St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-12-10

.T11eE PpLEAsujnEs 81 S1Artre.
-. ~, - - t.~'. u,:
As being decidedly apropds TO the
|'presept skating -furor, We publish the
annexed sketch BY Brick Pomeroy-:,.
"Right beneath one>of our vindoWs,
'frem morn till midnight, we see young
sters and clusters twisting their legs in
10 all conceivable shapes. We cannot
pick up paper bnt an article on ''skat-
iug' meets the eye. Everybody says
it's fun, and that's all "everybody /
knows about it, for we have tried it,
Last night, about gas light time, atter
reading a glowing description Of, life on
skates, we prepared fdr our 'firstattempt
and sailed forth to join the merry
crowd. We had on pair of stoga
boots, trousers legs tucked inside. q
Robert tailed coat and white hat We
went down on the ice, and gave boy
two shillings in good coin Of the realm
for the use Of his implements. We
have confidence, even as great as PeteE's
faith. We, with the assistance of a
friend, fixed on the skates, and STOOD
erect, like barber's pole.
Encouraged at the sight 66ff 66ff .;o51i' .S;o51ni'e L.
dies on the bridge looking at the skat-
ers, we struck out. A slant to the
right with the right foot-a slant to
the left with the lett 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 a !loss
of confidence. Anotherstfide with the
right foot, and We sat down with fear
full rapidity, with very fttle,.'Hif = sny e.
esance! What a set down it vas, for
we made deEt ii, The ice :h6t: tunhke;a
Connecticut butter bowl! Just then
one 6f Che ladies 'remarked-"Oh, look
Mary, that feller with The White hat
amt sot>his skeetes on the right place" r.
Ditto, thought We. Just ;hen ragged
little devil sang out as he passed US
"Hello old timber legs r. ana we arose
suddenly and put after Eim. Three
slides to the sight-two to the left, and
away went our legs-oue to tho east,
and the other west, causing an immense
6ssure in our pants; and another pic
ture of butter tray in the cold-oh!
hoao col1-ice!
We tried itagaiu. A glide one way,
a glide and a half the other, when
",chaeh" CAME our bump Of philopro-
:gehitiveness on the ice, and we 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 and down our spi-
nal column. Lightning couldn't have
corkscrewed it down a creased sapling
with greater speed and more exhilera-
ting effect. Boarding house butter nor
a warranty deed, couldn't have struck
stronger than we did-an dozen Ia
dies looking at us-and our '<6ssured"
fants!
"Hello, cid COCK" sang out that rag
ged imp again, and We there helpless
Soon we got up and made another trial,
with better success. Perhaps we had
skated in our peculiar style fifteen feet,
when bldndeang chap came up be-
hind, and we sat down, with our tired
head pinowed in his lap-and he swear
ing at US, when it was all his own fault!
How cold the ice Was there, too! Ev.
cry spot where we had 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 Ro~
man Grccian 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 shil,ings in cash thrown away.
Seven lateral and one "tronteral' bumps
! on the ice. One immense fissure in as
handsome pair OF ten dollar cassimeres
as man ever put his legs in.: One
rupture in the knee, extending to the
bone. Four bottoms from our vest, q
''fragmented'' watch crystal, aud back.
ache big enough to divide aihongtde
children Of Israel. II you catch Us on
the smooth, glossy, chilly, freezing,
treacherous, deceitfal, and slippery, ices
again, you'll know it If any one ev-
er hears Of our skating again, they will
please draw on us at sight for itheibi-.
valves and accompanying docunents.-
We have got through skating. It's q,
! huMBhg: It's a vezation Of spirit, Of
dcsh, aud a tearer of trowsers !! It's
head humping! back-aching, leg warm