The sun., 1909-02-21
ALL BOYS HAVE SKATES NOW
But ONCE UPON 4 TIME 4 HOLE
IN A SHOE HEEL COUNTED. ~
And q Fellow Had to SIT Around Pond
All Day to Get Chance 10 BoFrew
skates From . Luckier Friend-Lhe
Fader for Young People Than II Nss-

skates From q Luckier Friend-Ltfe
Fader for Young People Than II ass-
'Tve been noticing observed KS
Fattipose, that all OF the young folks
hiking OF here and there on the red ball
days Of this era have get club slxstes.t,
Do they sHll call 'em that-club skatese
don't know whether they do or not but
that's what we used to call them when
was a shaver. 40
AT that time club skates were jut r
coming in, the kind that we're locked on
with a key; but club skates were way
out Of reach Of us kids They were, We
used to think, only for billonaires- The
human being who at that time possessed
a pair OF really and truly club skates wss
the candy plus s"e
.Now, as say. all OF the young folks
appear to have club skates. Well. Tn,
glad they've got EN- Like to sec
the youngsters have everything they
want; but l sure do marvel sometimes
over how much softer the game is nowa-
days for young people in every Imaginable
respect than IL used to be when l was n
young follow myself.
"For the matter Of that. getting right
uO"ll W WiiOu "uS y'uh6cN0A
the boy that owned a pair of skates at
all was going some. Not one boy owned
a pair of skates-not by a blamed sight,
/ should say that only about one boy u
out Of ten had pair OF skates all forhi e
own; and how that one boy out Of ten
was envied by the boys who didn't own
skates and how he was followed around
on the ice and begged by the skateless
boys to be allowed 70 try 'em!
"Iwonder what the boy Of to-day would
say about a skate that he had TO fasten 20
his shoe heel by screw. the screw hols
being bored into the heel by means Of a.
gimlet? That's the kind we used to have -
nd besides the screw in the heel the skate
was strapped on fore and aft and II was
supposed to stick on that way: but 1t
didn't always stick, or anything like
always. in spite of the gmleted heel
screw and the strap; and il was common
thing to see the skaters Of those days for
ping around on one skate, with the other
dragging along loose. -LF
When the ice began 10 form. in my
day. every boy used to bore holes in the
heels Of his shoes with a rimlet, even il hs
didn't own pair OF skates and had no
prospect whatever of ever getting hold
Of a pair of skates of his own. His idea
! in boring the holes was that II he didn't
have the skates why, he had the holes
in his heels anyhow, and there was al
ways chance, you seeTboys way OF b
and that when the mist of the miracle,
cleared away he might see pair Of skates
Of his size lying az his feet.
Moreover, the holes in the heels OF the
skateless boy were useful by way Of a hint Z
10 the old folks that a pair Of skates d
come in pretty handy. A bov sitting in y
chair could poke his feet straight out and
show his pierced heels to his dad or to his
mother and then look sort OF expectant.
and IL they didn't take any notice, why:
he could say I've got the holes all boned,-
in nv heels paw, or something like that,
and there was always a chance-usually
remote, but still 2 chance-that the parent
thus sought to be wheedled might take
the hint and come across with pair OF.
heel screw skates -r
Then again a skateless boy with the
holes in his heels could stand around on
the ice and look at the skaters and think
TO himself what dickens OF time he'd
have cutting figure Of eight knots and
spreadea giles and things on the ice n
only he had pair OF skates There was
always n sort Of vcarious or proxy satis- ~
faction in that-for boys. son, live pretty
largely in their little world Of dreams as
mavbe you remember.
"Yes, and the holes in the heels Of the
skates we're always ready in case feiler
who dlQnt nave any skduts ol lhb own
could prevail upon "a boy who did own o
pair to take 'em of, at the end OF a long
skating dav and permit him-the boy
owning nothing but the heel holes-to put
the skates on for while: -.
"Sav. honest, | often hung around the
ice for the whole livelong day, shivering
and never taking my eyes of a boy with
q pair of skates who'd promised me to !.
let me put 'em on for d little spell after
he'd got tired skating himself
We'll that boy who'd thus promised me
wouldn't tire. Even if he. did become
somewhat wnded, would he take the
skates off and let me utilize those holes
in my heels by putting on his skates for
a minute or two? Not by jugful!
Instead of that he'd sit down on the
bank Of the crick or the pond until he
got his breath back again, and then he'd
get up and skate some more.
Maybe at the very end Of long, long
winters day just when II was beginning
to grow dark, he'd reluctantly take. the
skates off and let me put 'em on for about
two and quarter minutes, but then no
wouldn't give me any peace at all, but
would keep holerng at me to come and
take 'em of and let him have his skates
because he had TO go home and chop the
kindling OF something. --
so after about two and quarter
minutes Of ecstasy. as ] say, for which
I'd waited many, many hours, I'd have
to quit and take off the skates and give
them to their owner.
why. say, once i waited on the pond
from ) in the morning until in the after
noon for a boy TO let me put on his pair
of skates for a little while after he got
through skating himself. Finally, at s
o clock. when II was rapidly becoming
dark, he came of the pond and let me
put 'em on. .
IL was Just about to strike out for a
little skate for myself when the town
constable ordered everybody of the ice
He said the ice was getting dangerous
and that nobody'd be allowed TO skate any
more till it froze harder Man, ma-an.
I've had many a keen clip on the jaw. 30
to speak, since that time. but ! sure never
had more bitter disappointment
Simple fact is, though. that ] never
owned pair Of skates at all when was
a boy; but | sure, did always have
burned hne set of hoie5 iii the heels OF
my shoes, all ready in case the skates
should drift along sort o. .
N A EtTIg