The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-01-05
Two "Yarns" abou, Skating.


obsiinately deprive newspaper men in one city |
uf Intercourse with their exchanges in others, |
we can scarcely amuse our readers better than |
By giving them brace ofyarns describing the |
pleasures and perils Of skating. The first 10
from the pen Of n Milwaukee editor:
Right beneath one Of our windows, f,on !
morn TIL midnight, we see youngsters and old |
| s1ers twisting their legs into all conceivable
| shapes, skating up and down the river, as mer-
| ry as lambs. We cannot pick TIP a paper but
| au article on Skating meets the eye. Every
! body says it's fun, and that's all every body
knows about II, for we've tried ii. Last nigh
| about gas-iight time. after reading a glowing
| descripIiou of life on skates, we prepared for
| our first attempt, and sailed forth to join the
merry crowd. We had on pair of stoga boots,
| tfowsers legs tucked inside, robert-taiied
coat and white nat We went down on the
| ice: and gsse hoy two shiliings in good coin
OF the reairA ior tae use Of bis implements -
IWehaye confidence, even as great as Peters
| faith. We, with the assistance Of a friend,
Gxed on car skates, and stood erect like bar
1 ber.s poie. Encouraged by the sight of some
| ladies an the bridge who we're Just then look
/ ing at The skaters, we struck out. A slant 10
the right with the right foot, slant TO tAnleit
with the left ioot--and iust then we saw he
| thing OH the lee, ahd STOPPED over to PICK it
up, On our feet aEain-tWo slants TO the
right and Gne to the left, accompanied with Il
loss Of confidence. Another stride with the
right foot, and we sat down with fearful ra-
pidity, and very little If any elegance! What
set down it was, for we made dent in the
ice, not unlike Connection, butter bowl!
| Just thea one OF the ladies' remarked, "Oh
look. Mary, that feier with a white hat amt
got his skates Oh theA Light place. Ditto,
thought We. Just then ragged little deTil
sang out as he gided past us. Halo. old tim
Der legs" aud We arose suddenly and put af
ier him. Three slides 10 the right-iwu 10 the
ieft-aId away went our Iegs-one to the east.
| The other west, causing an immense tissure in
| our pants, and another picture of butler-tray
| in the cold-oh ho,r coid ice! Then the lady
UG ha
| made--again spoke and said. 'Oh, look, Mary,
| that chap with a White hat has sat down ON
his handkerchief to keep from taking co!d!'
| We rose about a gracefully AS u stw-horse,
| when Mary said, 'GueSs 'taint Il h2ndker-
chief, Jane and Mary was right. 1twan'ta
| handHerchief-not n bit OF il. Just then
| friend came along. and proNered us his coat
tail as ''steadier' We accepted the conhn-
uatlon OF his garment, aud up the river we
| vent about ton rods, when q shy to he right
| by the leader caused US. the wheel horse, 70
| >coot off on tangent. heels up. But the Ice
| is very cold this season!
| We tried ii again. A glide one way-a glide
and half The other, when whack came our
| bump of philoprogrnllNenpss oh tue Zee anu
| we saw a million of stars dancing around lis.
ike bailel girls Il, the Bowery Theatre liov
that shock went through our system, and up
| and down our spinal column. Lightning
couldn't have corkscTewed it down creased
4a,ling with greater speed or more eXhiIera-
tirg effect. clearinghouse butter nor war
rauty deed could have struck stronger than
We did--and a dozen ladies locking at ns-and
orr tse ured pants.
HALO old cock" sang out that ragged imp
again, and we there helpless. Soon we got up
and made another trial, with better success
Perhaps we had ska ted, in our peculiar style,
li!teen feet, when biundering chap came mp
| behind, and we sat dow n W Ith our tireo head
| pilloWed IN his lap--and he sv'earln" AT us,
? | when it was all his fault. How cold the ice
| was there, 100. Every spot where we made
| our debut or the ice--oh. how cold IL was =
| Our bear skin drawers were no protection ~
| is,il We n .l,i 10 - n u
| fun. and down came orr Roman TrecIan nose
Oh ,le cold iuiep material, and the little drops
j. ~ rr,mson ran down our shirt bosom, ana on
| to the cold ice
!. U.c, ulol,. W. tried skating-rnade for t}le
a shore--eat down and counte led GaInages Two
u | shlilings in cash thrown away. Seven !atera!
