Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1885-03-12
Minneapolis Letter.
EDITOR CLARION -

EDITOR CLARION -
In your issue Of Feb. 18th, we had
the pleasure of reading short disser-
tation (?) relative to the Frederick
skating rink. You know | promised
to tell your readers Chow the. graceful!
and popular art Of roller skating is re-
garded" in the metropolis of the north
west, and with this object alone, we
submit our opinions reasoned with
those Of other equally rati' nal propa-
gandists. Ahem!!
Just as the roller skating rink bust
ness, is becoming fairly started in Min
,neapolis, there come rnmors from the
east of threatened crusade on the
whole institution of roller rinks. Here.
tofore that part Of the great public
that disapproves Of rinKins has con-
tended itself with mildly condemnng
the practice. They have long had
their guns loaded and primcd but were
! deferred from firing by the fact that
another large part Of the public has
open!y approved the custom. Some
eastern preachers denounce it as the
! high road to perdition. Other preach
ers recommend it as a heathful and un-
exceptionable amusement. We are
told that a Pennsylvania Jury returned
the Kinks as public nuisance. and that
in certain large city in the same
state they would put an almost prohib
itory license ON these popular amuse-
| mcnt resorts. In Ohio the officers and
members of colored church sued q
dcspotic rink man ger because he re-
fused them the privilege Of the surface,
and received damages for the deprlva,
ton. In the same vicinity a clergyman
issued pronunciamento forbidding the
sheep OF his flock to attend the rlnks.
Thsee young ladies openly disobeyed
Two Of them had to go to public pen
ance, al d the third failing to ceaply,
vas exconnunicated. Nor are the
Doctors less divided in opinion than
the theologians. The medical faculty
of New York City, which by the way
is supposed to be an erudite assembly
is reported to have placed the stamp of
its disapproval upon the sport. 1t is
further stated that spinal diseases have
increased 7 per cent since the advent
of this secular locQmotion On the
other hand there are scores of good
physicians who advise people to skate.
Any city or town in the country that
amounts to a continental Ass from one
to dozen of these places of resort.
Six months ago Minneapolis had two
small rinks, though at that tine they
were big and thought ORE too many to
thrive. ..t
They eoiaed money hand over fist,
and consistent with her everyday ag
gressiveness, she now boasts fourteen,
all doing good business. Notwith-
standing the fact that eighteen months
out of the year here is cold, cold win
ter, and the average .pocketbook can
hardly stand .alone, the devotees Of the
lockwood circles continue their giddy
evolutions, execute the "dutch roll, =
and 'cut the pigeon wing" in exchange
for q brace of silver quarters. aoe
Whatever others may think, the pro-
prietors of rinks and the young folks
are Of the unanimous opinion that
roller skating is pleasant and exhtla-
rating exercise, and skating rinks are
delightful affairs. Certain it is, that
roller skating is almost as near "the
poetry Of motion as mortals eyer get
We have always held "ics skating" and
II spy in Roots alley theNery achme
of fun, but we now consign them to the
top back shelf in the corner cupboard
r.F o-~ -,.7,,rv. r. I'D: Ing 80