The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1860-01-19


his experience on skates:
Right beneath ono Of our window,
from norm till midnight we see young
sters and o!dsters twisting their legs in
10 all conceivable shapes: We cannot
pick up paper but an article on 'skat-
Ing meets the eye. Everybody says it's
iun, and that's all everybody knows
about it, for We have tried it. Last
night about gas light time, after reading
u glowing description Of life on skates,
We prepared for our FIRST attempt, and
sailed forth to join the merry crowd.
We had on 4 pair Of stoga boots, trous
ers legs tucked inside, Robert-taled
coat, aud white hat We went down on
the ice, and gave boy two shillings in
good coin 0! the realm for the use Of his
implements We have confidence even
as great as Peters faith. We, with tie
assistance Of friend, fixed On the skates,
and stood erect like BARRIERS pole.
Encoura ed a. the sight Of some ladies
on the bridge looking at the skaters, We
struck out. A slant to the right with
the right foot-a sluul to the left with
the left foot-and just then We saw
something on the ice, and stopped over
to pick i up On our feet again-twc
slants to the right and one to the lett,
accompanied with loss Of confidence
Ano her stride with the right foot, and
We sat down with fearful rsridiiy, with
very little, # any elegance What a Sc,
down it was, for We made dent in the
ice not unlike Connecticut butter bowl !.
Jus. then one Of the ladies remarked
Oh, Took, Mary, that ielar with the
white hat ain't got his ske,ts on the righ
place. Ditto, tl,ous ht We. just then a
rasg' title devil sang cut as he passed
US, "Heltow, old timber legs! and We rose
suddenly and put after him. Three
slides to the ri2ht-two to the ieIt, and
away want our leys- Que to the east, and
the other west. causing an immense fs
Sure III our pants, and another picture
Of a butter tray in the cold i Oh hoao
coi,i-ice. Then the lady--ve kaow
e was one by the r, mark she made
again spoke and said "Uh, look Mary,
that chap with the white hat has sat
down on his handkerchief, to keep from
taking cold We arose about as grace.
fui as q saw horse, when Mary said
"yuess faint handkerchief, Jane, =
aud Mary was right, it wasn't a handker-
ch,cf-not a bit Of it! just then a
friend Came along, aud profered Us his
coat tail as a 'steaaier." We accepted
the continuation Of his garm. Mt, and up
the river about ten rods, when shy to
the right by the leader caused US, the
wheel horse, to scoot Of on tangent,
heel up. But the ice is rc,y cold, this
season.
We tried it again. 4 glide one way
a glide and half the other, Wien
''whack' can, our bump Of philoprogen-
tiyness on the ice, and VIC saw a million
Of stars dancing around our eyes, like
ballet girls at the Bowery theatre. How
that shock went through our system, and
up pand down our spinal column. Light
ming cuu dn't have cvrkscrcwed it down
a creased salling with greater speed and
more exhilerating effect. Boarding
house butter nor a warranty deed, could
not have stuck stronger than We did
aud dozen looking ut u.s. and our, ifs.
sur.d' pants!
Hello, old cock" sang out tina, rag
ed imp, and We were helpless! Soon
We got up and made another trial, with
better success. Perhaps We had .kated,
il our peculiar style, fifteen feet, when !
b'undering chap came up behind, and
We sat down with our tired head pil
lowed in his lap-and he swearing Ut us,
when it was all his own fault! How
cold the ice was there. too! Every spot
where We mads our debut On the ice
oh how cold It was? Our dear skin
drawers were no protection at all! We
tried again, for the papers all say its
fun. and down same our Roman q recian
n,sc, on tho cold julip material, and the
little drnns nf crimsnh r.r dnwc AZ. .h;.x