Il | and one A" frof.teTal' = bumps on the ice. Ose
y | immense Gssure, III as handsome pair OF ten
= | dollar cassimeres as man ever put his legs
| in One rupture in The knee. extending - the
|, | bone Four buttons from our vest, 4 :" trae-
! | nentod" watch crystal. acd Il backache, hg
| enough to divide among the chiiditn I'll Israel
If you catch SON the smooth. CLASSY, Ctii!!iG =
| freezing treacherous, deceittul slippery, and
| slip- upperY ice again. gou ii kHo" III. ii an
= | one ever hears of our skating again, tney |I.i
l. | please draw us At sight, Tor The biEalNe>
D. and acc Inpanying documents. IL is Il hum.
= | Dug It's \ VeXatlou OF spirit, OF business ol
!. | flesh, and tearer Of tro~sers. It's head
y bnniping, back aefzszEg. ergswearyine institn'
/, | lion, and We warn people against Shatihg.-
| We tried il, and shant be able to walk IOf
: mon h. Skating clubs are huInbugs, and al
I the rascaliy youngsters wish 10 get the iadie;
at it, that they may see-lf they don't say, "ih'
ice is dreadtuliy cold" It's nothing 10 us
e but the ladies woud do well 10 let skates
u | alone unless they are younger and more elias
p, | tic than we are. On. how cold The ice is-W'
can feel II yet!
y The following is a sensation story, and WI
II cannot youch for the truth Of il, as We don
e know the author; but we venture to say tina
y such things have been heard OF before (in th
:, life ard adven lures of Baron Munchansen
e ut is Just twenty years ago yesterday saie
y | our narrator. "that 4 party OF US felierS Wen
X over to Cahokia Greek on Il skating match
e The day was colder than ten lcebergs all stuci
=, | together, but the ice was as smooth as glass
Ii | and we made up our mind 10 have Il heap 0
Il tun Bill Berry was he lea Ter of the crowd
Is lie was tall six-footer, full Of PLUCK, and th
:, best skater III all creation Give BIZ Berry {
y | good pair OF skates, and smooth sailing, ant
- he could make the trip 10 Buiiins Bay an,
l- back in twenty-four hours, only stopping ion.
II | enough at Halifax TO lake Il drink. Well, w
" | got 10 The creek and fastened our skates on
and after taking horn from Joe Turner
flask, started off in good style, BAH Berry II
l. the lead.
= "As was telln' ye, il was a dogonned col,
| day and so we had 10 skate fast TO keep tn
blood up. There were little breath holes Ill Ia
II ice, and every now and then we would com
o, near gon' into 'em. My skates got loose, an
x | stopped TO tas zen EN-. Jost as had hnishe
n buckling the straps l heard a noise. l locke
Ii | up ana saw something shooting along or III
% | ice like Ightniu' IL was Bal Berry's head. Il
IN had been goln' il like CREASED eIec ctricity, an
IL before he knew it went in TO one OF them cusst
IN holes. The force was great as 10 cut his iea
lp off against the sharp corners OF the ice. 1t
At all day with Bill Berry said l. And ali nigh
ie too said Joe Turner. .IusL lie got theS
D. words out of his mouth looked al Biii's heaC
o. WHICH had been goin' the ice, and ali 10 onC
as it dropped into anOi her hole We run To /
Ie and heard Bill Berry say, for Gods SAKE
:. bows. pull me Quit / looked iii 10 the no
e. there, tue as am Il sinner, was Bill Berry
body, which had skooted along under the &c
and yaet the head at the hole lii the ice. IL wa
Is go thund-rn' cold that the head had trozH ias
ne to the body ana we pulled Billy out GOOD j
n new. He lelI a liltle numb At Hret: bat ;.ftr
- skating awhiie he was as brisk a. the rest {
r us. and laughed over the joke. We wei
Of home about dark, all satisfied with tn
he DAYS sport. About O'Clock Ia The eteAILi
III somebody knocked al my door. ana SAID WA
n. wanted over to Bill Berrys. 1 put o
be. my coat and went over. There lay Bill
IT, BODY in one place aud ms head III another
T. | His wife said that after hr came home troI
s. skating he sal down by the fire IL warm EiII
~ SELF and while uttem ptlng to blow his rose h
threw his head in the fire place
The coroner Was called that night, ana Ia
"a verdict of the jury was, that Bill Berry cam
N 10 his death skating too last -
u THE PAST YEAR.-A contributor to III
Frederick burg Herald, residing in Kin
o- George county, closes 4 weather report IL
1859 as follows:
II iS5a has been remarkable for its Snow !
the winter OF l-1--a (only one inch,l ON III
IL - III ard 26th OF February; for It's very hsay
rams in June ana Septen Der; tor the leay
t.st,.l ..Af RAJ, i'm md