Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-01-03

e~@~es
cfaze. This time, however. Il will be
"cyclo skating that will engage the null
titude.
since tho fearful collapse Of tho ilrst
skating craze, some 10 years ago, this
form Of recreation has been revived hero
and there OF intervals, and improvements
have been mado In tho wooden skates.
The old roller skate consisted Of two pairs
Of lockwood wheels revolving on steel axlcs.
Tho skates had to be oiled frequently and
were greasy and dirty. But the new skates
ore fitted with ball bearing axles similar
to those on bicycles. There is less friction,
and speed Is attained with less effort. At
the same time tho new skates have moro
OF tendency to moro out from under tho
beginner.
For several weeks the big Tattcrsalls
building In Chicago has been filed almost
nightly with cycle skaters, q crowd Of
1900 or 5000 people being no exception,
writes George Ado in the Chicago Record.
This continued success of tho revived
amusement has led to tho belief that the
public is ready to take up with indoor
skating again. Letters of inquiry from
many parts of tho country indicate that
Kinks will be opened soon If the season at
T0ttersalls continues to bo SUCCESS
In nearly every town Of Importance
there Is skating rink left over from the
former craze. 1t has been standing az a
melancholy monument to misguided con-
1dence. Dozens Of these Kinks could DO
reopencd on short notice II the public
showed willingness to take up the
amusement again.
Skating on rollers is exhilarating fun.
II Is tho nearest human approach to fly.
ing, and no person should be blamed for
taking to It kindly. When tho "craze'
spread over tho country Is years ago,
everybody from dccrepit old mon and cor
pulent women to tho tots Just struggling
out Of the cradle formed tho rink" habit.
Tho young woman who chewed gum
would skate from noon until midnight
Such amusement wis too good" to
last very long. Tho maiden who lived on
roller skating naturally gave her most
sincere admiration to tho young man who
could cut tho most graceful figure ss8''
and skate backward with that agile and
weaving movement, while emilio Of con-
fdcncc lighted his intellectual features.
There sprung up throughout the coun-
try breed OF experts and professors
who exhibited their graces at tho Kinks and
led captive all tho feather Drained girls
Of tho community. These professors
were worshipcd as matinee favorites are
worshiped, except that the lady killing
actor Of the matinee Is admired at dis
tance, while the professors at the Kinks
met tho fascinated creatures, talked to
them and skatcd with them.
Any one who knows anything about the
social standing and the mental and moral
heft Of the representative ''fancy skater
VIII undotstand why parents forbade their
daughters to 60 to the rink.
II In any town there was q young man
who permitted his mother to do plain sew
Ing In order to support him, who know
enough about card tricks to win some
money at crooked poker now nnd then,
who loefed around saloons and did liz
steps, who posed as o Lothario before the
factory girls and who tried to be sporty
and eccentric in his dress, 1t seemed t.
follow that hc would inevitably DO the
best roller skater In town.
And II there was some frizzled girl In
town who fiirted with brakemen on the
passing trains and paradcd in front of no.
tells to cast 1anguishing glances ut travel.
ing men or had tried to clope with some
0-20-0nd- % actor or had been expelled
from school because she couldn't learn t.
odd and 3, It was safe to presume tina,
she would become tho "lady champion
and skate With such dashing execution al
would put oil society girls to the blush.
Thus, although roller skating was d.
vcrting amusement 1t resulted in toe
much brotherhood Of man-and woman
even for those smaller towns where tru>
democracy is supposed to prevail.
1t happened unfortunately that the niccsl
people and those with the cloonest private
records were not always the best rollei
skaters The professor became the msir
attraction to foolish and impressionabll
girls, and the ''lady champion" tried e
get ont Of hcr class The Kinks fell intt
disrepute, partly because people had over
done the craze and wsre tired Of Il, bu,
principally because tho Kinks became tn
resort for flashy and vulgar element.
II the Kinks are to be reopened, q u vel
to recall the circumstances under which
The former craze came to Q Sudden end