Daily Republican., 1885-02-10
Tne Roller skating Craze.

Roller skating il becoming the ma
tional vice. The craze over 1t Ii spread
ing rapidly, and IL seizing on every
class Of the community. A great army
of shrewd men are coining money by
providing facilities for it while q
goodly percentage of the public have
forsworn all other forms OF amusement
and cleave TO roller skating only. A
literature, ephemeral but voluminous,
has sprung up TO give voice to the past
time and the funny men Of the comic
papers have stopped jok ing about spring
poets and mothers in-law while they H.
lnstrate In prose and poetry the humors
of rinking." The use of the last word
reminds us that the craze has evolved q
vocabulary as we'll as a literature ; aud
no reader of tho news of the day can
miss seeing frequent references to
graceful ripkers." "skatorial abili-
ty," "a good roller town." " q rinku-
lating public" etc.
Roller skating has many objectiona-
BILE features, a. the Tribune has al.
ready shown but its growth into q
sudden popularity has humorous and
grotesque side a. well. The clergy
have properly enough called attention
70 the evils incident to it though I'M
fortunately their zeal has sometimes
been greater tnan th.r discretion, ~
when one of th III a .ew iuoLtb, ago
Informed his E.rrltie-. contrssa .,.,.
that had IL hot i.r-E 80. ska,ibs rnk
thousands Of jonrs p"op~ you'd never
have fallen. He had heard casually
that young people frequently fell In
these places and supposd that . fall
into Gin was meant. " 10 also . we'll.
attested fact that the clergy have
UNIV ttiBgly done much to advertise the
pastiDe BY preaching against IL and
many Kinks In county towns have IT.
tanned their popularity largely in this
way.
We read Of On old man In Michigan
eighty years of age learning TO skate,
and thus getting rid of numerous dis
eases that had threatened to shorten his
days. The teachers and pupils of q
large school In Illinois adjourned In
body the other day. and went TO one OF
the Kinks Of the town, where they found
the trustees slready on rollers, rinku.
lating TO the inspiring strains of q
local brass band. The citizens Of NIL.
waukee are said 70 have forgotten the
taste Of beer In their eAgerness TO learn
rolier-skating and the latest details
aboutSa fresh dynamite outrage or
Mr.. Cleveland's Cabinss do not excite
~ much attention ~ the record Of some
star Of the rink. An Arizona editor
describes the advance Of the popular
craze into that peacsful Territory, and
calls upon all loyal citizens 70 oppose
tue epidemic. "Weoan fall" he adds,
easily enough now, without getting
o, hese burned tenderfoot machines
Out In Ohio We hear Of a briefess
lawyer developing marvellous skill In
roller skating, and now he 10 not only
famous but rolling in wealth. He Is
generally supposed to have the mos
eloquent pair of legs in the Western
Re-erve. Another State has an In.
FAINT Phenomenon" on skates who Cor
is In which p earns weekly salary
| that would make the best freak in a
dime museum turn green with envy.
Another state boasts an international
roller-skater, whatever that may mean
and still another peripatetic genius
caters to the pious trade by giving ex.
hibitions In aid of debt burdeued
church, or of q parson who would like
to nee the color of his salary.
Still again the news flashed over the
wires that Michigan young woman
has threatened To commit suicide unless
her father allows her to 60 roller
skating. She rejects with scorn her
sire's offer TO compromise by letting her
go TO all the minstrel shows that come
inIo the town, and declares that the
hsne is roller-skatiDg or death. With
this spirit abroad in the country IL ia
not wonderful that the travelling the
atrical companies are doing poor
business, and that many ambitious
ACTORS have been obliged to come back
TO the Rialto" in this city ON their
Jumpers -
| In the In idst OF all this hubbub the
verdict of the physician and the moral
list Oh the evil results ut rOller-ska' ING
is unheeded, and the fun goes msrrily
lon. All this IL not particularly credit
liable 10 the good sense of the American
people but the reaction will, probably
come some day. The Kinks with Their
high sounding and bizarre names will
be- turped into theatres, churches, OIL
cheap museums several millions Of
roller skates will be cast aside in
lgarrets or woodsheds, and the shifting
nercurial people who now patronizt
the seductive rink Will throw all theil
abounding enthusiasm into some newer
craze.
THE COWBOY ON ROLLER SKATES.
." am more used to riding horseback
land az soon as l straddled the layout
was wishing had a buck rein, because
expected them to stiffen their knees
and go to bncking. but they didn't.
walked them over to the other end OF
the corral to gentle 'em little, and di.
rectly they started eff at an easy canter,
aud we're coming around back right
through the herd and there was dude
There with q stiff hat who was trying
to cat out Polled Angus heifer in a
blu. dress, and fouled, roped both my
hind legs in hoon skirt, and 1t had me
stretched out, ready for branding
. Iquickr'n a spring calf can bawl with
Biz mouth open and his lungs stretched.
+ But got up and got ON again, and you
ough TO wee me exercise them vehicles
:, OF course they'd buck when l tried te
hurry 'em, and they would rear up and
fall back when tried to stop 'em too
Iquick but I'll leave it TO the bost
herder of the whole lot If | didn'l
gallop 'em round there tor three or foul
, hours and had 'em roll over and ovel
with me and didn't get me off.
Il Assass1natiOns.
dan Z