The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-03
THEY TRIED TO SKATE.
Frank West and Aus Hartley Take "a spin
ON the Ice.

| ON the Ice.
Missoula. Feb. Frank West and
! Aus Hartley We're affected by the warm
4 sunshine to-day to the extent that they
! became coltsh and decided that they
/ would go skating. Franks weight pre-
! Guided trip to the river, for he would
! certainly have gone through the ice
| into the chilly current So the two
decided that the Woolworth rink across
i the river was the proper place for them
| The ice there is on solid ground and the
worst that can happen to a man is 10
fall down. When they came to get
ready to go over the bridge Mr.. West
could not find his skates Harry
! CLANCY hunted all around the hotel,
however. and In one corner of n store
room found "A pair that had belonged
! to Winslow Stetson, when that gentle
| man was younger than he is now. This
pair was brought up to daylight and
Mr.. West spent an hour polishing them
up ana getting them just right for his
excursion. When all was ready the
two fortified themselves and started for
the rink. Then the fun began. The
| walk across the bridge was delightful
| The bright sky, clear air the heauti-
/ fui landscape that spread out before
the pair, all made them happy and
| filled them with pleasant anticipation
of the sport that was ahead of them.
When they reached the rink they
were little disappointed to find that
while there was no water under the
ice. the sun had placed a few lines of
fluid on top of the slippery surface
That made II bad. The inspiration Of
the weather. however. was so great
that they concluded to go ahead water
or no water. Aus is II conservative
cuss and he busted himself with put
ting on his skates till he should see
how his partner succeeded. Frank
fastened the runners To his feet got up
n g Ia Ia
conditions of things He found them
quite to his liking and struck out
Now, IL is long time since Frank had
skates-of that kind-on. He had for
gotten how the machines worked and
they Slipped along a little easier than
he had anticipated with the result that
his feet travelled much more rapidly
than his portly form. When this con-
dition prevails, the result is inevitable
and 1T was the inevitable that hap
pened. Frank sat down with more
force than grace and the water on the
ice spattered all around. He got wet
of course, but he thought that he could
get no wetter and that he might as
well have all the sport that there was
in sight.
He got up and glided over To where
his friend was laughing at his misfof-
tune. but be objected to being laughed
at. He insisted that Aus should take his
turn at amusing the crowd. He forced
him to his feet and then watched as he
sped away. Aus has skated a good deal
in his life and he is not such an old
man as his friend so he got along we'll
till boy playing shiny ran against
his legs. Then he repeated the per-
Torrance that West had gone through
with so successfully. Re was wet toe.
1t was a pair of VETS They consoled
each other and started out to skate
again. They had better luck that time
"A . Is..a, 4.
against a shiny block and fell down.
taking his comrade with him They
fortunately found u soft place in the
ice TO fall upon and there was no bones
broken. They We're wetter. however,
and Frank had fractured his trousers
To the extent that further skating was
out of the question. They went home
then. They are lame tonight and will
go fishing the next time they want
some fun.