New-York daily tribune., 1865-12-18

THE SKATING SEASON.
lis 0pening al the Eiitl-sVe' FeAo
On Saturday.
LARGE CROWDS IN ATTENDANCE.
PRETTY women and Silver
EFceEs.
Uealth, Grace and Beauty Of the
fastiI0e.
LUDICROUS INCIDENTS.
Tie BaEls ap II the Cs.tfa. FaTk,
Fos tho Genital Park away
sfrup on yosr skate. Tor the ice awaits
The merry th.ongs day.

Tue merry th;ongs to-day
This was thes impression of many merry
,saer On Saturday morning. The crisp cold weather
, several successive nights eft but little doubt that
he Lakes" wonld be in excellent condition for the
ryactice this most beautiful and pleasant amusement
and It Qaiie early hour, the np.going were
crowded with men and boys carrying their skates in
iher hands, eager for the commencement OF heirfavor
iis sport.
found that the Commissioners did yet deem The ice
>tJoag enough and any attempting Of Its efficacy was
rot permitted. though many longing glance was
thrown over the CLASSY surface OF the irregular and
rOmantic ponds. where only few dscolsOate ducks
ard geese tObe ainy striving TO bre Ak heice
IL order 10 catch whatever unsuspeetng tadpoe might
p1ri near the snrace in the cold blue water beneath
Tie small ponds, rather water holes Of the Park.
veFs lrozen strongly and many of the younger portion
efthe spOrt-seesers oontentedshemseves with limited
ararers and slpshy sides while the frozen gut
iers by the wayside were also soon appropriated
inr amateurs on the single skate. Bat those Of
larger growth found ample consolation Oh
THE FIFTH-AvE. POND,
pheh thrown open to the public for the first time
iais on Saturday morning TIE proportions of
Winter. by "the inexorable hand Of improvement
which has been engaged during the Summer in pushing
sfased thOrOsghiare almost through its center; but
sill there is YET ample room for large numbers and for
tie display Of the most exaggerated pigeon wings.
Thr-ce was not very thick but strong enough "to
bear and in excellent condition Ii lay hike polished
mirror the cleaning surface Of which but slightly
dmmed by the few snow. flakes which began 20 faD
esYly in the morning BY o'clock in the morning up
ward Of 900 skaters fully one half of whom were Of the
softer sex, assembled on the ice which rapidly
began grow rough and white beneath the sharp steel
0tte gliding tLrongs.
THE SKATERS
nearly all young people and mostly OF those usu
ally classified as fasbOnales," inasmIeh as the pond
is private one for admission to which fec is taken
a. the door. skating has become such popular and
very good skaters visit 10 any OF great ponds
IN the proper season. must convince almost anybody.
YOnng men who1 you might never suspect 10 be
he of anything but measuring out tape or ouDgng
in rooms. may here be seen fnging their long legs
about N manner which suggests almost anything
lively and plea Sant Now II is Straightforward swing
rapid and noiseles TO remind one OF the flight OF
avid fowl then il is ltward sweep with the right
kg and inward sweep with the eft, and the ice-skim
me- cuts OF figure fouTs figure eights and winds
up WITH graceful Dtricacy, which may be letter L.
