Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-06-06

THE FOUR HUNDRED ON ROLLER SKATES, art of skating within doors on the very best laid floor. in an extensive hall, which Is always kept at the proper tCmperaturc and under the necessary and proper rC- strictionS concCruing tho time of skating and manner nf acquaintance with others. IL will bo noticed by those who live in the largcr cities that thcr' arc morn girl and boy skaters on tho rigid toy skates on the sidewalks than ever before, and this may hc taken as a suro indication of tho in erased desire of the people in general for the revival of rollor skating rink.. Many owners of rinks in 1884 believe that tho roller skating CraZc rccurs every ten years, and Aro contemplating opening for busi- ness again. Tho first great demand of the pt'oplc for thc skate was in 1874. The uni- NcrSal popularity SuhSidCd, apparently for g,rOd, after two years of OCCupatiun of tho peoples minds but in 1881 some members uf the most wealthy familSS of the CxClu- SivC CiU,lCS, including the HaNCmcyCrS, the RnASCVCltS, tho ASturS and others with the kindly assistance of James l.. Plimp- ton, the roller skatC inventor, CngaCCd h,NG, quarters. originated club, laid a per feet floor and indulgvd in tho pleasant sport for a long time hcforu the world in general hccamc aware of the fact that roll rr skating was again a possibility in New York Ill tl,r sam" manner tn" new era of rollcr >kAtl,<< k beginning.
 In lS&! Mir. FlimptOu was i'll, and dur ing his couval,~CrnC' visited Central park, New York, and the sight 0t tho icr skaters led him tO consider tho subject of an adc- quutr roller skate Within a year he had invented and patented his skate, the sale Ot which hGS Ia,C him a ruultimilliNnair'. This skate lNtS WuUdvu fuutNlatr, beneath which ara two rollers nr tho tur and two at the hvcl II Nd' of hoNwond, st un aXlrS and supported hy hangers ot a composition metal which srrnts almost understandable, for they seldom break and rar,.ly bend. The rollers ar, tuyu,rl or guided >o a$ to make any desired curve, by the oscillation of tho Snlc plate or the prupcr inclination Ot the f0ut uf the skater aS he moves his body either left or right. The rollers sit squarCly upon the tluor. whether the foot k inclined or upright, and thus sufficient adhesion h obtained to prCNCnt tho skate from slipping sideways. By thus dispenE- l ing with all rough, santI or elastic sub stances, as formerly used upon the rollers, | a very easy rolling skate is obtained,
 That skating k the very poetry of mo tion ts every way apparent to the observer It imparts grace Ia the figure. pliahility to 
 to tho sincws. activity to the hlo>d, roses | to the checks and develops thc human sys- tenn uroSt th0roushly and delightfully."-. IL has less objectionable surroundings than | any Uth0r enjoyment and may ho called one of tho polite arts. As falls arc rarO and ovcrindulSCnco not permitted cannot i'm | aSine how roller skating can have an enc my or. in fact, any but enthusiastic ad- l mirrors All authorities at home and abroad advocate the art ut skating. Perhaps the 1 h,'St Ut thCS,' i~ NaltZnan, tho great Ger | man author, who says of it; It is an CN- | CrviSr superior tn everything that can hc cla~>,d under the head of motion. Purc air, promot!ou Vf the ctrcUlatiOn of tho diff trrvnt fluids, muscular cxcrtion. tho e1cr- cisc ot such various skilltul movements 1 and unalluyrd mental satisfaction. must l have a powerful iutlucncc not only on the corENrral frame uf man. but on his mind l NkVwisr,'
 The first skate uYon which one might prpprl himself over tho surface 0f a floor | uf which We have any authentic account WAS invrutCll Gy PcttihlCd. a FrcnChman, patented in France. and tntroducGd thrrc | in the year 1872 But luurc practical in Nrntion was that uf Robert John Tytr. l wh0So' 'Yarlur~halr wA>put Upuut hr mar krt in England in l>23, but had little sale
 
 tn this country and tht celebrated JacA>0p | Haynes, n skater of note in his tiluv. put | il tu practical u>r in his exhibitions upnu tho theatrical Stslsso that iJ hocamo popular | and met with srSat sale. With it ho went to Europo and SkatCd into tho afrtN- | 6ons of tho ear ot Russia who ennOblCtl him and enriched tho skater to such an ex- tent that he never rcturncd to America This ''parlNr skate" had q cast iron foot plate of light weight, bcnCath which wcrc six hardened rubber rollers at in rigid Axles and arranged in a straight limo un- der the fuot ls WAS intended to act woll upon tho skaters foot on the parlor carpet, but prnvUd a failure and was uSCd only upon hard floor or upon tho sidewalk. Tho wheels boinS riSidly Sct in tho axlcs, skating upon this skate, excepting in d ] straight line, was out of tho question, and its popularity wAncd because of its imprac- disability and the difficult and laboriou, ! efforts necessary Ia move 1t. Grace was in all hor steps when a lady skater moved 0Ver tho floor with the parlor skates upon her feet, but pain was In her facc and 2 tired feeling in her soul.
 Many inventions followed the 1Scl skate. Mir. Phmpton has moro than 800 different skates upon wheels in his mu scum which tell tho talc of an immcnS' amount of thought, labor and money be slowed upon tho absorbing subject of sup plying to tho skating fraternity a suitable rolling Skate of scientific prctenSiOnS an( practical value. No doubt thousands O strenuouS efforts were made by grcat in vcntorS to produce what was requircd fo
 tho skater, but after thousands of attempt
 and tho production of some of tho mos
 ridiculous rsSults the perfect Plimptoi
 roller skate ontcrcd the aroma and, to tn
 surprise of tho skater. mot his rcQuire
 mcnts to tho letter. It is patented as
 "Suidablc skate, v the principle patent hay
 ing boon procured upon tho rocking foot
 plate which guides the wheels by crampinl
 them by the motion of tho foot which rest
 upon tho SEato either to the right or tn
 left, juSs as ths forward wheels of a waSol
 aro crAmped by moving che axle. This Is
 principle, and principle alono could no
 be patented. but tho application Of tha
 principle to tho roller skato was patcnte
 In all parts of the world This is a grca
 patent, for 1t Is impossible to mako skat
 which will to "guidahlO'' without tn
 rocking footplate.
 Tho only difference of importance be
 tween roller and Ice skating Is In move
 mcats in whtch tho skater turus front for
 waFsi e backward and in the psrfsTnhar
 si ha''anlnah yheEe metanans4RES dop