The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-12-06
Skatiil z.

I Skating. - % .- 'sat#F. .h ''I
This delightful and healthy amusement viii
soon be the rage Skates and skating caps are
being advertised by cur merchants and the
young folks, particularly, are anticipating a
lively time on the hard blue breast of the great
river which honors McGreSor by laving her
shore with the waters Of the far north. Al
apropos to the season, we give below, = sailor.
account of his first and vi, effort on skates; the
language is saiIor.like throughout, but though
nautical, it is not naughty. In readins it we
we're forcby reminded Of tall McGregor
lawyer and the writer, sometime last winter.
schooling ourselves a little in secluded part
Of our grand k,oin, ponl. the Mississippi
''Pant,lette Park was it not Elijah :?
The accidents that befel US on this trial trip
were not SO numerous or so fatal as those
which befe the writer below, but they we're
very interesting and decidedly chiefly" when
we came do,on to it. fthe ice We meaa) and
that was not inirequent, you bet:
NY EXPERIENCES ON ICE.
.... (By a Naval Ofhcer.]
Everywhere, in all sorts Of newspapers,
had read of glorious skating tun-Central
Park skating-Schuyklll Park Diamond
ditto, private ditto-t!le grand fun men on
skates, boys on skates splendid sylphides in
scant skirts, steel shod and skrring away Ovor
the ice-the-the Thunder the very reading
gave me the ice fever, aud IN the deIirum CON.
sequent upon the sudden attack, | resolved on
taking All ice cruise myself
Why not What was to hinder? had
never naviSated that sort Of craft, 'sis true:
But then ~ been on the water, all my life
and on ice, TOO, some Hadn't killed seals
aud chased white bears, for weeks together,
on ice
Women could skate-so the papers said. So
did everybody else when inquired Of EN-
could skate What was the reason | could
not The Only thing I'd seen \ woman do
that couldn't was to hook her own dress AFT
and Carrying six ieet br aIth Of crinoline, sail
through twenty inch doorway. Yes, sir
could skate |; and | was bounl on an ice.
cruise.
There was nothing to prevent the expedition
being fitted out at once. | was lounsiuy about
the navy yard, detached from everything--,ll
acqu,ntances Misunderstanding orders. Dis.
gu,ted with b,r rooms, detesting theatres.
wh It WAS to do Tor amu,e lent Why, SIX rte,
w SouSc' AL, yes .-the very LlluS, Oy
Jove! Why ,dn't thought of that be ore
I'd h.ve crl lise directly. or sooner if possible
MOL must have the tools first, aud started off
up town to find 'em.
brought up ir front of big winiow on the
starbolrd side OF Ghesnut street, going towards
SchuyIklI, where they had more different rugged
sliding machines than you can see national
h,ss in G bralter Knowing ab,it a. much Of
the gu litications OF the different patterns AS .
COW does Oi chronometer time. | went inside
and ask Il for p tir Ut skates.
"Wh,t kind d. you prefer. sir p
"Oh, have no preferences. Give me the
best article you have"
"Yes, SIR" and the clerk passed out for in
spection - p'ir OF br'ss-clad, steel clippers.
with more gigies and running rigging to EN-
than there is to French sloop pof.war
"rhese are the best, are they 2
eyes, sir-decidedy Just get on to them,
sir, and yol'll go anywhere aud everywhere,
ike p,tent lightning! 1t YOU don't find it so !,
bring 'em back SIR, and II retu,id your IN Iney"
"What's the price q
.'Fonrr en- dollars! Very cheap. sir"
Didn't believe that, Of Course but invested
the amount and m ,dc slil for Farmouut.
Found superb skating Every one SAID So
only those that called it elegant spleadid {!
magnificent! There was u regiment Of men.
small craft on skates-skiverng, scootins, and
cutting all sorts Of fancies on the ice every
body laughing, ch.ttcring, whopping, skyark.
ins in all directions! and don't wonder nc VS..
papers aud everybody else called SIX lting glor.
GUS fun.
"Have yer sixties strapped, sir p said an it.
inerant bootback about the height Of u walk
ing stick
"Do you understand it. Bub 2"
"Oh, yes. sir. strap all the ladies' skates
TO- 'em.'
Ah, ha! Do, eh! Must have jolly time
oft! Would like the berth myself. "rhere
you are. Go ahead, boy!' aai sat down On
Blackie's box, about a couple Of iathoms out
on the ice.
Whiz like a rocket, went by a great strap.
ping. long-legsed chap with cigar flying jib.
boom, and swinging his arms like trig ,tes
headwardS in 4 hurricane, with the braces. all
adrtt
ooh. ho! So they can smoke on. skates-eh,
boy7
Lord yes, sir. Everybody smokes on the
ice.
Exactly" So fired up on Principe, AMI
shipped it Tor the cruise.
UrchiR announced skates all atanto, aud
took II fifty cent fractional fee.
"iere, boy!-here's another fifty. Just al.
IOw uie W SIT On your ok il lew minutes I'LL
get the run OF the navigation"
Yes, sr-you can set there till get some.
body els. to strap
SO sat there studying ice navigation by
dead reckoning, till directly little peticoas
craft i'll yellow trowsers, skirts to her knees,
red belt, Russi IN Cap, and arms akimbo,
swoopny down, and checked up right in front
OF me. There she hung fora minute, quiver.
inS-like and balancing, just AS tish.hiwk does
over his prey aud all the time eyeing me
with y jolly twinkle in her dancing black
eyes
ga challenge for race, sir. Catch me it
you Can -
Little Dimity lifted her left foot a tribe,
bent right knee slightly, made graceful
carve, the bottom OF her ski,t ust brushing
ee-e-e-st-zit !-swing from side to- side, her
tan skirt swaying hither and thither. like the
folds OF u sp,nker br.ied in with tbs ships
head To the wind
"SO-ho! that's challenge, is it And
that's the way to skate Inunter lem
skate Anybody can skate -
But | couldn't, though, whatever anybody
else could do. accepted Dmity's challenge.
however, ami her practice on ice. So bounced
up from my bl,ckns box. lifted lett loot lit.
tie, bent ri ght knee. and stuck my arms akm5o.
But didn't cut curve. ] dad the next best
thing, however, and cut spread eas sle.' Port
loot slid due southeast, and starboard one
northwest, till realized those spre4lout pic.
toriaI inposSibilities on circus bills. Won
der0d if my boots and skates would ever be.
Come shi IN ,tes again
''IIullo mister, you mustn't try to skate all
over both sides of this 'ere pond at once :"
growled an old commercial looking chap as he
checked up enough to put in the remonstrAnce
against my ice monopoly.
81 say. Mister Saltwater, couldn't yer lift
Ycrself nmiushinS 4 bit so we can Slil Tween