Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-01-22
GETON SKATES.
The Popular Winter Pastime at
Its Height.
SWIMMING THE GLOSSY SURFACE.

Wister's Exhiiarsting sport and Those
Who Participate In 1.-THE Good OLD
Fashioned Way on Natures Solid F,oo.
the Hest.
She darted swiftly on the ice
Like arrow from \ bow
But. chilly sh-'eking. in y trice
The lass, ala-' lAi4 low.
Why did the camsei tumble Gown
With dull. bebumbing bump!
Because her skates wee fsstenei on
by aehap who was u champ.
The triangle which forms the en-
closure for the winter diversion above
the slough bridge was as usual COW
cred with merry skaters. gliding.
sliding, scrambling and scoOting in
every direction. when a shrek broke
upon the air. 1t came from pretty
girl who had been suddenly placed
in an unhappy predicament resulting
from ore of her skates having been
improperly adjusted to her sole. aud
the aforesaid agonized despairing
cry seemed to come from the
very depths of that soul itself. and
with a wild gesticulation she came
down upon the non-resisting, nom
elastic surface with a thump. A
crowd quickly surrounded the unfor-
tunate representative Of gentle. but
resolute femininity, whose bushes
were so vivid that they cast roseate
hue over the ice, and the dozen out
stretched willing hands showed the
ever-willingness Of human sympathy
t. respond to human distress. She
scrambled to her feet without assist.
ance, however, and with one skate in
hand and hopping with one foot she
sought quiet nook and with the in
dominitable pluck Of the new woman
personified, put on the skate herself
and was soon mingling with the
others who are glad when they glide.
There Are Others.
The incident alluded to was but
one Of many which characterize the
skating season. The winter pastime
Is attended by its mishaps, and the
modification that is the part Of one
overtaken by disaster, no matter how
trivial. is one of those inexplicable
sensations that suggests-try as best
you may to resist it--going down in
the world. The young lady in ques-
tion made the best of it. She viewed
the situation philosophically. There
are others. as stated, who make bad
breaks with the ice, but as long
rs the ice does not make bad
breaks with them. they should not
kick when they skate. Skating like
everything else has its downs and
ups.
Places to Skate.
There are plenty of places to skate
along the river, but the safest way is
to keep within the enclosures pro-
vided for public enjoyment. A
young man named Henry Nicholson.
living on Twenty-iirst street, went
down through the ice last night in
straying too far from the safety en-
closure on the river. but he was res
cued. and the pleasures of the sea-
son were not marred by a disaster
such as was threatened. All along
the river on both sides people skate.
Thenthero IS the canal and Hincher's
garden, to say nothing Of the little
patches in town and out where many
happy moments are passed by juve-
niles.
This season there are probably
more people getting on skates than
has been the case in years before and
in the common adaptation of the
term they seem to entertain no fears
of getting bolted up-if they are pro-
vided with all clamps they are salts
fed.
The bicycle has given way for the
time being. People are wheely on
skates. and not the roller skates.
eithcr-but the good old fashioned
ice skates. There are roller Kinks in
Davenport, but skating. like base ball
and croquet, cannot be domesticated.
1t works hand in hand with nature
and is in its prime when the ele-
ments combine to make it so.
Ice Boats.
Added to the joys of skating. has
come this season the ice boat.
Charles skinner has the best in these
parts undoubtedly. 1t is of beauti-
full design. swift sailing. and a trip
on it Is source of happiness never
to be forgotten. Another one which
has attracted some attention is owned
&. NJ. Bunker and others in Daven-
port, while two other similar crafts
are owned in that city.