Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-03-05
The "Slippery Heels"

A skating club with the above nam
has recently been established in Cincin-
natl. They have a park at the east end
of the city all to themselves, and the
Cincinnati Times gives the following
rules governing the club, and a days
experience among them, no long since
No one is eligible for membership who
has ever been on skates previous to ad-
mission into the club, and none are re-
tanned after they have acquired any pro-
iciency in the art. e. Their evolutions
are truly marvellous, the skaters appear
ing to use their most strenuous endeav-
ors to skate on any other portion OF
their bodies except their feet. Away
one goes on the knee, then another on
all fours, another on his back, with
both feet in the air, while another is
seen to be going it on his head.
They are constantly applying pounded
ice to some portions of their bodies, as
if to allay inflammation. The treatment
appears to be Il little rough to n casual
observer, yet they persist in it. Pound
ing ice with the spinal base aud the
back Of the head-sometimcs with the
top of the head OF nose, cannot certain
ly be the easiest way Of pulverizing that
substance.
A spectator who was present the other
night, asked a "Slippery Heel" why he
didn't use a beetle, Il sledge hammer, or
a pile-driver to pound the ice with, in
stead of that portion Of his body that
his coat-tails cover, and spectator would
have been pounded worse than the ice
was, if the "Slippery Hcel' could have
caught him, which he couldn't OF course,
although the spectator was n cripple
and on crutches.
The President Of the Slippery Heel is
a man whose head has been whitened
by the frosts of many winters, and
cracked by the conclusion of many .tdlts,
yet he skates a little worse, if anything,
thar he did when he first put himself up
on m He has held the office ever
since the club started. He had to run
against several candidates, but ne beat
'em all. He is used to running against
people. He never skates without run
ming against somebody on the ice. In
fact, he can run against anything except
against the wind. None of the Slippery
Heels can do that.
One member was seen to do it once,
and he was elected from the Park as
soon rs the indignant S. HIS could
catch him, WHICH they didn't do until
they had taken their skates off. They
can't even catch cold.
II is amusing to see Il ''Slippery Heel.
try to do the agreeable to II lady on
skates. He attempts to take her hand
and lead her gently forth Tor fifth, as
the numerical case may BEL when the
treacherous irons run back without any
appar emit reason, and in his efforts to
prevent falling upon his nose, he paws
the air like an idolator trying to propi-
tiate his wooden god. R~egaining his
equilibrium, he cautiously approaches
her again, and contrives to get posses
sion of her hand. He studies his steps
very closely-minces them, as you might
say rs =, 90 Hwg. gwu~n..
II is a sort of %'littlc boats must keep
near shore" style of skating. He de-
tects the foot nearest her in u vicious
attempt to trip the lady up, and just
barely illustrates it. Then the other
foot asserts its independence - or,
perhaps, don't like to associate with q
foot that would try to trip a lady-and
starts Off on a little expedition of its
owu.7 A good deal Of difficulty is en-
countered in persuading the foot to
abandon so rash a step. And so they
20. He fears to strike out-sure to
strike on his nose-and if he stands still
down he drops.
They think seriously of having the
ice cushioned so rs to break the fall.
Several haye adopted, the ingenious ex-
pedient of strapping their skates on
their knees. In this way they don't
have so far to fall by two feet and
a half of n leg at least. They don't
need to practice skating backward, nll
being 6pckmard skaters from the first.
If a member is caught in the act of
falling, no one is allowed to catch him.
Cold water is the only beverage al
lowed. As soon. as two "Slippery
Heels',-or a pair Of them, if you will
fall in together, the ice being broken,
they 20 in for cold water all over.
We are promised the rule Of the
"Slippery Heels" which we shall take
nleasure in publishing.