The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-23
SKATERS.
They Were Out in
Full Force.
AFEW SUGGESTIONS
For the Man Who Wants
to Skate but Cannot.

Now is the winter of our discomfort
made glorious by the ice on all the
ponds and also on Lake Quinsigamond.
And the warm weather hasn't hurt
the skating a bit, either. The little
thaws during the day only tend to
make the ice smoother when it be-
comes colder and freezes again after
dark. Institute pond and the pond in
Elm park were black with happy skat-
ers yesterday, though at times some of
the skaters seemed to be anything but
happy.
It's pity that ice persists in being
hard as well as slippery. 1t would get
along just as well if it didn't take so
much to itself and usurp the properties
of both a banana peel and a grano-
lithic sidewalk. Why can't somebody
invent soft ice that don't hurt when
you fall because your skates are loose
or somebody runs into you. There are
no other reasons for falling, of course.
Did you ever try to analyze the ex-
preston on the face of a beginner in
the art of gliding over the frozen sur
face of somebody's duck pond? That
expression is made up of agony and
SuperconsciouS uncertainty. 1t is
something of the same thing you see
on the face of fellow when he is
trying to two-step to a waltz tune
and don't know what Is the matter. II
would arouse sympathy in the heart
of the mummy of Rameses III.
Those who enjoy skating most and
who make the most out of it are the
school children. Skating is a gop6
inc Oh,
them, among other things, an enor.
nous amount of practical geometry
and they receive telling Illustrations Of
the force of gravity and the uncer-
tainty of human affairs. The body il
falling, describes a perfect parabola
and the impact with the ice shows by
the cracks in it's surface the universe
action of force applied at center.
also has tendency to increase one:
vocabulary, and as aid to thought can
not be surpassed. When you are not
able to say anything because you
tongue is between your teeth anC
won't come out, you naturally have tc
think those things you would like tt
say.
Graceful skating is more than sim
pie trade, it is an art that takes an
artists nature to perform with any
degree of eclat. You shouldn't glide in
the manner of a steam roller, nor is il
well to adopt the methods used by
even the most refined Of ghosts. To be
graceful on the ice YOU must be pos
sessed of a large degree of swayine
powers. Take for example a field Of
wheat in gentle breeze and sway
that way. The only difficulty about
using wheat as a model is that Mas
sachusetts wheat is not In the habit o.
growing in IA vxri1o nd Nyn1 po1 NJ
always remember from one year to an
other, And always carry some kind O.
a stick When you are simply skating
to show off, hold the stick firmly il
both hands at the extreme ends eithel
in front of you or placed behind you
back. 1t is better for the ice if yol
carry it in front, because you can droI
it when-when you decide to sit dowr
and think over the expansion question
and the ice is not in so much danger o.
being cracked.
Don't attempt to teach any one tt
skate unless you really mean business
It's hard work sometimes, and you
pupil is sure to blame you for whatever
accident that may happen. Especially
if she is a girl she is going to ask yor
why the ice is so slippery, and why
you didn't hold her tighter when she
knows the ice can't help itself and you
know that you can't get the circulation
back into your hand for the next hall
hour.
Worcester had its full quota of begin.
ners on all the local ponds yesterday
and it was by watching their efforts
that the foregoing ''side-talk" on skat.
ing was suggested. Worcester has hac
ice and skating for years, but somehow
everybody does not know how to skate
even at the end Of century number
nineteen.