The New York herald., 1865-02-04
The skating season.

THE SPORT STILL ENJOYED BY THoUsANDs-SPLRN-
DID CONDITION OF THE FIFTH AVENUE FOND
PHOTOGRAPHING ON ICE, ETC.
Tho skating sl holds out with remarkable stub
bornnes In spite ofsunshne and thAws and constant
and Of the ice BY the Thousands Of people who daily
visit the various ponds in and about the city TO
Of the ponds the Ice s not smooth might
be- and the skaters the risk Of performing involun
ay somersauts and pelous fests by coding with the
ridges and burrows 70 be met with the used up surface
Of the ce but with all these disadvantages there
be falling on in the attendance any Of the ponds
When mention the fact Of the Ice being rather
favorable state wish he understood auding prnc
pay ponds Of the Park which, COURSE hardly
be expected TO compete with private pond watched
with constant by active and enterprsng managers
In making this comparison reflection upon the Com
missioncrs Of Park is intended In providing for the
comfort and Of the public they have done all
that could be expected from them but 1t Is we'll known
fact that private enterprise Ia nearly always conducted
in a better fashion than public one similar in it, ma
ture for the that the thirst OF gain s better
stmulant 10 exeron than the love Of the public good
avenue pond which s pri' ate concern, managed by
two business men, whose pronts depend alto
gether upon the quality Of accommodation which they
succeed In furn shing To their patrone.
Every day since the commencement OF the skating
season Messrs 0stman Van Dyck have had their
Park ponds we're unt for use the lovers Of skating found
opportunity 10 enjoy themselves TO the fullest extent
the compact little beid OF lust below the entrance
10 the Park the Fifth OF they had
pay for their SPORT but the price Insignificant
pared with the amount OF pleasure to be enjoyed that
nobody could grumbie on that score.
Latteriy adecdod novelty has been introduced on the
Fifth avenue pond An enterprsing photographer has
brought up his apparatus and taken several splendid
sketches Of the skating His of efectng
this In original 10 does II by horn, but not Gin
horn He places his In position gets everything
In readiness, and then, while tho skaters-men
women and children, arrayed In every variety
Of elegant attIre-are seen flying along on
their swift runnerB--some backwards some
forwards some sideways some whrng around In cir
ces, sngy and In couples the sound Of horn Ia sud
denly henrd Instantly, ~ II by magic, the entire
eeEblago becomes motionleae Heels OF skates arc
plunged into the Ice. Men women and children appear
10 have become statues and every Imaginable attitude
70 be seen Tho uninitated lookcr-on wonders what's
the matter and wants TO know II he is dream ng wax
ing Is u reality or only some ocular dcusionf The
mystery soon explained, for in few minutes anothor
blast OF tho horn Is heard and the skaters again o
laughing and tttering In the merrest manner The
lookeron 10 Informed that 10 the photographer thai 10
the master OF ceremonies The first blast signal for
the skaters 70 halt In order that he may get
rejection Of the and the second blast indicates
that his sketch has been accomplished In this way
quite number OF admirable skating scenes have been
photographed Tho Idea takes wonderfully with the pa
irons Of The pond and the photographer WILL doubtless
ind his sketches . very "takng'' affair pecunArily