The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-09
Kinks are being selected and it Is ex-
pected that at least eight will be en-
tered from the local club
GREAT YEAR FOR SKATING.
River Ia in Hetter Shape Than I'm
E:any Years.

Owing to the almost total abserce CT
Stow this winter, the dev0teeS OF skat-
| ing have had an exceptionally fire op-
| portunitY to enjoy their favOrite pas
time. The half dozen or more Kinks af-
! ford the young people fine skating Ia
cilities, besides the river which is visit
/ ed by hundreds daily. The average
small boy thinks he has gotten the
worst of the deal because the lack OF
STOW has cheated him out OF "c0asting,"
and he would rather coast than skate
! any day. The prevailing conditions
! have been very acceptable to most Of
those who enjoy healthy outdoor SPORTS
in the winter time, and the Kinks
throughout the city have been well
patronized during the last month.
The skating Kinks OF the city are
| patrOnized by all classes. In the even
ing people who have been confined in
! an office all day are able to get out on
! the ice and enjoy an hour or so Of
healthful recreation. Polite society
! also goes skating. and sometimes en-
! masse too. Almost any night number
| of the smart set can be seen at a Ger
tain upper town rink, skating to the
mellow strains of band music which is
waited aloft on the winters air.
The last month the weather has been
almost perfect for skating, and the
weather clerk has made himself very
SOLID with the owners of Kinks and the
Skating fraternity in general for dish
ing out an exceptionally fine quality of
weather. The atmosphere has not been
! too cold, nor has 1t been too warm to
kS-ep the ice in good condition. The
| sunny January afternoons have re-
! tanned enough Of their chill to make the
sport inviSorating, while old Sol has
! done his best to look pleasant upon the
young man and his best girl who glide
| over the mirror-lilla sheet. with bird
like swiftness. The sport has not been
confined to patronage by the young
people alone, for if a careful survey is
taken of enc OF the Kinks about o'clock
some night it will be seen that many OF
the skaters are men who hadn't
skated before for twenty years" and
who do very we'll considering that the
education which they received twenty
years before" on "tha school house
pond had been so badly unused during
all that time. Quite frequently too,
ladies viii be seen at the Kinks who
haven't skated since they were in their
teens and they, too, seem to enjoy the
recreation quite as much as their hus-
bands
Not only do the old folks go for a.
skate occasionally, but the small boy,
Tor want of his favorite sport, tries his
hand at it. He is not content to glide
around IKE the rest of the people on
the rink but he has to resurrect his
'shinney'' stick from the coal bin.
ana he doesn't do a thing to the other
skaters on the rink He keeps them in
a constant terror of having their ankles
sWlpsd' with the stick, and the small
BOY doesn't care. He is having a good
time or, at Least, he thinks he is. How
ever, hot game of ''shinney" between
couple of crack, even though youthful,
teams, is rather exciting affair. often
being as fatal as football.
The Mississippi river is entirely
frozen over, and from above the high
brldge down to the Broadway piers is
Whlch is dotted every day with
hundredS Of skaters. Probably the
best Part of the river for skating is
mat in the vicinity of the high bridge:
1t Is there that the greatest number of
people congregate, and some of the
more more Vehturesome skate all the way
down TO the flats. There is little dan
ger on the river as it is a little early
lor ar holes. and the river. near places
Where The city drainage empties into it
Is still open. It has been MANY wears
since the river has afforded as fine
skating facilities as this year. as the
ehtlre river is clear crystal sheet with
the exception of a few broken places
where the ice has piled up
AT Lake Como skating has also been
exceptionally good. 1t is proba bIy the
most popular skating resort in the citv
as there is no danger of accident, and
Ine popularity of the lake during the
summer months had done much to
popularize it as a skating resort, TIE
street car company has put on special
service and on Sunday additional at
fractions have been offered both of
which have been largely responsible for
the crowds Of people which thronged
the lake every Sunday.
me virginia avenue rink. the Boston.
the Broadway rink have all done an
exceptionally large business this sea-