Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-05-18
Roller Skating Craze Taking a
New Hold on the People
of Chicago.
HITS BOTH YOUNG AND OLD
Effectuai Check to Truancy in Schools
and Gives Incentive to Hurry
up Studies.

spring millinery ana May SnOWStOrnlS |
Within the last two months it has !
swept the length and breadth of the !
city. 1t knows no bias, is no reSpecter |
of persons or locality, for it is as prev !
aent in the Ghetto as along Grand !
boulevard or Prairie avenue-in fact, !
more so. for it long has been noted
that the stork is partial to the Ghetto
and the Italian districts. The new fad
is roller skating, says the Chicago
Tribune
The report from the records on at
tendance and punctuality compiled by
clerks Of the school board that nee
the roller skating season reached full
sway tardiness in the public schools
has decreased 80 per cent has aroused
interest. Upon investigation it was
found that the terror striking prestige
of the tardy gong in the schoolhOuSe is
doomed at least temporarily by the
roller skating fad
Unconsciously ChicagOs army of
school children. 10000 strong, has
been solving its traction problem. 1t
has erased from the blackboardS all
public school records for punctuality.
1t has made going to school a JOY to
such an extent that the child who used
to be pitied because he had TO walk Il
mile to school or run the risk of catch
ing a street car now is the object of
envy of his sChoolmates. The farther
he lives from school the longer the
skate.
1t is acknowledged that the roller
skating fad is reaching beyond the
school children and that the grownups
as well are becoming inoculated.
"Out in Oak Park it is a standing
Joke that after the children go to bed
their mothers and big sisters-who are
noted for their tiny feet-sneak out the
roller skates and try them on the back
sidewalks under the shelter Of dark
ness" said John Farson recently. Mr..
Farson is looked upon as the patriarch
OF the new fad in Oak Park.
"Oak Park intends to maintain its
lead by building the first society skat
ing rink. Then the society women will
not have to skate Ou!y in their own
| back yards" 'r
But like all popular diversions. that
| of roller skating has FITS veXing prob
| lens. 1t has been observed by teach
ers that the children often fall asleep
] at school. They skate to school in the
| morning. They skate home for lunch
| at noon and back to school again. The
| result. So some teachers claim, is drow-
| ia hA eohAnls
of Pittsburg recently complained that
roller skating, had spread an epidemic
| of that tired feeling" among the chill
| dren. SO that they neglected their
| studies and mapped when they should
be studying. -
Say Children Ar. Stronger.
Members OF the Chicago school board
who have pinned their faith on roller
skating maintain that Chicago chill
dren are stronger physically than those
of Pittsburg. They credit any evil
dence of the "tired feeling to the an
nual advent OF Spring fever"
DR.. james r. Chvatal, member OF the
school board, believes in roller skating.
Il am heartily in favor of it." he
said. "Of course l suppose it will not
be long before my colleagues on the
board come out for public ownership
of roller skates. Roller skates make
the school children as independent as
automobile owners"
DR.. Wladyslaw a. Kuflewski of the
school board does not attribute the
tired feeling 10 too much roller skat-
| ing. He said lack of proper nouriSh-
ment and nervous strain of city life
were two causes of fatigue.
AS to the tired feeling feature, John
Farson went one better than the mem
bers Of the board of education.
I'm bet it isn't the children who are
sleepy. It's the teachers" said Mr..
Farson. Anyhow that's what's the
trouble out in Oak Park-not only with
the teachers, but the school board too.
They ought to adopt the children's
amusement of roller skating as u
means of getting w"ked up"
The latest in the roller skating fad Is
to go shopping on skates. On recent
Saturday afternoon Il couple of fifteen
year-old girls were seen i'll State street
buZzing along on roller skates, theiI
arms full of department store bargains
The shopping feature is common Oh
the south side. along most of the cross
streets. SO DESTROYS are the children
to go somewhere" on their roller
skates that the delivery work of the