s 60 reserved and that ladies who desire TO
arn or practice skating, protected from contact
with al Objectionable persons, as the gFes. mas u
tie skars ere eoufned to the other ponds, this one
being completely solsted, ard al some Little DIS
tsnce from the Others.
There have been as many as fifty ladies' skating a.
one time here but yesterday there not more haa
dozen visible who had put on the skates, though
there were hundreds otherwise disporting themselves
On tie ice No ladies have yet had the pluck to dIs'
card the unsrseeful long skirts and sppesr in car
tailed and appropriate dress, - consummation de-
youtly 10 be wished" A hou,e Is provided, with
stairs leading directly to the ice that ladies' can pre-
mare themselves fer action secure from impeItlnent
observation.
Persons who go unprovded with skAtes can hne
those requisites the spot a. the moderate chs's o'
twelve ceuts per hour Refreshments OF various softs
arc slso for SALE though the tinerant msrchanH du
no seem 10 be particularly well pa.roniIed yesterday
The lack Of Q servicesble moon forbid' sny nigh.-
rkatirg at present. Yesterday . Boston lazy won
veu-dese,yed admiration By her artistic naneuvefs.
She wss decidedly the beat skater on the ice man or
woman. The ice was flooded at an early hour lAsi
night, ard Q Few sarfsce was formed by lae slArp
cold, 20 thst the spor. to-day viii oe royal
Tbose who are fond Of the amusement VII hnd Tie
i av@nt l-a