Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-04-11

The Present is the Third Craze Of the
Kind in This COuntry-COstly Litigation

From the New York Sun.
Roller skating is by no means q modern
amusement. A patent for q roller skate was
issued in France in 1919. From that time
to the year 1868 there were 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
run only in direction parallel with the length
of the skate There was some 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
but it was not until 1868 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
guidable roller skate. This was o radical i'm
provement in attaching the runners or roll
ers to the stock or foot stand of the skate,
whereby the rollers or runners are made to turn
or cant by the rocking of the stock or foot stand
SOFAS to facilitate the turning of the skate on
the ice or floor and admit of the skaters per.
forming with ease gyrations or revolutions
or ankles. Mr.. Plimpton made improvements
on his own invention, which were patented in
1865 and 1866, and since that time there have
been no less than $40 patents for various modi-
fications of roller skates, chiefly in England and
America. But the practical roller skate of to-
day is substantially an American invention
There are thousands of persons engaged in their
manufacture, and they have been introduced
about all over the globe.
means the first. 1t is, in fact, the third. There
was 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 there is
now. Roller-skating halls were established in
this city by Mr.. Plmpton rs long ago as 1865.
They were attended by staid and orderly peo-
pie, including minister's deacons and church
P1nembers, and on one occasion the good folks
astonished their friends, and, in fact them
selves, by skating a waltz figure during Lent.
NOV nt l. 4
tense until some of the newspapers began to
write them up. Roller skating was extensively
introduced IN schools and continued In private
social circles for many years without any at
tempt to make the skating halls the resort of
promiscuOus assemblages
In 1866 roller skating was started at New
port in the Atlantic house, and for several years
was patronized by the best society. The large
dining room of the Atlantic was used for
skating, and clergynen, lawyers, doctors and
sport.
In 1875 considerable number of leading
members of New York society were interested
In roller skating. The Union club members
We're prominent in it. Among those who par
ticiRated were James g. Bennett, NJ. Douglas,
A. Wright Sanford, Mr.. Rowland Mrs. John
Jay, NJ. NJ. Livingston, and others equally
and subsequently Irving hail. and the attend
ance was very select. The public was not ad-
The first absolutely public roller-skating rink
IN this country was established in Cincinnati in
t tiS6a, and the amusement took firm hold
interests of roller skating, published in Cincin-
natl in 1877, called the Skate Roll. At that
elLne the Kinks were rigidly conducted, as to
interest the most conservative and orderly
persons. The rules and regulations of the
moor also were such as would obviate many
of the objections to the modern skating Kinks
MT Plimpton had his skates patented in Eng
land, and about ten years ago there was roller
Skatlng craze in that country similar to that
winch prevails here now, with the exception
tnat IL was started with the deliberate purpose
ol interesting the most conservative and orderly
people, and to make it reputable amusement.
mere were at one time about 400 places for
roller skating in England. Mr.. Plimpton in
vested considerable capital in the enterprise,
ana as soon as he became successful found him
fought about two dozen of these in1ringcrs in
the law courts, and all his suits. Roller
SRatlnS In England was conducted at first under
very high social auspices There was one club
known as the Prince club, which consisted
tlrely of titled pelSonages and their children.
lean patents attracted widespread attention and
the trials were attended by great crowds. The
american patentee was denounced as mOnOpO-
list His law expenses were enormous. Fabulous
stories were told Of his profits, and he undoubt-
eddy made great deal of money from his in
vention. He foresaw the objections that might
De raised, and anticipated the strongest argu-
mentS now brought to bear against the skating
Kinks. The Kinks that he established We're reg
ulated by stringent contracts, as to fOreStall
ana prevent these objections. This he did from
the conviction that, as amatter of enlightened
seiI-lnterest 1t would be most profitable to make
roller skating respectable.
Mr.. Plimpton has had considerable litiga-
ton In this country to protect his invention
His patents expired in June, 1888 He has not
however, lost his interest in roller skating, but
deprecates the surroundings that have now
been connected with it.