The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-02
BUTTE News.
new YEARS DAY OF 1884
When Roller Skating Was the
Rage In Butte.
HAD JOLLY GOOD TIMES
The Evil Results OF the Sport We're
Much Exaggerated-The Fad Has
Passed Away and Seems to
Be Dead for Good.

A party of a dozen young men sat in
the Butte hotel lobby yesterday talking
of days gone by and about what they
used to do in Butte on New Years days
when they were real young. One in a
more reminiscent mood than the others
led off with recital of local historical
facts, and his manner of telling about
things seemed to interest the young
men of the party who did not live in
Butte Is or IS years ago.
why" said he after a round of
cigars were touched off, 1--WE didn't use
to sit around like this in Butte Is years
ago. Then we enjoyed ourselves on
holidays. Now we don't even get
around to dinner on time. But then
there was but one routine, however,
and we used to make the most of it.
ut was skate on the roller rink in
the morning, in the afternoon and late
into the night; skate, skate, skate, all
the time. The old and the young alike
Skated and never tired of it. 1t was a
craze, but I'll tell you we all enjoyed
life.
Towards the end of the roller skat-
ing era in Butte some ugly stories got
abroad, and l guess some of them were
true. But whatever trouble it is
claimed that the skates caused might
have come to the surface sooner or
later anyway, and l for one do not
lay all the divorces to the doors of the
Kinks When you come to think of it.
there have been divorces in Butte since
the days of skating Kinks.
'Well do remember New Years day
of 1884. Roller skating was then in it's
zenith of fascination. A crowd of us
Irif tnI infn No 1,nc ant ,f ,c1,
hall, which was, by the way, the first
roller rink in Butte. Il don't remem-
Der the names of all of our gang but
there were Henry Hutchinson, Billy
Haynes, Jimmy Reynolds, Al Taylor,
Herman Hauswirths, Jim Orion and
several others. The floor was covered
with the iolliest throng you ever saw.
But, like a street car, there was room
for others. and we crowded in and
sailed round and round and really en-
joyed it. 80.
'That rink proved to be too small, so
A. M. Walker built a large rink in West
Granite street, the building now occu-
pied by Langlois' livery stable. and
for a season there was hot rivalry be-
tween the two Kinks. Later J. H.
Thomas built the largest rink in the
Northwest in West Park street. 1t is
now divided into store rooms The floor
was manle, two by one, set on edge,
=
of the large room was a beautiful foun
tain, and at the north end was a band
stand. There was music day and night,
and / have seen 300 skaters whirling
around in that great room. The gal
leries were always crowded with spec
tators. Many of the young men and
women became experts and often we
used ITO dance the lancers on rollers.
The masquerades were the features of
the season. and big events they WERE
indeed.
'In those days there was rivalry be-
tween the Thomas and Granite street
Kinks, the latter finally putting in an
asphalt floor. These Kinks developed
couple of the best cornet bands in the
state as well as the finest, most grace
full skaters in the world, and that's no
exaggeraton. Butte. sure enough, did
have some very excellent skaters,
among the ladies as well as the men.
THE day of get enough came.
though, and after :. few years, the fad
died out and it positively refused to
be revived. They have tried it in Ana
conda and Butte, but roller skating is
dead-and I'm sorry
LAS I said, we used to enjoy our
selves, but nothing has come along to
take the place of the rollers in the line
of amusement 1t was healthful en-
joyment. The skates drove away rheu-
matte pains and ennui. 1t killed govt
and developed hard muscles. 1t made
weak boys and girls strong and
healthy. It threw the young men and
women into each others company and
seemed to strengthen the ties of friend
ship. Some say that the fad was over
done and operated to throw young girls
into the society of men not of good
moral standing; but say if the women
wanted to associate with the undesir-
able class they would have found a.
way, even If skating Kinks had been
unheard Of"
The other young men wondered why
the ice didn't take the place of the
roller Kinks. but the question, it was
admitted, was to, an extent unanswer-