The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1885-06-20
Riso and Fall of the Roller Rinhis,.


have once more tried to ride a pair oi
roller skates. That is the reason got
down on the rink and down on roller
skates. That is the reason several people
got down on me. Thatis cleo the reason
/ why ! now state in public manner to
lost and undOne race; and unless the
roller rink is at once abolished. tbs whole
civilized world will be plunged into ar
MICA.
| | had tried il once before, but had not
carried my experiments 10 a successful
| termination. | made trial trip around
| the rink last August, but was ruled out by
the judges for incnmpetency, and advised
| to skate among people who were hostile to
| the government oi the United States, while
| the pr0prietors repaired the rink.
On the 9th Of September, ! nestled in the
bosom Of cyclone TO excess, and it has re.
| quired the bulk Of the succeeding months
| Tor nature TO glue the bones oi my leg to-
| gether in proper shape. That is the reason
| | have not given the attention to roller
skating that should.
A few weeks ago, I read what Mr, Tai
mage said about this great national vice
/ II was his opinion that If we skdted in q
/ proper spirit, we could leave the rink each
evening with our immortal souls in good
shape.
| Somehow II got out that on Thursday
evening | would undertake the feat of
| skating three rounds in three hours with no
/ protection to my scruples, for one-hali the
g0te money, Ta!mage rules. So there was
! quite u large audience present with opera
! glasses. Some had umbrellas, especially on
/ the front rows These were worn spread +,
| in order TO ward off fragments of the rink
which might become disengsged and set in
motion by atmospheric disturbances.
In obedience to a wild. Wagueriaa snort
| from the orchestra, came forth into the
arena with my skates "a my hand. feel
! perfectly at home before an audience when
.have my skates ia my hand. II is,d
morbid desire to wear the skates ON MY
/ feet that has always been my bete NOR.
VIII the office boy please give ,ne brass
| check for that word 50 that | can get 1t
when so away3
| My first thought, after getting myself Sc.
cured to the skates, was this. cam in the
proper frame of mindP Am doing this in
the right spirit2 Am | about to skate in
such a way US to lit the fog of unbelef
which now envelopes sinful world, or
shal deepen the Opaque night in which
my race is wrsppedY"
Just then, that the of the rink erupted ia
manner so forthwith and so tout ensemble
| that bad to push it back in place with my
| person. ! never saw anything done with
less delay or less languor.
The audience went wild with enth usiasm,
and responded to the encore by writing
my name in the air with my skates.
| This closed the first seance, and nv
tte ner took me in the dressing room to
attend consultation of physicians. Alter
the rink carpenter had lacked up the floor
a little, went out again. had 10 fears
about my ability to perform the mechanical
part assigned me, bat | was still worried
oyer the question Of whether It wwould or
would not be Of lasting benefit 10 mankind.
| Those who have closely scrutinzed my
| frame IN rep Sc, have admitted that ! was
| lepriully and wonderfully made. udents
OF the human frame say That they never
saw such wealth OF limbcrness aud loose
ness livisheh upon person. They maiutain
that nature bestowed upon me the hinges
aud joints Intended tor u whole family aud
therefore when skate, the air seems TO be
| perfectly lurid with limbs lpresume that
this ID true, though have so lutte leisure
while skating in which 20 observe the
method itself, tho plot or animus Of the
thing, as it were, that my opinion would
be of little value to the scientist.
am led to believe that the roller skate
ia certs inly great civlizer aud wonder.
iul leyeler of mankind. II we SO skate that
when the summons comes 10 seek our ward
with the general hospital, where each shsl
heal his busted cutcle within the walls
where rim klsts squlrm, we 60 not like the
SOCIAL wreck, morally parayzed, but like a
hired man taking his medicine, and 50
iorth--we may skate with perfect impunty
or any one else to whom we may be proper
ly introduced by our cook,
Skating on the roller skate is like riding
on a railway train. II the management is
good and we behave ourselves. we feel safe
Rinking in and of itself is not dangerous
from moral point OF view-wth good
associates and a solid road bed we are safe
/ So it is also in travelling. If our rink
tickets are good in a well conducted riak
aud our railway tickets read oyer the
Great Rock Island Route We have done
wisely and the rest remains with US. W.
r may wreck ourselves in front Of the engine
or injure ourselves morally and physically
at the rink if we wish TO There are many
however who are not agita ted oyer th'
rink question. To such it might be well t.
, say that the Rock Island Road is still
carrying people with comfort, elegance