or tht eabastic flourish at the tail of any piece Of
h0sf sculpture which only has the immortal hines Of
beauty for its meaning. Nor is this all Though the
main amusement is skating, il is frequently combined
With other pursuits of scarcely less striking character
sTAR-GAZERs,
sr instance are by no means few, aud many a young
kighfyer finds himself suddenly making astronomical
sbservatioos of very interesting nature Ihe oper'
stiOn is exceedingly simple and must be fasiliar to
All who have learned 70 skate. All OF sudden the
heels kick heavier and. although the sun IS shining
IN a clear blue sky simultaneously with the head com-
ug IN contact VITA the hard ice variety Of constel
kfous frequently of the most variegated character,
dsrce through the head and before the ewes, ii the
fImaueuf dT-Stnu1tu. SOiUctlUH- Lat OpcI-
alton is also combined with a bumMing In
he cars strongly suggestive OF the music Of the
spheres Sometimes it Is accompanied with hee
fsh of blue ghts and golden fire; sometimes there is
a re,fect rain OF dazzling atoms, combined with a
sC6den aching in the back of the head; while we once
knew of an ambitions youth who saw so many stars
ta Ike Hesperus in the fable he became one himself
oT when they picked him up il was found that he had
But he ludcrous is usually the only result attending
that accident Of falling On ice which must be familiar
10 al who live in this climate Take for example the
young cOlDterainper who, just az be finds himself
mounted his patent irons perceiyes the young ady
whotO lin il the brightest OF her sex skmming toward
ln Ike a swallow the wing. and his heroic rush 10
neet Ter may sometimes terminate IN
A LUDlCROUs MsHAP,
ir which he will suffer in his seiesteem Tor days 10
He has assured the young lady repeatedly, in the
mouth Of July that HIS skill in the science OF skating is
most remerkable-Wbch il most certainly is in GER
tain sense Bat II won't do 10 back out now. she is
saEIg toward him With the hight Of expectation in her
rts and he makes desperate outward plunge with
sre on his lips as natural as the grln OF man ABOUT
10 b buug Having never been on skates before.
o. he snatches at the empty and intangible air
w0 Or three times, and winds up by skating toward her
he bridge of his for several rods, with an OH
Eal imprcCatOn bestowed upon the skates, which nc
"las Mt got used TO-" and strikes attitude meant
ose O. the most careless kind Explanations follow,
he a"bIghtest Of her sex" strikes away. with merry
c1land for him 70 follow. In endeavOTng 10
90 50, he finds himsof in "a sitting
sre 50 suddenly that his frosty breath pufs from
lsnouth ike steam from an engine. And 50 on now
o. this SIDE the other. now on his back, now
head bat very seldom bis feet until, like enough
he aspant leaves the pond in disgust or IN the SEN
nhe stale Of mind that be must learn 10 skate before
eting pigeon wings before the Brightest Of her Sex
But almost all grown young men IN New ork can at
asi stand " irons that the above cited oc
e seldom enough 10 make the sport more noticeable
ssen really occurs. After ALL especially. 10 the
stranger from a more soutberiy latitude,
THE LADY SKATES
le he principal attraction OF our skating ponds. Prob
& ~ Of the fair participated in this merry sport
'Sihe tinh-aVe. pond ON Saturday morning. r
Many Of them skate with exquisite ease and skil ana
fS aye TO be who do not understand the modHs
Ps1akd IN some deRree-for they have thedelcacy 10
Eslt bow in way another, out of sight They
seeom trip aud fall, aud. they are usually accom-
r'q BY male companions. they recover themselves
S1eNy sud cheerful laugh IS generally the only re-
s~l w. o. the accident Beside. women seem to excel
SsisAy III this pastime, as they do in the FAR less
4 graceful one OF dancing. In truts, the singular
4 GRACE AND BEAUTY OF woMES-sRATERs
4 Tsa ~ e apparent 10 all WHO ever saw brghtfaced
4 seslyimed gifl or woman swinging over the smooth
\ ieee Oi ifozen lake or stream The skirts, which
4 .ia might be thought 10 be hindrance, are
srs, ~ mssns So because one loot Is seldom OF
SAs sometimes they both move at once. Ia curves
= essunlu freedom, under the impetus of several
Hssa ss strokes; when faney-skating is ndulged in
etS!ngng foot go 10 speak, is not like the blade
Il G.Houpass, with the other for stationary perpen
Il uSSssN bat both move at once only the one with
vsoia weep or eErve than the other, and Thus tie
"A ~-Ay Al resi-
IN. Dseilg b gross and stltcd compared to the mpus
.rsule toe almost noiseless sweep the swing, the
sfsp p0Ser the grace and elegance Of motion in a fine
a isjrs Al any rate there can hardly be any.
s more eheery, and sweet, and beautiful than
4 "a ihE FASHIOSABLE GIRL on SKATES,
over Tie ice her pretty feet peeping from
lee risn mel dainty striped petcOet, and the clear
b.l me.OdiOgsy 10 the swift stroke OF her silver
tnoD,, t1ssind sind may bite bitterly bot she is
nur, seash her dark fur tppet her little hands are
b., sheltered Ia their little ingf which hangs before
Eisps a. S n.ue drum which La File du Regiment is