The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-03-04
ROLLER SKATING.
The Rise and FAN of the Pastime-The
Fortunes Made During the Craze.

Fortunes Made During the Craze.
The great, empty, barn-like struct-
ures-the skating rinks-which last
season were alive with thousands of
busy skaters, are very quiet now.
Here and there in the city can be
found one that is making an effort to
keep open, but the attendance is very
poor and the attractions that last year
would have brought out thousands are
bringing but few to the rinks this sea-
SON. The "craze' is over. 1t was
very profitable one for the manufacture
ers Of roller skates and the owners of
rinks last year. There were rinks in
this city that made thousands of dol
lars. Last year Frank Hall, the pro-
prietor of the Olympian Rink, in Phila-
delphia, and who owned factory for
making roller skates, sold one hundred
thousand pairs of skates. This year he
has sold none and has closed his fac
tory. Mr.. Hall says that, though the
"craze" is over, it is mistake to think
that roller skating as an amusement is
to die out. When the '.craze" has en-
tirely subsidized roller skating will be
reduced to the limits of pastime upon
which legitimate business ventures
may be made.
Nothing connected with the "craze"
is more curious than the manner in
which it affected the trade in lockwood,
maple and hemlock. The lockwood
was found to be the best material from
which to manufacture the rollers. In
consequence, last year that wood
jumped up from $26 ton to $40, and
one firm, by fortunate purchase just
before the market took an upward turn,
made $17, 900 in less than two weeks.
The market was stripped almost bare
of lockwood for a time, and thousands
and thousands of tons were made
up into rollers in a few months.
Boxwood is selling now at S18 a
ton. and the price is still going down.
So enormous did the proportions
of the infatuation for roller-skating
become that companies with hun
dreds of thousands of dollars as capital
were formed for the purpose of con-
structing rinks in small cities all over
the country. These rinks 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 % per cent. by
| the large operations of the construction
companies. Since 1884 the price oi
hemlock has fallen off 80 per cent. be.
cause the building of the rinks had to
be stopped. One of these construction
companies in ten months divided profits
of S400, 900. The plan Of the managers
was to build a rink in promising
locality, run it few weeks, and ther
sell it 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 500
thousand feet.
1t is an interesting fact that tn,
"roller skating craze would have come
long ago but for the patent. For seven
teen years after the skate was patented
/ not d skate was sold, and yet tht
patentee in that time made So, 100000
Eben Plimpton was the lucky fellow
| VINO uTSG COuCtlNtu tHo tdct VA tiI'
roller, and he made all the roller skates
used during the years his patent ran
and rented them out to skating-rinl
managers. He always made the con
tracts read that he should receive tel
per cent. of the admission receipts ant
all the money for the rental of tn
skates. Of course, roller skating dit
not flourish under these circumstances
but the amusement was popular enough
to keep small rinks in large cities, ant
Mr.. Plimpton made money. As sool
as the patent expired and skates coul,
be made by any one the 'craze'
started, and started in Richmond, Ind
| A citizen of that place started tn
manufacture OF roller skates in littl
wood-shed. The skates became popular
and he enlarged his shops until he ha
factory of over four hundred feet il
length and one in which many work
men are employed. He has made
round million of dollars in the business
Pittsburgh Chronicle.