The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-12-21
THE ROLLER SKATING RINK.
A4PIDLY kEOCkIN9 OUT THE IRA vRL-
LINZ 1HEI TRICAL COMP fNEics.
| f"pulnr In cities, Towns. and viiisges-0ea.
erai Information ASoat its Management
ana Proais ~ . Naa n the Russwess.

fepulnr In cities, Towns. and viiisges-0eu.
erai Information ASsat Ia Management
ana Pr"ais ~ . Nsa d. tic nsss~ess.
"No form Of Entertainments" sold man
| who IL concerned In the skating rink business
has grown with such popularity "a rlnking
In America within the past six months. Tho
entiro failure Of the dramatic season Ia at
| tributod partially to Kinks and partially 10
dime museums. but tho greater blame Ia laid
| at our doors. Theatrical companies are com
Ing In every week. and stars who hnvo hereto-
foro played every season successfully have dis
banded their troupcs and given IN tho ghost.
In every small town In America You will find
that skating Kinks arc established and In
fourishn0 and successful condition. In somo
OF tho larger towns special floors arc laid in
special buildings. but, asa rule. tho Town Hall,
with the usual board floor, answers the pur-
pose. The admission feo charged In n MAJOR
fty OF Instances IL ten cents. aud horein lies tho
strength and popularity Of roller skating. "
makes groat deal OF difference to men in the
country. where cash Is always scarce. whcthor
thoy spend so cents or 81 when they take their
girls out for an evenings entertainment.
Tho rustic swain puts forth the 20 cents
at the door Of the roller skating rink, with u
degree OF liberality and extravaganza that IL
gratifying To oil parties concerned. and Is In
strong contrast with the reluctance with which
no gives up tho % bill for entrance to-
dramatic show. They 70 ut 8 o'clock and stay
until 10. have lots OF fun. meet their friends.
develop the muscles Of their lcgs, and return
home with their collars wilted. but their spirits
high. The dime museum grows monotonous.
but the roller skating does not. In tho first
place. they run tho chance OF breaking their
Limbs and risk other pdcurdiing accidents,
which invariably add Hest to the sport. For
specia! entertainments. they have experts
from tho city MING, who teach 'aney skating to Tho
q
| to mo. IA look on 1t alta purely business WAY,
and cannot SEQ why tho sport is so popular.
unless 1t IS that 1t brings young people To-
gether. and gives them chance to do u
little billing and cooing without any danger
dwell"rs in this great city cannot imagine what
wild revel the average skating rink is to
most country maidens.
T." did not thoroughly appreciate IT. myself
until three weeks ago, when visited small
only, a low hundred people there, but tho iarm o
ers drive m fora special occasion. and the vii
aTs is ,yni;ai Of many others OF us Az within
hnrprned to 20 there is this: Nearly two
months ag1 tail; cawkS Timber, knsed, and
here spat cautiously on the door mat, sat down
on the edge Of chair, crossed his legs, and
S sses %as %sns vi Wien no SransH
ne on eommsncGia and s y that he wanted
with the small money at his command. Ilo was
VA suspicious as most men of his kind are. and
par OF our ,ne dIT the
to skin him out OF his life an! most OF his
property. Finally. he contided that it was
thought around his place that he WAS u Ounce.
but that he really had a shrewd head. and he
was going to make people admit it. l took
| called on him Tor it. gave him start. and
kopt SINAI interest in the business believe
for Ito has made tho biggest success Of his
place OF any of the mon vii h whom como in
contact. SAW it at once whom went into his
:" arrived about o'clock. took dinner with
him at his ism mothsr's house. and then we went
changed the character Of IL that it looked as
though one were entering q fair. To be sure 1t
learned that he had something going on there
fallen as fiat as pancakes beside his rink. He
has al OF his relatives in the concern with him,
MONTH snd h0 This IS tsm
for a email yilass; In the first place. he
mas piano which ,h furnishes the music TOR the
soda water stand a wheel of fortune and a
sort of an envelope game. by which people may
H. sSs"ss FL nSus ,, So +, BIN ssssi%
rink still have faith. He gives pria. medals.
before they can be, kept and he handicaps the
skaters so that they cannot win any single
Show features every week. This IS only ', one
instance IL thousand bat it shows what a
pushing nIsi nb, man can do IN country
The rustic SWANS arrived bashfnlly shout
7 O'clock with the village beauties They were
usually tall. angular. awkward. and puttyfaccd
sort Of looking girls who giggled from the time
they got into the rink until they, were
more or less vehemence. upon the floor
This by the way; occurred every half minute
source Of amusement for the skaters. The
girls we're very modest, and some Of them re-
though
polite about the matter. and not infrequenty
allowed The girls 10 struggle with their skates
bad one, sold by the proprietor at !. large profit
feet very carefully, hitch up his braces Ak his
hat firmly on his head, grip his cigar between
he Would SEIZE her hand. az and DIV" With w Sl
hnrrah they would start of;
country. The young man or woman in the
city who starts in at this sort OF thing goes it
gently or tim,diy at first; but not SO the coun.
none with them and they start Of III Ho e W
clone. During It all the man never lost his
Cling. until she was brought to earth. It was
really ann, asmazins how long shoy would keep up
sixteenth OF an inch from the fioor many times
But When they did come down they ' got there
The whole room would set mp yen Of de-
light. tho man and the maiden, would
water fountain. After they had encli had a
lemon cream meringue soda water they would
sit down and MUNICH peanuts for n few min
utes, the girl would continue to Gigglc the
man would assert that no would do It again b.
gosh II he bust o lung, and away they would go
again. Meanwhile. the proprietor would SEQ
that the wind ows wonld be kept closed. so that
II would be nice and hot, so that they would be
thirsty. and when the man at the piano would
get tired he would sit there himself and thump
the old box with degree of yivacty that would
send the skaters clnmbering abouttwith all tho
Wild Eayety OF maskers at the tail end Of q
French ball.
All this you know. is very different in town.
The Kinks here are models OF decorum and
proprety the girls glide about gently. and
there is corps Of graceful young men who
take care Of beginners. Between You and mo,
you know, 1t is my candid opinion that these
graceful young men are the worst Gestures OF
city Kinks. and II had my way-as have only
tho good OF the sport at heart-I would abolish
them altogether. II | were the father OF a
family. and had visited one of the city Kinks
where those MASKING young assistants
are In full bloom. l would never allow my
In iforv, II ,h