The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-27
SLEIGHING AND SKATING ON SUNDAY.
The Outdoor Sports and Pleasures Of Yesterday
A Burst Of Spring in d-Winter-sport
in Central and Prospect PARKS

People who delight in open air recreation must
have been peculiarly well suited with the extra
ordinary beauty OF sky, atmosphere and earth
yesterday. Not alone in the parks and great
pleasure resorts but even within the limits Of the
interminable brick and mortar which make the
physical bulk OF the metropolis was the charming,
revivifying effect OF the mild, clear and beautiful
weather felt. II was indeed prelude to the full
harmony OF Springtime, and the great cause for
wonderment was, how 1t got pushed so far in adj
vance OF its usually looked for position in the scale
OF natures seasons Everybody who could enjoy
the day seemed to be out from early morning until
past the set of sun, and sleighng, skating driving
and walking found
THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS
to partake OF the grand opportunity for exercise.
1t was just such day as makes men think this
world pleasant place after all. and glad that they
happen to be in it, During the early morning the
atmosphere was clear and delightfully."- nvigorating,
but about eight O'Clock thin vapory film of cloud
overspread the sky and dropped light white Sab
bath morning robe Of snowy gauze upon the earth.
Even this added in some degree to the other at
fractions OF the day. for it made the surface OF
snow, where otherwise undisturbed, white, fresh
and beautiful. little later appeared riffs in the
film along the eastern horizon, where the bright,
great sun,
With song and fame and fragrance, slowly lifts
HIS goasn ie H;t on those denpIrped stairs
All through the middle hours OF the day the at
mosphere was soft, ambient and delicious, and the
result was that Central Park as well as all the
great promenade th0rOughlares, were thrOnged by
thousands OF people in. search oil whatever enjoy
ment was attainablc and desired.
| On Fifth avenue and in Central Park the display
was especially hne OF course, anu IL was noticeable
| that there were
TWO DISTINCT CLASSES OF DISPLAY
| during the day on the former resort--''the ave-
| nuen-the fashiOnabes OF the devotional world and
the devotees OF the fashionable world. The first,
M the Of s tan e
| TWO O'Clock on their way to and from church. 1t
was of course at and about one O'Clock that they
| made their most imposing appearance, when the
vast congregations of the arstocratic churches
were dismissed, and the members, by devious ways
and in brilliant groups, slowly and with due FASH
ionable dignity slowly promenaded to their homes.
| Then from two to five O'Clock the more numerous
and and not less brilliant circles Of worldly fashion;
made them twinkle with real gorgeousness OF attire
and "tufnout."
sLEIGHs, CARRIAGES AND PEDESTRIANS
were all moving IN panoramic procession, up and
down, here ana there, and, of course, there was q
great tendency Awkward. The seighing III the
Park was very good, and was amply enjoyed by
numerous company OF pleasure-seekers in all the
glory Of furs, last horses and Misunderstanding
bells. On the skating ponds there seemed TO be
the most hearty enjoyment, and at four O'Clock,
there were not less than i've or six thousand skat
ers, hilarious in the gddy whirl and dash of that
glorious and inexpensive pastlme. What pity 1t
Is that skating cannot be made more universal II
! is heaithul, graceful, harmless ans cheap.
NO ONE EvBR HEARD
OF bank cashier becoming delaulter through the
allurements and extrava9ances of a skating pond
and Lazy companion a, But it would be very hazard
last horses, with the dashing men ana lovely
women, who whirled through the Park yesterday
enjoying these luxuries, no bank or counting
sensational flight to Europe or . tragedy in.
stigat,ed by exposure and remorse. It was indeed
pleasing TO watch the really exhilarating
over the nc, Ice In thousand mazes Of
with the warm blood tingng ia their cheeks. The
Ice was in fine condition and everybody was good.
natured, and even the small boys had become SO
dence which prevailed that they were on the best
o. terms with those gray-cad terrors the Park po-
TOWARD FOUR O'CLOCK
the ialr weather which had prevailed all day looked
rs though 1t was to be superseded by q period OF
snow. The atmosphere became somewhat chilly
and veil OF hazy cloud Overspread the whole arch
OF the heavens. 1t seemed to have cast into
grayish, sombre shade the bright transparent at.
mospnere into which all day million eyes had
peered.
IN BROOKLYN
the day found pr0portionate number OF pleasure
seekers intent on avalng themselves Of the pleas
ant weather which the day afforded, though there
sleighing Prospect Park and the Coney Island
road were In excellent order for sleighing, but
there was no pretence to the same general enjoy.
ment or the occasion that was noticeable in Central
Park and in Harlem lane. The Prospect Park
skating lake was largely patronized, between two
and three thousand persons participating in the
pleasures of the ice and STEEL All was orderly and
pleasant and the presence Of the Park police, In
our own park, was by no means disturbing to the
army OF urchins that held the position.
SPEAKING OF THE POLICEMEN,
by the way recalls the fact that the Prospect Park
commissioners seem to have been guided by singu-
lar good Judgment in selecting uniforms for their
police. The uniform In all seasons is q dark blue,
with hat of the ''deerstalkern pattern. The Win.
ter overcoat is large, lOose-fttng garment, of
excellent material belted in at the waist and pro
vided with hood, or cdpucliOn, which can be drawn
over the head Ia stormy or windy weather. A
prospect Park policeman In his snug, warm Co.'S
tune, would look lust as happy as a big sun
fowerN I'm weather that would freeze a Central
Park policeman so as to look like granite statue.