Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-01-27
Dancing On Wheel Skates.

Writing from Brighton, correspondent
Of the London Daily Nesos says:
Skating on wheels. advancing bv leans
and bounds, like the commercial prosperi-
ty of Great Britain under the admins
tration Of Mr.. Gladstone, has now
reached stage of perfection at which
skating merges into dancing, and skat-
ing party becomes ball. Such an enter
tainment was given here last night by
some Of the officers of the Scots Greys, sta
toned ct the Preston barracks. Cards
were issued for dance, the ballroom be-
ing the grand rink in West street, under
the direction of Mr.. Mcllison. This was
splendid building, formerly, believe, a
concert hall, and now admirably adapted
for the purposes to which it has been de-
voted, having fine stretch of asphalt,
covered In by lofty and wcll-ventilated
roof. Eight o'clock was the hour men.
toned for the ball to commence, and
shortly after that time the company be-
gan TO assemble. Morning dress was, OF
course, worn, no roller-skatc and no style
Of skating yet having been invented which
would make ii possible to cut the outside
edge, cross or go backward In the grace
full but inconvenient trailing skirt with
which ordinary dancing is more or less
successfully managed. But nevertheless
the scene was pretty and animated one,
with the many colorcd dresses, seasonably
trimmed with fur, the saucy Rubens hat,
and here and there that ghost Of = long
dead past. the coal .scuttle bonnet About
$50 invitations had been issued, and there
was present . company not far short of
that number. There was perhaps some.
thing triile monotonous about the pretty
little cartes de danse supplied to each OF
the guests. Eighteen dances were set down
and each was waltz. The fact Is that
skating on wheels lends itself naturally to
the time and swing o! tho waltz, and may
be successfully adapted to other sorts Of
dancing only after q severe course
OF training, such rs could be undertaken
by few except professional acrobats A
quadrille may be managed in space that
will allow Of considerable margin 1--WE
had the Caledonians just before midnight),
and with band skillful ut filling up in.
tcrludes, during which partners who have
overshot the mark are struggling back TO
the square; but the general result IL not
satisfactory, and the game is usually con-
sidered not worth the candle. The motion
OF the skater and the time observed are so
nearly akin 70 walizing that when the
band plays the Brise des Nurfs" OF
Queen Mab," one naturally lapscs into
tho waltz. One consequence OF this Is,
that when, according 10 the programme,
and, with very few exceptions, according
to the fact, everybody was waltxing, the
scene presented differed in an almost In
appreciable degree from the sight wit.
messed on ordinary club nights. Here
and there two ladies or lady and gentle
man broke into waltz proper, moving
round In due form and sliding through
the steps OF frois temps, but for the most
part the company conien,ed themselves
with skating round the rink In Waiting
time, and swaying right and left on the
outside edge 10 the waltz measure. To
those who looked on. expecting novelty,
this was somewhat disappointing, but TO
the company OF skaters gliding across the
smooth floor in an endless band there
were no spots on the sun. They skated
and danced with energy that seemed in
exhaustible, hating only at eleven o'clock
for such brief time as supper demanded.
aud then setting 10 again at the interim
nable waltz, tho endless band growing
thinner, but NOT finally breaking till an
early hour this morning.