The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1865-02-15

By cLEW GARNET, U. s. N.

Everywhere, in all sorts Of newspapers
had read of glorious skating fuR-Cen
trail Park skating-Schuy!kill and Schuyl
kill Park-Diamond ditto-private dittt
the grand fun-meu on skates, boys
on skates splendid sylphides in sean
skirts, steel shod and skirring away over
the Observation-Disclosures the very
reading gave me the ice fever, and in the
delirium consequent upon the sudden
attack, | resolved upon taking an ice
cruise myself.
Why net? What was to hinder? /
had never navigated that sort eff craft, I'll:
true. But then I'd been en the water,
and under water all nv life-aGd on ice,
too, some. Hadn't | killed seals and
chased white bears, for weeks together,
on ice Z
Women could skate-so the papers
said. So did everybody else, when I in
quired of EN-. could skate What
was the reason I couldn't7 The only
thing I'd ever sesp woman do that |
Icuuldn't, was to hook her own dress aft,
and carrying six feet breadth of crinoline,
sail through twenty inch door way.
Yes Sir-I could skate and was bound
on an ice cruise.
There was nothing to prevent the ez-
peditiOn from being fitted out at once. I
was lounging about the Navy Yard, de-
tached from eVerything-all aequaint.
ances waiting orders. Dis
grsted with bar rooms, detesting theatres,
what was I to do 70. amusement Why,
skate, of course All, yes the very
thing, By Jove! Why hadn't I Thoughts
of that before I'd have a cruise directly
or sooner if possible. No-I must have
the tools first, and then started up town
to find EN-.
I brought up in front CT big window
on the starboard side Of Chestnut street,
going towards SchuylkilI, where they had
more different rigs of sliding machines
than you can see national flags in Gibral-
ter. Knowing about Sc much of the
qualifications of the different patterns as
a COW does of chrouometer time, [ went
inside, and asked for pair of skates.
"Wh hat kind do you prefer, sir?"
ooh, I have no preference. Give me
the best article you've got"
"Yes, sir;" and the clerk passed out
for inspection 2 pair of brass clad, steel
clippers, with more gilgies and running
rigging to 'em than there is to a French
sicop Of war.
"These are the best, are they?"
ayes, sir, decidedly Just get onto
them, sir, and you'll go everywhere and
anywhere, like patent lightning! If you
don't find it so, bring 'em back, sir, and
I'll return your money"
"W hats the price 7"
"Fourteen dollars! Tery'cheap, sir. "
Didn't believe that, of course but ir-
vested the amount, and made sail for
Fairmount
Found superb skating. Everybody
said so-only those who called it elegant
splendid magnificent There was reg
iment of men, a battalion Of dimity, and
a whole brigade of small craft, on skates
-skiYering, scOo!ing, and cutting all
sorts of faneies on the ice; everybody
laughing, chattering, whooping, skylark-
ing and skittering in al directions ! and
[ didn't wonder newspapers, and every.
body else, called skating glorious fun.
"Have yer skates strapped, sir z" said
an itinerant bootblack about the height
of walking stick.
"Do you understand it, Bob?"
"Oh, yes, sir. I strap all the 'ladiat'
skates for EN-"
"Ah, ha Do, eh /! Mast have 4 jolly
time Of it! Would like the berth myself.
There you are. Go ahead, bog p and [
sat down on Blaokie's box, about couple
of fathoms out or the ice.
Whiz-like a rocket, vent By & great
strapping, long legged chap, with cigar
flying lib boom, and swinging bis arms
ike frigate's headyards in hurricane,
with the braces all adrift.
ooh, hOl So they can smoke on skates
eh, boy? ~
"Lord yes sir. Everybody smokes
on the ice"
EXACTLY" So I fred up on a Prin-
cipa, and shipped it for the cruise.
Urchin announced skates all ataunto,
and took fifty cent fractional" fee.
"Here, boy !-heres another ffty.
Just allow me to sit OF your boz few
minutes till I get the run of the naviga-
tior."
Eyes, sir-you can set there till I git
somepody else to strap"
So l sat there studying ice navigation
BY dead reckoning, Till directly a little
petticoat craft, in yellow trousers, skirts
to her knees, red belt, Russian cap, and
arms akimbo, swooped down, and checked