The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1860-01-14
pleasures OF skating.


able shapes, skating up aud down the river,
as merry as lambs. We cannot pick up a
paper but an article on skating meets the
eye. Everybody says it's fun, and that S
all everybody knows about it, for we've
tried it. Last night, about gas light time,
after reading glowing description 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, trousers
| legs tucked inside, robert tailed coat and
white hat. We went down on tie ice, and
gave boy two shilfings in good coin of
the realm. for the use of his implements
We have confidence, even as great as Peters
| faith. We, with the assistance of friend,
/ fixed on the skates, and stood erect like a
barber's pole. Encouraged by the sight of
some ladies on the bridge WHO were just
then looking at the skaters, we struck out.
A slant to the right with the right foot,
slant to the left with the left foot-and just
then we saw something on the ice, and
stopped over to pick it up! On our feet
again-two slants TO the right and one to
the left, accompanied with loss of conf
dence. Another stride with the right foot,
and we sat down with fearful rapidity, and
very little if any elegance! What a set
down it was, for we made dent in the ice
not unlike Connecticut butter-bowli
| Just then one of the ladies remarked,
Ion, look Mary, that Teller with white
| hat amt got his skates on the right place p
| Ditto, thought We. Just then ragged lit
tie devil sang out as he gided past US,
s.Hallo, old timber legs ~ and we arose sud
denly and put after him. Three slides to
the right-two to the left, and away went
our legs-one to the east, the other west.
causing an immense assure in our pants,
and another picture of butter-tray in the
cold-oh, hoao cold ice Then the lady
we knew she was one by the remark she
made-again spoke and said, ''Oh look,
Mary, that chap with white hat has sat
down on his handkerchief to keep from ia
king cold - We rose about as gracefully
as a saw-horse, when Mary said, "Guess
faint handkerchief, Jane" and Mary was
right. 1t want handkerchief-not bit
of it. Just then friend came along, and
proffered US his coat tail as ''steadier."
We accepted the continuation of his gar
ment, and up the river we went about ten
rods, when shy to the right by the leader,
caused us, the wheel horse, to seoot off on a
tangent, heels up But the ice is very cold,
| this season
We tried it again. A glide one way-a1
glide and a half the other, when whack came
our bump of philoprogenitiveness on the
ice, and we saw a million of stars dancing
around us, like ballet girls at the Bowery
Theatre. How that shock went through our
system, and up and down our spinal col
umn Lightning couldn't have cork
screwed it down a creased sapling with
greater speed or more exhillerating effect.
Boarding house butter nor warranty deed
could have struck stronger than we did
and dozen ladies looking at,us-and our
fssured pants
Halo, old cock ~ sang out that ragged
imp again. and we there helpless Soon
we got up and made another trial, with bet
ter success. Perhaps We had skated, in
our peculiar style, fifteen feet, when blum
dering chap came up behind, and we sat
down with our tried head pillowed in his
lap-and he swearing at US, when it was all
his fault How cold the ice was there, too.
Every spot where we made our debut on
the ice-oh, how cold it was Our bear
skin drawers were no protection at all. We
tried again, for the papers all say it's fun,
and down came our Roman Grecian nose on
the cold julep material, and the little drops
of crimson ran down our shirt bosom, and
on to the cold ice.
Once more we tried skating-made for
the shore-sat down and counted damages.
Two shillings in cash thrown away. Seven
Lateral and one ''fronteral'' bumps on ice.
One immense assure, in as handsome pair
of ten dollar cassimeres as a ever put
his legs in. One rupture in the knee, ex
tending to the bone. Four buttons from
our vest, a "fragmented' watch-crystal, and
backache, big enough to divide among the
children of Israel. If you catch US on the
smooth, CLASSY, chilling. freezing, treacher-
Gus, deceitful, slippery. aud slip uppery ice
again, you'll know it If any one ever
hears of our skating again, they will please
draw on US at sight, for the biyalves and ac
companying documents We have got
through skating 1t is humbug. It's a |
vexation of spirit, of business. of flesh, and
tearer of trowsers! It's head humping,
back aching. leg wearying institution, and
we warn people against skating. We tried
it, and shan't be able to walk for mouth.
Skating clubs are humbugs, and all the ras
cally youngster wish to get the ladies at it, |
that they may see-if they too don't say, |
''the ice is dreadfully cold" It's nothing to
US, but the ladies will do as well to let skates |
alone, unless they are younger and more
elastic than are we.. Oh ! how cold the ice
s--we can feel it yet i-MilUaukee Meas.
COLONIZATION OF FREE BLAcKs.-A cor
respondent of the Cincinnati Gazette, while |
commencing Hon. F. P. Blar's lecture on
the American colonization of free blacks,
claims for the late Benjamin Lundy, mem
Der of the Society of Friends, the origina- T
ton of the scheme of founding, somewhere |
on this continent. near the tropics, such
colony as Mr.. Blair now advocates The |
writer states that Mr.. Lundy traversed all
the States, in the collection of facts bearin g |
unon this subject, which he subsequently, |