Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-04-13

| of wrath against the amusements that have
ravsged so many of the homes Of America,
but must not aim at the wrong ones. |
must know which was the offender and
which ought to be unhorsed and slain.
The amusement was invented in 1919 by
P,impton, Frenchman, and he has been
called the father of the rink. He kept a
tight grip on his patent for his skate until
1883 when his patent ran out and now there
are factories all over the country and seven
weekly newspapers devoted to this one sport
and every night in the rinks, North, South,
East and West hundreds Of thousands Of
people on wheels good or bad. Should we
favor this style Of amusement? | answer:
Yes, under restrictions and no if it be un-
guarded. In other words it is the best
| thing or the worst as you make il. Some
Of these skating rinks have already been the
means of invalids and invigoration to the
feebler and innocent pleasure to thousands
of young, middlesged and old. Some have
broken up families, set surgeons to work at
| perilous operation created lifelong ailments
and are responsible for eternal misfortunes.
| | will not be misunderstood. Whosoever
represents me as giving unrestricted sp.
| proval or condemnation falsi6es my position
and will be found to be detamers by those
who read the stenographic report Of this
sermon. For years, as many Of you know,
l have carried loaded gun ready 10 aim
at every style of vile amusement that came
out of the thicket to put its paw ana tooth
upon the young. but must always discrinin-
ate.
To me, rightly precautioned,
Roller Skating Is the Most Beautiful
and healthful exercise ever witnessed. 1t
eclipses in gracefulness and healthy move
ment all the croquet, and coasting, and
lawn tennis, and FOOTBALL, and moonlight
gliding over frozen ponds, and all the other
hilsrities Of house and playground. 1t is
good for the lungs, good for the limbs, good
for the circulation, good for the spirits. see
in it possibilities for the best exercise ever
invented. 1t has all the advantages Of the
gymnasium with more exhilaration of the
| spirits 1t has all the exuberance Of the
skating pond on which our fathers an!
mothers used to dart out, tippetted and
furred, with none Of the dangers OF breaking
| through the ice 1t has all the vivacities OF
| outdoor games without being dependent on
condition of the weather. 1t would be
grand thing if all our young men could for
one hour almost every evening take round
at this merriment. The women of
America who decline the stout, brisk walk
called The constitutional which keeps English
women roseate and strong would do we'll If
almost every day or evening they would
leave darnipg. and mending, and bread
| making, and paror dusting, and table-set.
ting, and house keeping for one hour and
| iCin The whill of the skating rink. Some
| OF these hollow cheeks would fill up and
some Of these lack-lustre eyes would get
back their lost light, and stopped shoulders
would become erect, and incipient consump
ton and merciless neuralgia aud nervous
prostraton would take everlasting depar
ture. 1t would be we'll if the stranger in
our hotels after spending the day in pur-
chs sing goods for his Western house would,
in the evening, 90 to some reputable rink
ard hire a pair OF skates, and independent
of everybody and interfering with no one;
IKE an hour Of fight in the charmed circle
ard under the inspiration Ct the orchestra,
and then go back 10 his hotel and say his
prayers and GO to dream of home.
But while these are the possibilities Of
be alth and recuperat,on in this enterprise
on wheels many have used it to the
Damaging OF the Body, Mind and Soul,
and hence speak Of the restrictions. But
let US have no more Of this vul gari.y and
immodesty seen every night in our city, OF
Young women, alone and unattended, skat'
ing in rinks and forming indisc7iminate
acquaintanceships Let such young per
sons be chaperoned by father or mother, or
brother or elder sister. When man, how
ever we'll dressed, on the the floor without
proper introduction, tips his hat to lady,
let the officers of the rink, always on guard
invite him to make rapid strides toward the
door and help him down the front steps
with any such means of increasing his mo-
mentum as may be suggested. Let those
we'll dressed devils who sometimes haunt
such places get quick justice and our skat-
ing rinks will be as free of them as Friday
night prayer meeting. Let all those who
wish properly to employ this entertainment
not ALLOW the blaze of lights and enchant-
ment OF drums and cornet-a-piston tempt
them 10 q senseless and ruinous prolonga-
ton Of the amusement. Let it not be
matter Of contest who can skate the longest
or count up the most fabulous number Ct
circuits Stop when you have got out OF
the recreation all there is in II. Remember
the laws of health are the laws of God.
Keep the Ten Commandments written on
your lungs and heart. Remember that
group of pneumoniss on every cold night
staLd at the door OF every amusement how
ever honest and would like to escort YOU to
the sepuchre Cool of before you face the
north wind. Accept no unwArrantable
pslantries Know that the same law that
dominates the parlor should dominate the
skating rink Know that the evil repre-
hended is not confined TO skating rinks,
There are parents in all our cities who need
10 look more carefully after their children.
In other words, Irritation is damnation.
When see st the evening hour on Broad
vav. New York. or Fulton street, Brooklyn,
es gentlemen return from business q group
Of Young women with conspicuous man
ner and a giggle that is intended 10 attract
attention Of the masculine passers By,
horror strikes through my soul and say,
wonder if the parents of these young people
are aware of this. The most Of those who
make everlasting shipwreck carry that same
klIO Oh Sall- Iuc p4AetSo va
that style of craft. ] wish had voice
loud enough TO be heard from the Penobscot
TO the Rio Graude and ! would repeat
hirtation is damnstion.
remark further that craze on any
thing is deplorable. Ball playing, from
which many Of us got the strength and
exuberance with which we have fought the
battle of life has With many become
demeutia and the gamblers have put their
clutches upon the sport snd at the close Of
the game many have gone home despoiied
of purse and despoiled Of morals. Bat that
ia not anything against ball playing. Boat
ipg from which many Of US who lived along
rivers got development Of chest that has
afforded US free respiration for 20 or 30
years end would have given stout lungs TO
many who ten years ago disappeared
through pulmonary complaint has been
- ,nlIa1a sfudenta WIN have