The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-13
SKATERS AND SKATING.

skate In Other COuntxics-ImprOve-
ments In skates-sieighing and Skating
Cnrnival-The Pond nlusninated-A
Lively Scene Night and Day, sc.
Although winter is hard time for the poor and al
though the cold will find its way the pores Of tho
skin Of the rich still the of the take
of much of it, bitterness. had winter there
could be no snow, consequently sleighng If hal
no frost could have ice, consequently skating
We beg pardon overlooked the paror skates But that
not the skating that meantthe manly graceful
gliding the upon steel Severe winters
like winds bring good to somebody. Judging by the an.
peaance Of the hardware stores the present time
ter has set the skate makers at work. When the rgor-
Gus winter that visited England in 1914 caused the
Thames to freeze over, skating fair held the
river, and bullock roasted whole, la Douglas upon
the ice. This severity of weather, although common to
u.s. was rarity there and the Londoners made the mos
of IT, In Russia, the Neva, when the very rigorous
season of winter sets in, the inhabitants imme
diately repair to the ice to enjoy the sports
thereon. Ice castles are built, furnished and
beautifully Illuminated and many persons, male
and female, assemble together 10 make the season
quite pleasant. Skating, sleghing, &C, INDUCED in
readily as If the Thermometer did not show degree
far below zero. In Canada skating parties often
along river and travel for miles, making the woods
which line the shores echo with their merriment But
TO return home. The two chief ADJUSTMENTS on the ice
here sliding and skating but the former easy
learn our remarks win be chiefly upon the latter Skating
is truly fascinating pursuit, and would be In
vented as recompense for inability TO fly. In fact
with good skates on feet, and smooth ice beneath
them, need not envy the birds. Those who do not
skate have idea of the fascination which the art
exerts over those who well accustomed to it mode
Of progress not unlike dying is attained by the accom-
pshed skater, who needs powerful 10 propel
him, but sails about as if by simple votoa Curling
going and hockey are games the ice, but these we
have not TO do with in present remarks which we
commence with few words upon the
ORIGIN OF SKATING.
The ancents have always the reputation of being
very dexterous in all kinds OF athletic manly sports
yet we do not find any mention Of skating having been
practsed among them. We may, therefore, consider it
a modern invention and doubtless originated among
the Dutch, where it and still is used only as
graceful and elegant accomplishment and healthy ex-
eroise well amusement but also as means Of ex-
pcdtng travel when the lakes and canals with which
Holland abound frozen up for the winter Many who
would have had to walk from place to place found that
by putting on pair Of fa kind Of shoes armed with
iron or steel and gliding along those canals only
was the labor of locomoon greatly diminished but the
speed was increased to rapidty almost equal that
horse upon the road Even at the present time long
journeys are made in Holland, upon skates with ease
and expedition and the Dutch often travel from
places at long distance to the Amsterdam markets
with baskets of eggs upon their heads But, as
general thing far less attention is paid in that country
TO the grace and elegance of the than
to the expedition and celebrity Of what is called journey
skating
skating was however, practsed in a very peculiar
in England several centuries ago. Fitzsephen
in his description Of London, which work is of very
great ANTIQUITY sayswhe1ne ys great femme or moor
Is frozen many young men play on ye yce" Speaking
on this subject in another part of the work, he
a VvAn fhAx Aoao tsA
swiftly tye bones to their feee and under their
heces, and, showing themselves by little picked STATE
out Of crosse bow" Now this, at all events, is kind
OF skating although the implements were Of the
formed Of steel or bone, that they be runners
signate such motions the ice skating cutter or
sleigh driven along the ice Is species of skating
gigantic scale, the only difference being in the motive
power.
SWEETNESS IN SKATING.
As we have before stated in countries swiftness
upon the ice desired sought after than ee
gance. In iesani, country nUtcd for very rgur
winters regular is formed upon the ce
and males females join the skating contest It il
very thing for the men to be most shsmefully
beaten by the women in these In 1905 at Godn
gen, two women entered contest in prize skating
race and accomplished the distance OF thirty les In two
hours. speed Of fifteen miles hour has many times
been recorded as having boon accomplished on skates
with the accomplishment Blaine records instance of
officer in the army skating from Montreal TO Quebec
distance of hundred and seventy miles day
When consider that the ice river like the St. Law
Is not quite smooth the Central Park pond ice
it must be acknowledged that the feat difficult one
and required a little perseverance, Lincolnshire in
England, is noted for its fens, which in severe
winters freeze over and form a splendid wide
and CLASSY surface TO glide over Lincolnshire men are
very often swift skaters, and instance recorded Of
one man having skated mile in two minutes and ffy
eight seconds As twofo-ty Is not considered bad
good gait for a biped oven II hc be on runners Tint
our juveniles anxious shine in the celebrity of their
motions the ice may be gathered from the fact that
when the skating the ponds either side Of the
Fourth avenue Was in "full blast" as soon as the
woud be Gathered a. one end Of the Pond 70 wait The
arrival Of "hc bulgine and as soon o. II came side by
eide with the skaters of they would start TO beat the
before they could arrive at the distance of the other
end Of courss the boys do yet beas the express,
but there is no knowing what the perseverance, OF
New York boy cannot accomplish; therefore swift as
well as ecg mi katng may soon be one Of the features
Of tho Central Park skating pond and there twen
ty OF ice for the purpose, we can checrfuy say
GO ii, boys"
ADVANTAGE TO THE HUMAN FIGURE.
is only in those countries where skating considered
amusement that the beauty Of Its graceful attitudes
and movements BIO studied and exercise whatever
be devised calculated TO set of the human figure TO
better advantage. Therefore, skating does not be-
necessity in this city those who practice do
from desire TO be proficient in It's very minuta, that
II may form one OF their winter pleasures That such s
the wish Of many who frequent our Central Park during
the skating season may be JUDGED from the Simple fact
leo noviccs may shortly after be In SLY corners at
tempting to do the This feature s TO be observed
among rising generations although older people
do not object to take lessons from others and few
years shall lnd that instead OF fine and elegant
SLATER being rarity worthy OF notorciy the opposite will
be the case and bad skaters will become notorious.
ADVANTAGE OF LEARNING TO SKATE EARLY.
The requirement Of most exercises may be obtained at
an advanced period OF life; but to become expert
skater is necessary begin the practice OF the art at
very early age. Therefore, tmid mothers you should
object to your children learning TO skate for fear
they should break their 'precious heads and limbs"
few tumblcs will help to make them keep their feet he
better Besides, child has not % far TO fall az grown
therefore II they should strike the head, which by
the way IL OF occurrence, tho force OF tho fall Is
not great II were that OF six feet and
in height In Holland children not over FIVE or six
years Of are commonly 10 be proficient In this
art II difficult TO reduce the art Of skating to sys
tenn. IL Ia principally by the imitation OF good skater
that young practitioner can form his own practice and
this fact New York juveniles fully appreciate. An
English author says:''Thc English, though often re