The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-24
THE SKATING CRAZE.
What Caused the Sudden Rise of Roller Skat-
ing-Fature of the Pastime.

Philadelphia Record
There were thirteen skating Kinks in this city,.
last season with daily patronage of 1000 skat-
ers. Five or these Kinks have this season closet
up, and several others likely to follow their
example very soon. Last year Frank Hall. the
proprietor of the Olympan Rink who has
SKATE factory in New jersey, sold 100 600 pairs
OF roiier skates. This year he has sold none and
mas cioseo MS factory. One rink in the city.
which was opened on February % last. and
closed on July A. Melted profit of $23 900: the
proprietofs Will be satisfied with a profit of
Si,uOO TINS season, and the largest rink in the
city, which cleared $4,000 in three months last
season. promises nothing like such profits this
season. These facts indicate in some measure
the extent of the decline OF the .roer-skating
craze The eight Kinks left in the city can fur
nish skating room for 1000 or 5000 persons, but
1t is doubtful if much over half that many lovers
of the sport are left of the eager thousands who
a year ago focked to the Kinks until they could
hold no more.
Mr.. Hall says that. though the .'roller skating
craze" is nearly over, it is mistake to suppose
that roller skating. as An amusement is 10 die
out When 1.-The craze" has entirely subsidized it
will, he says, be reduced to the limits of . pas-
time upon which legitimate business venture
may be safely made. While the excitement lasted
there was a wild period of speculation. in which,
great deal OF money was made and some speeu-
lators were bankrupted. There will always be
a considerable class of people who will patronize
the amusement but there will never be such an
other insane rush for the Kinks.
Nothing connected with ''the craze is more
curious than the manner in which it affected the
trade In boxwood maple and hemlock The
lockwood was found to be the best material from
which to manufacture the rollers. In conse-
Quence, last year, that wood jumped up from 500
a ton TO $40. and one firm, by fortunate pur-
chase just before the market took an upward
turn made $4,000 in less than two weeks The
market was stripped almost bare of lockwood
Tor time, and thousands and thousands
OF tons were made up into rollers in
few months. lockwood is selling now
at $l1 ton, and the price is still going down.
SO enormous did the proportions of the infatua-
ton for roller skating become that companies
with hundreds OF thousands of dollars as capital
were formed for the purpose of constructing
Kinks in small cities all over the country. These
Kinks were built for the most part of hemlock
and so extensive were the operations that this
lumber, Notwithstanding the immense supply
made advances, until the market at one time
showed that its value had been increased at least
20 per cent by the large operations of these con.
structlon companies. Since last year the price
of hemlock has fallen off 30 per cent. because
the building of the Kinks had to be stopped. One
of these construction companies in ten months
divided profits of $400 000 The plan of the man
ayers was to build rink in promising locality
run it for few weeks, and then sell out to local
spectators. Maple was found to be the best
wood with which to construct the rink floors,
and this lumber jumped up to $50 and $50 a
thousand feet
1t Is an interesting fact that the ROLLER skat-
ing craze" would have come long ago but for the
patent For seventeen years after the skate was
patented not pair was sold, and yet the pat
entee IN that time made So 900 600 Eben Plimp-
ton was the lucky fellow who first conceived the
idea of the roller. and he made all the roller
skates used during the years his patent ran and
rented them out to skating rink managers. He
always made the contracts read that he should
receive 10 per cent of the admission receipts TO
the rink and all the money from the rental of
the skates Of course, roer-skating did not
flourish under these circumstances, but the
amusement was popular enough to keep up
small Kinks in the large Cities and MIR Plimpton
made money. AS the patent expired.
and skates could be made by any ore. tho
craze" started. and started in Boston.