Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-03-19
The RoIIer-skating Hobby

The popular liking for roller-skating
has spread so rapidly all over the coun>
try, and exhibits such staying power
that some good people are getting fright
ened about it, and begin to resort to
that kind of extravagant denunciation
which effects nothing save to make the
judicious grieye. Thus a local preacher
recently declared the roller skating-rink
"a new temptation more deadly than the
gambling hell. the theater, the saloon,
cor even unwholesome literature" 1t is
hardly fair to the theater to sandwich il
thus between the gambling hell and the
saloon, but let that pass. The obvious
effect of such "wild and whirling words"
is to reinforce the object of the preach
er's antipathy, since all who go there
know that as matter of fact the accusa-
ton is out of all measure. No doubt
roller skating may be absurd. and possi-
bly, many people abuse it. But the re-
mark applies to every kind of amuse+
ment and occupation and study. 1t is
not sane view which assumes that ev-
erybody rushes to the rinks because the
sport may be overdone. Experience
warrants no such injurious inference
1t is far more reasonable to suppose that
roller skating is popular because it is
cheap, easy, and in the main harmless
and pleasure giving. And the eXcep-
tional cases of abuse d0 not diSprove
the popular view. Even in Dorcas Soci-
cites and prayer meetings the undue
predominance of the Old Adam some
times results in chickering's, scandal and
SORROW, but no one would therefore say
that those well-intentioBed gatherings
were paths of wickedneS5," or deadly
"temptatiOnS." OF course it is 10 be
understood that there is need for parent
al supervision where young people are
thrown together, and here as in many
analogous situations, the neglect of obN
vious precautions may be productive OF
evil results.
But few will believe that it would be
better for young men to spend their eve
ninsg in Saloons and gambling hells than
in skating rinks; few, that is, Geside the
keepers of the latter places, and their
opinions are obviously prejudiced L. is
to be regretted that when the American
public takes up a new amusement il
throws Itself into the pursuit with sc
much energy as to almost warrant the
impression that it is regarded as the
most important business of life. But
this is National characteristic, and il
does not mean so much as it seems to
Roller ska ing will flourish for time
but the pace is too fast to last, and pres
emily the Alnaschars who are now
dreaming of fortunes to be acquired
through rinks will find their airy fabrics
dissolving, and the popular fancy will
have taken a new direction. The hobby
is much more harmless than some of it.
predecessors, and though it may furnist
medical pessimists with the material fol-
manufacturing fresh batch of nervous
complaints. it is not probable that the
race will really degenerate through any
snch popular passion.
Meantime it is certain that roller ska
ting will runs its course in the usual
way. and that it will only yield to natu-
raj WEAKNESS. 1t may be a foolish
scraze.' but it can hardly be regarded as a
seriously mischievous one, and laughing
at it is on the whole more conducive to
the preservation of gene al cheerfulness
aud good feeling than attempting to
brand it as a subtle device of the Evil
One.-N. Y. Tribune,