The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-28
HISTORY OF NOTWITHSTANDING.
The Present Is the Third Craze of the Kind
in This Country-Costly Litigation.

The Present Is tho Third Craze of the Kind
in This Country-Costly Litigation.
New York sun.
Roller-skating is by no means modern amuse-
ment. A patent for roller skate was issued in
France in 1919 From that time to the year
1868 there We're nine patents issued for roller
skates Three of these were French, three
English, and three American. In all of them
the wheels were set in fixed sockets, and ran
only in direction parallel with the length of
the skate. There variation in the size
of the wheels, and their number varied from two
to five There was an attempt to adapt them
to the capabilities of ice skates by varying
the position and size of the wheels, but it was
not until 1863 that any success was
secured in making roller skates with which the
skater could make all the motions that can be
performed on ice skates. In the year 1868 James
L. Plimpton, of New York, patented the guida
bic roller skates. This was a radical improve
ment IN attaching the runners rollers to the
stock or feot-stand of the skate, whereby the
rollers or runners are made to turn or can't by
the rocking of the stock or foot-stand so as to
facilitate the turning of the skate on the ice or
floor, and admit of the skaters performing with
ease gyratlons or revolutions without testing
unduly the muscles of the foot or ankles Mr.
Pllinpton made Improvements on his own
invention, which were patented in 1865
and 1866, and since that time there
have been no less than 345 patents for
various notifications of roller skates, chiefly in
skate of to-day is substantially an American in
vention. There are thousands of persons en-
gagged in their manufacture, and they have been
introduced about all over the globe
The present roller skating craze is by no means
the first. 1t is, in fact, the third. There was a
very extensive roller-skating craze in this
country in 1872, when there were many skating
Kinks and many thousand skaters in various
parts OF the country, and in some places almost
as much excitement over it as there is now.
ia tSha ed in cit
by Mr.. Pllmpton as long ago as 1865. They
were attended by staid and orderly Epeople, in
GLIDING ministers, deacons, and church members,
and on one occasion the good folks
selves, by skating waltz figure during
lent. They did not awake to the enormity of the
offence until some of the newspapers began to
write them up. Rollerskating was extensively
social circles for many years without any at
tempt to make the skating halls the resort of
prOmlscuouS aSSembageS.
In 1866 rollerskating was started at Newport,
in the Atlantic House. and for several years was
patroniZed by the best society. The large din
ing room of the Atlantic was used for skating,
and clergymen, lawyers, doctors, and the most
exemplary citizens joined in the sport.
In 1876 a considerable number Of leading mem
pers of New York society were interested in
roller-skating. The Union Club members were
prominent in it, Among those who participated
were James q. Bennett. NJ. Douglas, A. Wright
Sanford Mr.. Rowland, Mrs. John Jay. M. NJ
Livingston, and others equally we'll known.
They first engaged Lyric Hall, and subsequently,
Irving Hall, and the attendance was very select.
The public was not admitted
The first absolutely public roler-skating rink
in this country was established at Cincinnati in
1861 and the amusement took a firm hold there,
They had newspaper devoted to the interests
of roler-skating published in Cincinnati in 1877,
called the Skate Roll At that time the Kinks
were rigidly conducted, so to interest the
most conservative and orderly persons. The
rules and regulations of the floor ALSO were such
as would obviate many Of the objections to the
modern skating Kinks.
Mr.. Plimpton had his skates patented in Eng
land, and about ten years ago there was roller
skating craze in that country similar to that
which prevails here now, with the exception that
it was started with the deliberate purpose of in
teresting the most conservative and orderly peo-
pie, and to make it reputable amusement.
There were at one time about 400 places for
rollerskating in England Mr.. Pliinpton invested
considerable capital in the enterprise and
as soon as he became successful found him
self confronted with an army of infrngers.
He fought about two dozen of these infringers
in the law courts and won all his suits.
Roller-skating in England was conducted
at first under very high social auspices.
There was one club known as the Prince Club,
which consisted entirely of titled personages and
their children The suits to restrain the infring-
of the American patents attracted widespread
attention, and the trials were attended by great
crowds. The American patentee was denounced
as monopolist His law expenses were enor
nous. Fabulous stories were told of his profits
and he undoubtedly made great deal of money
from his invention. He foresaw the objections
that might be raised, and anticipated the strong
est arguments now brought to bear against the
skating Kinks. The Kinks that he established
were regulated by stringent contracts, so as to
forestall and prevent these objections. This he
did from the conviction that, as matter of en-
lghtened selfinterest, it would be most profta-
Bile to make roller skating respectable.
Mr.. Plimpton has had considerable litigation
in this country to protect his invention. His
patents expired in June, 1883 He has not, how
ever, lost his interest in roller-skating, but
deprecates the surroundings that have now been
connected with it.