The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-01-26
SKATING.
IBaltimorean.l

spell # general wlntry weather, the
10 cr Of out door sports indulges in
VI ions of The pleasures and enjoyments
" liCh the season has in store for him.
Let those who will remain at home,
ari stopping up every nook and
Granny in the house, defy the roaring
W ,hout. Let them sit comfortably
b the blazing hearth and give them
se.ves up to quiet amusements- read
n5, music, dancing, laughing and
pleasant discourse. But for him who
loves the open fields, this indoor en-
te tainment has only secondary al
tr ,clion. Far dearer to him are the
beauties of the wintry solitude; the
fr, e, bracing atmosphere; the crystal
ic the whitened hill and slope lying
against the leaden skv; the snow muf
Ae 4 wind, the sharp crack of the horse
III ms whip; the merry tinkle of sleigh
bells.
Many and interesting are the diver
sinns which the cold season offers, Of
which one of the pleasantest and most
invigorating is skating, by which, as
Tie poet Klopstock, himself passion
a ely fond of the sport, said, "man,
Ii the Homeric gods, strides with
ngcd feet over the sea, transmitted
mo solid ground" Like the move
m-nts of smooth winged birds are the
glaceful windings of the skaters as they
Come and trip it as they GO,
On the light, fantastic toe
Klopstock has sung the praises of
Il : art in several odes, as has also
G ,ethe, Herder and other poets.
Skating, too, possesses the merit of
y ing easily learnt, even without a
e scher. The philosopher who de-
c, sred that the whole art consisted
g merely in transferring the centre OF
z avity from one foot to the other, y
W IS, of course, at fault, as was satisfac-
tt lily proved when he essayed a dem
o)stration, instantly transferring his
= ntre of gravity from both feet, so as
= honor the frozen element with a
81 iden salute from that part Of the
b dy which usually gravitates on a
c air. But with two hours daily prac-
ii c, the tyro ought to master the ele-
ncnts of the art in week. And then,
h, W richly his efforts will be repaid!
The origin of skating dates very far
b ck. Skating was probably first prac-
ii ed in the far north of Europe, in
S andinavi:. and in northern Germany.
| Russia it has never been a national
p; slime, because no smooth ice is
fcdnd on its rapidly running rivers.
| le earliest notice of skating i'll Eng
Ia ad is found in an old chronicle oi
London, where it is said that when
the great tenne or moore (Which wa
te eth the walls of the cite on the
north sidc) is frozen, many young men
pay upon The yce." And then the
chroniclcr goes into detail, saying tina,
"some tye bones to their feete, and
u der their heels, and showing them
selves by little picked static, do slide
as swiftly as birdie hyeth in the air,
Or an arrow out of a crosse-bow." "
Here then, though the implements
w~re rude, we have skating. 1t is to
Holland, however, that the world is
Indebted for its first knowledge OF
c, mplete skates, such as are still in
use, i. t., wooden stocks with metal
blades and that country is usually
looked upon as the home and birth
pace of modern skating. Certainly
TIE Dutch, both in variety Of attitude
Al d rapidity of movement, are greatly
| he superiors of other nations. With
out skates, trade in winter must be
almost entirely suspended in Holland
aud there not only men and women
state, but even children Of five and
81 years are seen skimming over tine
iCe. Provisions are carried with
4: tonishing despatch, and surprising
d stances are passed over by these
hi bitual sliders.
There are two distinct styles Of
81 ating. The running style consists
81 nply in going straight ahead at the
g catest possible speed. The Holland
81 ate, with low. broad blade and mar,
row stock, projecting and curved a,
ii front, is best adapted to this style
B practice, great speed may be at
to ned in this manner Of skating. The
second and more popular style, which
is Of English origin, is fgure-skating
F this style, the best skates are the
SC fadjusting, first produced in Canada
T which clamps take the place o.
straps.