Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-04-16
BOILER SKATING.
the Rise and Fall OF the Pastime-Ths
Fortunes Made During the Craze.

ehe Rise and Fall Of the Pastime-Ths
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 arc
bringing but few to the rinks this sea-
son. The ''craze" is over. 1t was
very profitable one for the manufactur-
ers Of roller skates and the owners of
rinks last year. There were rinks in
this city that made thousands of
lars. Last year Frank Hall, the,
prietor Of the Olympian Rink. in Phi.
delphia, and who owned factory
making roller skates, sold one hundred
thousand pairs Of skates. This year he
has sold none and has closed his fitc-
tory. Mr.. Hall says that, though the
"craze" is over, 1t 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 Snd 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 a ton to $40, and
one firm, by fortunate purchase just
before the market took an upward turn,
made Sl7, 900 in less than two weeks
The market was stripped almost bare
Of boxwood for time, and thousands
and thousands of tons were made
up into rollers in few months.
Boxwood is selling now ut $l8 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 Kinks 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 20 per cent. by
the large operations of the construction
companies. Since 1884 the price of
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 S400,0O0 The plan Of the managers
was to build rink in a promising
locality, run it few weeks, and then
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 $55
q thousand feet ..
1t is an interesting fact that the
"roller-skating craze" would have come
long ago but for the patent. For seven
bCCh lGuib uibCl bhc oAdIC was pdbCubCu
not skate was cold, and yet the
patentee in that time made $4,000, 900.
Eben Plimpton 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 con-
tracts read that he should receive ten
per cent. of the admission receipts and
all the money for the rental of the
skates. OF course, roller skating did
not flourish under these circumstances,
but the amusement was popular enough
to keep small rinks in large cities, and
Mr.. Plimpton made money. As soon
as the patent expired and skates could
be made by any one the "craze'
started, and started in Richmond, Ind.
A citizen of that place started the
manufacture Of roller skates in little
wood-shed. The skates became popular,
and he enlarged his shops until he had
a factory of over four hundred fees in
length and one in which many work.
men are employed. He has made a
round million Of dollars in the business.
Pittsburgh Chronicle.