, 1886-01-14
The EploeMc cRAzEs Of rAg oAY


The T~oboggan, the Roller skate, and
other Crazes-Eo Man Perfectly sane
Graves are epidemic, like influenza,
measles, the humps, cholera and other
human scourges that come, nobody
knows where from, run their course and
go, nobody knows whittier. The very
latest craze III there is a later one We
nave not heard of it, is the "%tologgan
craze. which began to be epidemic at
the time of the Montreal carnival, when
all the gay world within the reach of
that city or Saratoga was suddenly in
fected, aud men and women and chill
donned red caps, red hunting skirts or
%tunics, red leggings with trimmings of
Indian toggery, and took TO sliding
down hill with all their might on flat
boards, ignoring sleighs, sleds and skip
Jacks, all of which became antiquated
in n moment. The toboggan craze will
be limited by climate, cold and the
formation of ice-track slides, unless, as
we confidently expect, some genius
should invent a mode of sliding down
hill on rollers, when the roller toboggan
will share in popularity with the skat-
ing rink.
Rollers, or parlor skates, have been
used in France from time im~memorial.
How they become populariked and con
verted into a popular mania in this
country in n few months is ono of the
marvels of epidemic crazes. The word
"rink" is modern, having found its way
into Webster supplement half a dozen
years ago, as a covered hall into which
water was let and frozen for skating
purposes, and also as q loored arena for
roller. skating. From being a pastime
for little girls on sidewalks, it has sud
denly famed into a universal pastime.
Whole communities are infected and
Kinks rival churches in numbers and at
tendance. Divines, and oven legislators,
stand aghast at the s~uddenness, violence
and universally of this now epidemic.
1t is only another evidence of the pre-
disposition of humanity to crazes.
In the way OF amusement, for a time
everything ran to croluet, now lawn
tennis is in the ascendant. The bicycle
had its turn, and it is yet a problem
whether it will subside into one of the
worlds recognized modes of locomotion
or whether it will die out and be sue
ceeded by some other temporary celeb
rity. No man is perfectly ane If n
is not naturally cranky in streaks, he 10
at least liable to tits of crankiness. The
MlStSl VI lHtn w 9DlnO thlnko III lho
course of their lives hat show them to
be temporarily of their base" and
makes their friends wonder if they are
not getting ready for the lunatIc asy-
lum. Every man counts certain doings
of his among his mistakes in life"
when he followed impulses that, in the
light of subsequent reflection, seemed
una~ccountable, perhaps irresistible.
Sympathetic crazes are far more com,
mon than individual. Men are gregari.
GUS, like sheep. If one goes over a wall
the whole flock follows, If it is to plunge
into a ditch on the other side. An army
is routed if you can only start a panic
in the ranks. Law and order are over
turned in the crowded city if you excite
and spread the mobocratic fever on a
stirring question. Under the influence
of sympathetic fear strong men act like
children. There are crazes of every "a
riety in style, social, civil, political, re-
ligious, crazes in fashion, crazes in
amusement, business grasses, money
crazes, and each has its crowd of fol-
lowers and fanatics. Like the inmates
of a madhouse, each ignores his own
malady and wonders at tho greatness of
his neighbor. Albany Journal.