Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1885-12-03
S'irgiuia free gress.
". ~. y. GALLAHER, Editor.
charresto,on, ,JeGerso" County, West Va
December 3, 1855.
Rise and Fan of the Roller Rnkest.

In obedience to wild Wagnerian snort
from the orchestra, came forth into the
arena with my skates in my hand. | feel
perfectly at home before an audience when
have my skates in my hand. 1t is NOR
bid desire to wear the skates on my feet that
has always been my Jete noir. viii the of
fee boy please give me bras, check for
that word so that can get it when | 90
away?
Ny first thought, after getting myself Sc
cured to the skates, was this: Am in the
proper frame of mind? Am ! doing this in
the right spirit? Am about to skate in
such a way as to lift the iog Of unbelief
which now enyelops a sinful world, or shall
deepen the Opaque night in which my race
is wrapped?'
Just then that end Of the rink erupted in
a manner SO forthwith and so tout ensemble
that had to push it back in place with my
person. never saw anything done with
less delay or less languor.
The audience went wild with enthusiasm,
and ! responded to the encore by writing my
name in the air with my skates.
This closed t' 'c first seance, and my train
er took me in the dressing room to attend Il
consultation Of physicians. After the rink
carpenter had jacked up the floor little,
went out again. | had no fears about my
ability to perform the mechanical part as
signed me, but | was still worried over the
question of whether it would or would not
be of lasting benefit to mankind.
Those who have closely scrutinized my
frame in repose, have admitted that | was
fearfully and wonderfully made. Students
of the human frame say that they never saw
such a wealth OF lOoseness and limberness
layishcd upon one person They claim that
nature bestowed upon me the hinges and
Joints intended ior a whole family, and
therefore when skate, the air seems to be
perfectly lurid with limbs. | presume that
this is true, though / have so little leisure
while skating in which to observe the meth
od itself, the 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
is certainly a great civilizer and wonder
ful leyeler Of mankind If we 20 skate ,hat
when the summons comes TO seek our ward
with the general hospital where each shall
heal his busted cuticle within the walls
where rnkists squirn, we 60 not ike the
moral wreck, morally paralyzed, but Ike n
hired man taking his medicine. and forth
we may skate with perfect iuipunity, or
any one else to whom we may be properly
introduced by our cook.
Skating on the roller skate j. ike riding
on the railway train. If the management
4, good and We behave ourselves, we feel
safe. Riuking in aud of itself i. not dan
gerous from a moral point Of yiew-with
good associa q. md a solid road-bcd we are
safe. 50 it Is also 10 travelling. If our rink
tickets are good in a well conducted rink,
and our railway tickets read over the Great
Rock Island Route, we have done wisely,
and tie rest remains with US We may
wreck ourselves in front Of the engine, or
iniure ourselves morally and physically at
the rink il we wish 70.
There are many, however, who are not
agitated over the rink question To such
il might be "a. well 70 say thai the Rock t.
land Route is still carrying people with
comfort, elegance, economy aud dispatch
Bill Nye, in Carl Prcizefs Weekly.