Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-05-06
TALMAGE THE GREAT PREACHER
TELLS WHAT HE THINKS OF
ROLLER SKATING.
We publish a few extracts.

-.
ROLLER SKATING.
We publish few extracts.
Are the roller skates wheels of help like
those Which Ezekiel hesrd7
The noise of the wheels over against
thcm;' and Nahum iii, 2: 'The noise of
the rafting of the wheels"
Never within my memory or yours has
there been in this country such wide,
deep, high popular agitation on the SUBJ
ject of amusements, and all ministers of
religion, and all parents, aud all young
people, and all old people must answer
the question, and answer it right, and
have reason for the answer. Let me
premise that have for twenty five years
been waiting for some new style of
amusement, healthful for body and mind,
hoping it might come in time to rescue
this generation. Such amusements have
been appallingly scarce. PleLty of
places to blast and blight and consume
body, mind and soul. Never any lack of
gambling saloons. Plenty of places
where you can lose ten cents or house
and lot or all you have in one night.
Plenty of drinking saloons where the
owner by outlay of twenty dollars worth
of alcohol can mix up stuff that he sells
q
have all he wants as long as his money
lasts-one glass, two glasses, three glass
es, four glasses-and then when, having
felt IN all his pockets for more money, it
is demonstrated that he has not SO much
as postage stamp left, they will help
him into the street to look after himself,
for rum-sellers never help their victims
home lest getting to the door they con-
front the mother or wife to whom God
might lend one of His smaller thunder
bolts with which she could strike the
despoiler into ashes. Plenty of gates of
hell, and all of them wide open, saying
Come in Come in p What our young
| people want in their amusement is recre
alton for body and soul; something that
will allow them to be asleep on their pill
low at II Of clock every night, and awake,
1uIly rested, at 7:3O in the morning; some
thing that will put our boys and girls at
the goal of manhood and womanhood
| ready for useful and practical life, not
invalids at 10 and 20 and 81, not splinters
OF humanity, not masculine or feminine
apologies, but ready to command respect
and with their own ri ght arm. under God,
shove aside all obstacles. Should we
favor this style of amusement Ianswer:
Yes, under restrictions, and no, if it be I'M
guarded. In other words, it is the best
thing, or the worst. as you makeit Some
OF these Kinks have already been the
means of helping invalids. and invlgora-
ton of the feebler, and innocent pleasure
| to thousands of young, middleaged and
old. To me, rightly precautioned roller
skating IS the most beautiful and heath
full exercise | ever witnessed. It eclipses
in gracefulness and healthy movement all
the croquet and coasting and lawn tennis
nd hO1 1rlt rIsl
frozen pond, and all the other hlarities
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 exhileration
of the spirits 1t has all the exuberance
Of the skating pond on which our fathers
and mothers used to dart out, tippeted
and furred, with none of the dangers of
breaking through the ice. 1t has all the
vivacity 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 a round at this merri-
mcnt. The women of America who de-
cline the stout, brisk walk called the con-
stitutional, which keeps English women
roseate and strong. would do we'll if al
most every day or night they would leave
darning and mending and bread-making
and parlor-dusting and table-setting and
housekeeping for one hour and join the
whirl oftthc skating rink. Some of these
hollow cheeks would fill up, and some Of
| these lack-luster eyes would get back
their lost sight, and stopped shoulders
would become erect, and incipient con-
sumptives and merciless ncuralgias and
nervous prostrations would take ever
lasting departure. 1t would be we'll if
the stranger in our hotels after spending
the day in purchasing goods for his west
ern house would in the evening go to
some respectable rink and hire pair of
skates, and, independent of everybody
and interfering with no one, take an
hour Of flight in the charmed circle and
under the inspiration of the orchestra, and
prayers and go to dream of home.
But while these are the possibilities Of
health and recuperation in this exercise on
wheels many have used it, to the damas-
ing of body, mind and soul and hence
| speak of the restrictions. First, let us
have no more of this vulgarity and i'm
modesty seen every night in our city of
young women alone and unattended,
skating in Kinks and forming indiscrimi-
nate acquaintanceships. Let such young
persons be chaperoned by father or moth
err, brother or elder sister. When man,
however we'll dressed, on the floor with
out proper introduction, tips his hat to a
lady, let the officer Of the rink. always on
guard, invite him to make rapid strides
toward the door and help hun down the
front steps with any such means of in
creasing his momentum as may be sug-
| Il NJ oil 1C
who sometimes haunt such places get
quick justice and our skating Kinks will
be as free of them as a Friday night pray
er-meeting. Let all those who wish pro-
perly to employ this entertainment not
allowlthe blaze of lights and the enchant-
ment of dreams tempt them to senseess
and ruinous prolongation of the amuse-
ment.
Accept no unwarrantabe gallantries;
know that the same law that dominates
the parlor should dominate the skating
Kinks; know that the evil reprehend is
not confined TO the skating Kinks. There
are parents in all our cities who need to
look more carefully after their children.
In other words filtration is damnation.
A craze on anything is deplorable. Strip
the roller skate of its craze, and substi-
tute common sense. When God made
DOyS anu girls uC luteuucu GAtIu ~ Ue
boys and girls until called to other con-
ditiens. They will come to the hard tug
of life soon enough. Let them now pre-.
pare the broad shoulders and the robust
frame, which after you are under the
ground will be taxed to the utmost. Let
the skating rink directors and managers
| join with parents in grand conspiracy
! to overthrow the feeble health and ply
steal stagnation of our cities and the grog-
shops and the places of bad amusement
will be emptied and the coming genera
tons will have vigor rebounding and
athletic. In some way the longevity of
the human race is to be improved, and
the average human life increased from 30
years to $50. AS it is now we hardly get
an education and start in our profession
and occupation before we are emeritus.
We die at the opening of the conflicts of
! life at Bull Run instead of Gettysburg.
! Let it not be a matter of contest who can
skate the LONGEST or cOunt ND the most