The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-03-08
CHICAGO.
Oar Regular weekly Badget From the
Lake CITY.


rapidly chiosgo can change It's dress. List
week the streets were perfectly awful with
slush composed OF sand, snow and water.
The pavea were almost ~ bad a. the drive.
wsys, but the work OF outing away the
tnow, sweeping and cleaning the streets has
been increasing, and 10 day miles OF side
walk are clear snd dry, thousands OF tons OF
Ice and snow have disappeared, the crossings
are more psnable, aud humanity In Chicago
s. better natured ia consequences. Business
Is still dull, although the outlook Is hopeial.
They tell me iha usual spring opening Is
nearly four weeks late this year. In the
large housea, however. see spring ana early
summer goods displayed, and also notice a
much better trade than two weeks ago.
have two things IN mind this morning
which arc prolific themes of converse, one
OIL which drew ny attention more particl.
larly by its being The subsct ot an animated
dhcutsion between al advocate and oppo-
ntnt TO
ROLLER SKATING ntSKs.
The main objections urged against them
were unique and qaiic amusing 10 terres.
trially Inclined mind. Our opponent Is a
strict chuTchman, and hia greatest objection
Was the alluring influence OF the rink by
which the young, irrepressibls people were
entiotd away from the prayermeetings aud
meditation upon divine things; that it made
them worldly and was a means OF contain.
ination by mixing with the ungodly. In
fact, that linking" was a means OF the
devil to draw the young from Christian IN.
| tluence.
| was reading what Henry Marley, the
Evsneeist, said in letter 10 the London
| Christian concerning 81. Louis, where he Ia.
| bored last year, about that city being great
grand, prosperous and enterprisng, and then
added that IL is one Of the most goddess upon
| earth-that II IS one OF Satan's seats; aud
thought, while the good objector TO roller
skating was expiating upon the terribeness
| of the attractions OF Chicago, that il Henry
Varley should favor the Garden City with
| his presence, he would find a counterpart to
| st. Louis in the host OF wicked (0 Kinks the
aiers panorama and attractions herein sus-
tanned. Among minor objections TO the ex-
| ercise he termed the 'creze,' it seemed TO
him immodest for girl or woman TO gyrats
| around on rollers, liable to a fall and TO be
laughed at by mixed company thatit was
| not au intellectual psstime. and tended 10
destroy both health and morals that roller
skating was only fit for boys and men, show W.
| ing that he thought their spiritual welfare
! was OF less consequence than the girls and
wonens. and that His Satsnic Majesty"
was much more interested in femininity tn an
| It's opposite
The advocate of the exercise met the OBJ
! jeciions from an entirely different stand
| point however, which TO an unprejudiced
| mind were conclusive.
Ii seems that those who advance the most
| tangible causes for complaint are the very
ones Christian and conscientious people
| should rejoice had met with interference
| and loss from the enterprise and those are
saloons and cheap theaters.
The Kinks are opened for evening sessions
AZ $50 p. m. and generally close at 1920.
| The young people go home aud retire to
| ~ M
| is as safe from bsneful influences as the
| young woman. In reading the history of
the roller skating rink We find it has been
the aim of it's prof ectors to have everything
connected with them kept on a good moral
basis The rink is place OF amusement
ana physical culture, not like church or
prayer meeting, bat as select and good. The
saloons are less trequented than before this
innovation by young men who are far
away from home influence, The
less busy; the victims of alcoholic al.
luremepts are growing less in consequence
In small cities different States where the
saloon element is sufficiently slrong to in
! fuence local politics, ordinances have been
passed to impose high license upon the
| Kinks that they could not be sustained. la
such cases we think the devil was victorious
SURE enough The only ground that ssloon-
lets base their opposition upon is the los, vi
profitable customers from the very class
temperance, people are working TO save
and yet here and there is clergyman aud
church members who are az strenuous aud
bitter as the selfish fa'ocn men, who join
them IN practical opposition t. the extension
OF Kinks. The business is certainly IS legiti-
mate as any. IL is carried on upon finan-
cal basis much more to the advantage OF its
patrons than the saloon, theater or dancing
c zsss, because II 10 cheaper.
It is al exercise which is healthful and
especially to girls and ladies il the cloth is
properly and loosely adj ueted. 1t is co
amusement pure In ITSELF with the com
bined attractions OF pleasant com panionship.
music light and warmth. aud the comming-
ling of the sexes is pleasant, social and pro.
ductive of mutual improvement.
Because In elopement is read OF as being
the outcome OF q roller rink association, one
should not conclude that all rink acquant-
ances were likely to result so startingly. Tbs
laity and even the clergy are sometimes
awakened from their church.like dreams oy
like occurrences among Them but the church
loses none of its sacredness.
Because here and there something comes
to the surface OF derogatory nature as hav-
ing originated among frequenters OF the
Skating Kinks, one should not forget thai all
good is in danger of being misappro priated,
but rather that the greater good so far over
balances the minimum of evil that
they should have no appreciable weight
| rs objections to patronizing skating Kinks.
lQc OppOelliOu lIOUl Inc CuuICn Is OhscQ
| upon much the same ground as has been
| against all forms of amusement, except those
| directly connected with the support and in
| terest of the church. Opposition does not
come from all, neither from all members OF
strict orthodox faith, but only those who,
| on general principles, seem to oppose that
which tends to draw from strict attend
snce upon church meetings and divert the
thought from spiritual things.
| In this city the attendants M the Kinks are
| of respe ctability and good standing, and the
intere.t does not diminish. showing that ii is
deemed right and practical amusement by
| people OF both brains and religious prociivi-
| ties even.
1t is said that the rink patronage has
| greatly deducte from thas of the theeters,
and it has been the great cause OF so many
failures among travelling combinations. In
| Chicago large per ceLt. of the theater
patronage is drawn from the visitors to the
city, most Of whom would deem il quite in
| complete to omit attendance at the city
theater 50 in reality tbs Kinks effect thesi-
ricsls outside OF the Iarg cities more than in.
Oar terpsichorean Instructors complain OF
loss Of patronage from this source because it
! costs less TO skate than to dance. Friends
are met, and ladies and gentlemen meet