The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-29
MERRY SKATERS.
Bright and Animated Scenes on the
Central Park Lake.
IRREPRESSIBLE BOYS OUT In FORCE.
Thirty Thousand Happy Citizens Enjoy a
Healthful Days Sport


reminded of warm and balmy midsummer Sundays
seekers, who made the walks of the Mall and all the
approaches to the lake literally black, Such an
outpouring of eager and merry humanity has sell
dom been seen in the Park even in the summer as
to be witnessed yesterday. On the elevated
roads. the horse by private convcyances and
foot swarms of people either carrying
skates talking about skating. The elevated rail-
ways carried of the greatest number Of these
excursionsts The trains filed all the morning
and afternoon with hurried visitors to the lake, who
were only too delighted at being able to 80 to the
Park and return to their homes i'll such
short space of time. 1t interesting to hear the
remarks of OF these people to the mseries Of
travel to which they have been subjected in
previous winters. Here used to hang by strap
all the way on these internal cold horse cars" said
one laxative passenger, land we'd get to the Park
tired and and chilled to the bone, so that We
really unable to enjoy the sport after we had
got to tho ice If the people appreciated the warmth
and comfort of rapid transit travel in going to the
Park they did still more in returning from the
sport when they naturally cold and fatigued
and in mood to freeze in cebox in the shape Of
y horse car.
IMMENSE MULTrrUpEs.
The crowds yesterday the Lake were SO great
that the skating though participated in by greater
number Of people, probably not intensely en-
joyable the two previous days The Lake,
viewed from the bridge east OF the skating house,
presented not only "a sea Of faces" but an APP
parenty inextricable Of legs and arms and
bodies darling and flying to and fro. such as re-
minded Of the dense muttudes OF
Coney Island. Saturday afternoon affords vel
come leisure for recreation to thousands who
cannot leave their business pursuits other days.
1~I ai1a1f hnrl-
selves Of the opportunity to be seen at glance
Already early in the morning when the cold was
biting the hrong Of skaters great but it seemed
to increase every minute until tho policemen est
mated, between three and four O'Clock, that there
were 10000 people on the ice at the same time.
Some estimates rose as high as $4,000,
and it stated late last night that the
total number of visitors during the day had been over
fifty thousand, but these figures were doubtless
aggeratcd. modest and fair estimate placed the
number Of skaters and spectators the lake at about
thirty thousand during the day. It therefore be
easily imagined how crowded thelake looked. particu
lary when it is remembered that only portion OF it
was open to the pleasure seekers the ice. There
hardly seemed elbow room, and there was in conse.
quence, little opportunity for that display of good
skating which. when both sexes are freely inter-
mingled. forms such pretty and picturesque feature
PLAIN ENJoYMENT-No FANCY SKATING.
The opportunities for performing wonders upon
the ice but little used yesterday. The skating
was nearly altogether of the simplest and plainest
description The fancy skaters had evidently made
up their minds leave the great crowd Of ignorant
and nartstic skaters to themselves. and resolved to
lake like horde of Tartars, had great
deal to do with driving the skating artists
We're future candidates for the Presidency Of the
United States between the Of eight and eighteen
There's room for us grown up people said one
skater the boys have appropriated the ice for them
selves" I'm glad they re such light weights
other responded. flor the lake would never bear the
/ weight of all these skaters If they averaged $50
pounds each" Among these Juveniles were many
whose very appearance showed that they had just Is
| sued from foul and fetid tenements and it was de-
lightful to observe how much refreshed and reinvg
| Grated they seemed after even fifteen minutes
fun upon the lee Ice, Many o Of these had tine
/ out wooden skates, that presented pitiable con-
trast with those splendid glittering five dollar
which their more fortunate rivals on the ice could
| afford to The capers OF some of these ragged
| urchins most aughable to behold. There was
one who seemed 70 take special delight in showing
! how many times he could plump upon the back of
his chest las the very bad man OF the Babes in
| the Wood" says without hurting himself After he
! had fallen he also had funny way of rolling him
self ahead until some other boy might stumble over
him and come down sprawiing on the ground. upon
which he screeched with delight. picked himself up
rapidly and started off on quick run to avoid hav-
| ing his rascally head punched
! "ELIrE' ABSENT.
Although the multitude was far greater than either
/ on Thursday or Friday, there was much smaller
representation Of the jeunese GEOGRAPHICALLY the
| feminine part The throng probably OF too mis-
ceaneous and motley character to suit the fashion
sport And yet there occasional sheen OF vel
| vet and seaskins among the rough plaid costumes
come to froiic away the afternoon There was
one red haired girl with two little red
haired brothers. and she had very hard
| time Of IL trying to teach them how to skate. She
| gded along between them like "a rose between two
| thorns," to ancient sime, and when the one
slipped and fell and she picked him up. the other
screamed that she wasn't holding sufficiently tight to
him. and then he began to pull at her so franticaly
that she also finally stumbling, ana. giving
tha task heat A
and cakes at the skating house There were several
little girls who tried to learn skating on skate
first, and the effect coniical as to afford the
| spectators much amusement.
coMIcAL INCIDENTS.
But in looking upon this gay and evcr-changing
throng with its infinite varieties OF human types,
the eye was diverted by succession of comica
and odd incidents. The first thing that struck the
careful observer was, Of the wide difference
in the various modes of skating. One skated
intently. breathlessy though his whole life and
being wrapped in the occupations another kept
twrling about AS though 1t were all play and swung
his cane pulled his cigar with the greatest
gusto: and while this young lady kept her hands
cooy independently IN the pockets OF her sacque
yonder fair damse icked OF carefully every speck OF
snow that tell upon her and ever and anon, seemed
to arrange her back HAIR for the benefit of her
lnerous admirers. Then look at that handsome look
ing dandified fellow VINO skates in short sack coat
without overcoat and exhibits about three inches
of snow white cuffs He always rounds close to the
margin OF the lake. whore there are the greatest
number of female spectators, and, turning his face
boldly toward them he gazes pois,ey up at the sky
while daintily balancing himself ON his steel sup
ports And then, that young street Arab VINO ~ evil
IDENTIFY just trying to hobbe along the ice for the
| first time in his life--how many bumps he
+, has already got upon every part of his body and
with what admirable persistence hc kept at il, laugh
ing all the the more frequently he fell Some
Of the observers thought he would finish Off by
breaking his head or at least bone. But no; the
boy kept at il for two mortal hours and finally. with
flushed face and triumphant eye, came dashng along
M the skating house where he was seen TO renvig.
crate himself with about dozen highly bilious
cakes two cups of coffee, sandwich and wound up
rnrrrily at the bar with mug of 'half and haf and
nye.cent cigar after which he stalkod away. prob
| ably the happiest boy in New York.
NIGHT.
At night the lake presented n still more picturesque
appearance than during the day. A number OF tenn
porary gas lights had been placed the westerly
margin OF the lake, aud two great lamp posts were
erected upon the Ice What wanted to render tho
spectacle truly brilliant powerful electric light.
and IL stated last evening that the Park Depart
,uent had been IN negotiation for one. but that tho
EXCESSIVE cost had rendered the project impos-