The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-12-12
ARMIES OF SKATERS
With Trusty Steel They Sally
Forth and Scour the
Fields of Ice.
BICYCLE FACED BEGINNERS
The Omnipresent Small Boy Yells
With Maniacal Glee as tho Fat
Man Finds a Soft Spot.

A few days ago old Jack Frost opened
the winter season in earnest. Farmer
Dunn noticed 1t officially and the small
boy noticed intuitively. even If no one
else did. The Farmers instruments
made him aware of the approach of the
cold snap, but the small boy shifted at
the air and knew it. and his heart gave
a little extra throb as he thought of
his skates stored away in the attic, cell
lar or some other out of the way place.
The small boys father remembers the
time when he earned enough money
'doin' extra chores to buy the little
pair of wooden top, heel and toe strap
skates upon which his heart had been
set FOR many a long day. And as soon
as he had them and h ice came he
proceeded to cut long chains of figure
Fights. the grapevine, and to spread the
eagle over the several acres of ice on
the mill pond. much to the amy of the
other boys, M the admiration of the
little girls. And not long ago the small
boys big brother had to pay IS to SO
for a pair Of all nickle clamps and a
score of patents. And now that winter
is set in. Young America can get the
same skate for two or three dollars at
any hardware store.
Down in Greenville. where there are
many ponds and where ice, thick enough
to bear the weight of the average small
boy, forms with twenty-four hours
frost. the. small boy is in clover. The
two large ponds near the Barr-Dinwiddie
bookbindery are covered with sheets of
ice as mooth as a mirror. With school
hours over the small boy hurries home
and secures his skates, and HES himself
to the pond. there to enjoy without re-
straint the sport dean to every boys
heart. His older brothers and sisters
and-yes, m and papa, come in the
evening either to skate or to watch
those who do. For the past three or
four nights the ponds have been crowded
with the Skaters The local hardware
dealers have found DIT necessary to lay in
a new stock of skates to supply the de-
rrand for the steel inner
AT the ponds the sight is "a stirring
one, especially in the evening, for then
the whole area of ice will be covered
with skaters. young n old. Some. of
course. will understand the art, and will
glide gracefully with the swiftness Of a
bird, here and there. making circles ell
majority will be either beginners, or
awkward performers, and the figures
winch they cut are Iud1crOuS enough
only equalled by the performances of
Mr.. Samuel Pickwick on MI. Wardle's
iee-pond. Crowds are gathered to en-
joy the sport on the banks of the pond.
who shout and laugh at the sudden des-
cent of some unlucky amateur upon the
hard ice. while those who are expert
win plaudits from the ladies and gentle
youth who delights in skating close to
and over weak spots, breaks through the
ice n falls into the chilly water. But
as the pond it at no point deeper than
three feet. nc one comes to his assist
ance. He lis left to make his own way
out of the difficulty into which he has
gotten himself. and when he. succeeds
but a moment before laughed at his dis
comfiture. look upon him as a hero.
In G~reenville the youth who breaks
through the ice the greatest number of
times during the seanson is invariably
chosen captain of the school nine when
the baseball season opens.
station of the Central Railroad is an
other favorite rendezvous for G~reenville
skaters. The skating here is even bet
ter than at the bookbinding ponds. The
young ladies', escorted by their sweet
hearts. do not find the walk along the
dimly lighted Clarenont road n too
lonesome, hence. their preference Tor
the meadow ponds.
by the denizeuls Of Greenvfiie. Every
evening a large crowd of down town
citizens can be seen making it's way to
the outdoor Kinks, n the Greenville
pany IS doing a rushing business.
street are frozen over and crowds of
happy skaters enjoy themselves every
afternoon and evening.