The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-01-10
SKATING ON THE PONDS.
The E1eaIth-g giving Exercise is En-
icyed by Hundreds.

Jcyed by Hundreds.
With buckled toe and with buckled
| heel,
They speed along on glistening steel,
And the twang Of the blade on the ice
covered stream
Awakens the fish from its wintry
dream.
But the fat men collide and land on
their backs
And the ice on Speedwell makes
funny cracks =
Skating for the past month on the
lakes and ponds in this vicinity has
been excellent. Speedwell Lake fur
nishes the largest sheet of ice avail
able for this best of all winter sports,
although the Field Club rink and
Mills pond are always crowded
Since the middle Of December,
Speedwell has been covered with a
layer of hard smooth ice and until
the storm of Wednesday was enjoyed
by hundreds.
Scores Of pretty girls, with cheeks
aglow, glide hither and thither with
graceful sweryes, sometimes alone,
but oftener hand in hand with skaters
of the sterner sex. Among the fancy
skaters who twist themselves into
knots that would put the average con-
tortionist to shame are 81. O. Pitney.
Jr., Harry Cory, George Babbit and
William Vernon; in fact, all are we'll
up in the art and Mr. Vernon is oc-
casionally "up in the air."
OF the young ladies who frequent
the lake the Misses Alice and Helen
Young are without doubt the two
most graceful skaters seen on the ice
|fthis season. Others who are clever
on the steel runners are the Misses
Ennis, Ada Sherman, Grace Carrell,
Nellie Pantaenius. Louise Mulford,
Eda Vreeland. Frances Bockoven, Ida
Homan, and Lenora Bowman.
Every afternoon hockey game be-
tween scrub" teams is played. with
fifty or more players on side. The
game as played ON this lake is far
worse than a football scrimmage.
Lungs are knocked breathless,
shins are smitten resoundingly, clubs
and heads come together with crash
and hard falls are occurrences of every
minute.
The best skating within a few
minutes walk of the park is to be
found on the Field Club rink, which
was built five years ago by popu-
lar subscription among the mem
bers; the amount required was con-
tributed in few days by those who
were eager to have an opportunity Of
enjoying the healthful exercise.
By the construction Of dam two
hundred feet long, over three acres
of ground have been flooded, all of
which is now covered with frosty
surface. The chilly atmosphere has
no terror for the skaters and daily the
banks are covered with people who
have never learned the art, but who
envy the others as they view the sport
they obtain.
The club boasts of many members
who are experts on the welded steel.
Among whom are Miss Howell, Miss
Kip, Miss March, Miss Cutler, the
misses Swords, the Misses Raymond,
the Misses Hurlbut, and the Misses
Voorhees,. AS, an all-around skater
W. d. Vanderpool is without doubt
the best in town, possessing great
speed and also cutting the most diff
cult figures with the greatest ease.
The first ice-pond which was con,
demned by the Board of Health last
year furnishes skating for hundreds
of school children, and is oft times
crowded with the older ones.
Rev. w. H. q. Lyllburn's pond on
the Columbia road, better known as
the "OImstead Pond, . which in for
mer years was SO popular among the
Morristown skaters is now private,
admittance being only granted by
ticket.