Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-09
Gliding on the Ice.

THE BOYS ENJOYED THE FUN-NEw AND OLD
FASHIONED SKATES, ETC.
1t is not often that the small boy. or for that
matter the big boy either, in this latitude has
an opportunity to indulge in one of the most
delightful pastimes Of the winter season, namely
skating. As for the girls, poor things, they
hardly know what real genuine skating u.s. for
when by some unusual meteorological combina-
ton the ponds and river become coated with
ice. it is only for few days at best; the chances
are that the girls who always have the very
latest news about the styles don't hear of what
Jack Frost has done to the water courses until
the next day. Then
THE CAUTIOUS MOTHER
in response to eager entreates, is of the opinion
that they had better wait until the next day to
make sure that the ice will bear. By the next
day 1t Is evident that the sun, which very
promptly attacked the ice as soon as 1t invaded
this latitude. sacred only to the former, is get
ting the upper hand and the air about the pond
and river is filled with the sounds of mysterious
crackings and suspicious mellOwness is OBJ
served on the smooth surface. When these
signs are observed it is all up with the girls
and the mothers secretly rejoice that the sun
has been SO successful. The ice makes one
or two feeble attempts to lock up the flowing
waters during the rest of the winter but never
quite attans its object. So the ice has come to
be regarded as one of those feeting joys that
must be utilized at once, If at all. 1t rarely
stays here so as to furnish skating for more than
a day or two, and unless the girls seize their
skates and start for the pond the first day it is
real cold they never get any skating at all.
BUT THE BOYS
hardly wait for the ice to form before they are
gliding over the smooth surface and kindng
bon fires on the bank. The majority OF people
yesterday morning had hardly begun to realize
that it was cold before the surface of Babcock
lake was thickly dotted with the swayng
figures Of the skaters. How the boys found it
out so soon is a mystery, but it is thought that
the banks of the lake has been patroled day
and night since the signal office announced
that a cold wave had started from British
America. Perhaps boys are not up i'm meterOr-
OloSy. but they were on BabcOck lake yester-
day morning bright and early, about as soon
as Jack Frost had finished his icing
process What arrangements they
made about school was perhaps the subject of
private investigation in the several households
last evening. They had their days sport at any
rate. and prime sport it was. In spite of the
high wind that prevailed the surface of the pond
was covered with smooth sheet of ice and
better skating has not been known here for years.
The sheltered position of the pond. lying be-
meath the high banks on each side, is undoubt-
eddy the cause.
lHE he ON TIE XIV ER
is rough and hummocky, and even if the chan
nels should freeze over, it will hardly be posi-
BILE to skate upon the surface. The last time
the river froze over was two years ago, and
then it was smooth only in places. A large
number at that time skated as far as Alex
andria but the ice soon became dangerous and in
the breaking up swept awaya portion of the
Long bridge, and did great damage to the
wharves. The icy experience of two years ago
Is a comparatively rare one in this section of the
country, and there is SO little winter here,
in the form of ice and snow, that it Is wonder
that either can be utilized when they do come
There are no lack Of skates here as any one
could see who looked at the groups that dotted
Babc0ck lake yesterday, and they were of all
kinds and varieties the handsomely polished
stylish club skate at the one extreme and the
wooden skate. with its array of straps and
buckles and its nose turned up Enthusiastically
Ike the Prov of gondola, at the other.
The latter were evidently heirlooms
and had been transmitted from a re-
mote generation. few years ago, when
THE OLD BOYS
first learned to skate, they strapped these ar
engagements to their feet after having CALAMITY
performed the same duty for some pretty girl
and had good deal better time than they have
had since in the most expensive club skates. Of
course their feet were strapped so tightly to the
skate that circulation was impeded and those
useful members frOZe stiff. Then, Just at the
height of the fun, strap broke or a buckle
came Off, and there was no help within three or
four miles. But these were mere trfles. The
wooden skate, with its bristling and intricate
array of straps, retires with honor from the chief
place. 1t may in its day have caused the youth
fu feet to stray from the steep and thorny path
OF rectltude into the harnesS-rOOm and been the
cause of the disappearance of trunk and shawl
wifi 1har hTr{ thnJor
associated with many delightful memories The
small boy in the absence of certain hard dol
lars. Is still obliged to use the Od-fashiOned
skate. aud only the keen enjoyment OF the sport
reconciles his youthful spirits to the contrast
with Its more brilliant successor.
THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY.-At the meeting
of the Biological Society, last evening" Prof.
Theodore Gill presiding. the announcement was
made that arrangements had been made for q
series of lectures to youths. the first to be de-
lyered in the lecture room Of the National
museum, by Prof. y. I. Mason. at $3.50 d. m
Saturday, December 18TH Prof. Gill read
paper upon the StrOmateidae, and was followed
by Dr. d. w. Prentiss in an interesting essay
entitled. Changes produced in the bird fauna
OF the District of Columbia by modification of
thetopography." This paper is the advance no.
tice of report upon the bird fauna of the Dis
trict prepared by Drs. Coues and Prentiss and
soon to be published as a bulletin of the Ma
tional museum
THE EMERGENCY HOSPITAL.-A SYNOPSIS of
the general report of the Emergency hospital
for the month Of November shows the number
OF white male adults treated, 49, white females.
81; male children g. female children, Is; col
ored adult males, 20; colored females 176; COL
Ored male children, &c. cOlored female children,
81; total. 400. Number of surgical operations,
II; prescriptions compounded. 1677: emergency
cases. %; house patients, 2; number Of days
with house patients, H.. -..,- 49, ~
FREs.-An alarm was turned in early this
morning from box % for fire In the green
house of John Glorious corner Sd and boundary
streets. Prompt response was made by the
fire department. which soon extingushed the
flames, with small loss. 1t seems that Mrs. A.
L. Barber, who lives near there. discovered the
fire, and telegraphed police headquarters by
telephone. Sergeant Perry turned in an
alarm of fire from box % last evening for the
discovery Of fire in an old shanty on 18th street
road The officers extnguished the fire without
the aid OF the fire department.
Desperate Tactics of the Star Route
Gang.
From the New York Herald Dec. g.
In their desperate attempts to escape trial