[to be continued.]
[ON ROLLERS.]
BY CHARLES LEDYARD NORTON.
For a number of years it has been more or less generally known that there were such things as roller skates. New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and other large towns, have had their rinks, while here and there some enterprising boy with skates has made his appearance on the public streets. As a really popular amusement, however, roller-skating was unknown, and the rattle of wooden wheels was an unfamiliar sound on city sidewalks.
How it all came about is one of those queer things that nobody can exactly explain. Some time during the past winter New York suddenly woke up to the fact that her streets were alive with skaters. As the morning drew on toward nine o'clock, boys and girls might be seen, with their satchels on their arms, skating to school, and the concrete walks in the parks were fairly alive with them when school hours were over in the afternoon.
The policemen knew long ago what was their duty in the case of bicycles, and they looked with great suspicion upon this new species of vehicle; but as no orders were issued from head-quarters, nothing was done about it, and now boys, who never willingly come within half a square of a policeman when on foot, skate defiantly past under his very nose, and are not cuffed over the head, even if they deserve it.
The other day the writer saw a little tot, with an absurdly small pair of skates on her tiny feet, all alone in one of the parks. So little was she that quite a crowd of the passers-by stopped to look, half fearful that she might fall and hurt herself. So little, that it is doubtful if she fairly knew how to walk, and yet she managed to scuffle along the concrete, evidently thinking it great fun, and neither falling down nor running over any one of the numerous pedestrians.
A POPULAR AMUSEMENT.—Drawn by T. de Thulstrup.
To those who have visited the great rinks this street skating seems a rather awkward performance. The fact is, the notion of ice-skating has so firm a hold on the feet and legs of American youth that, unless they are told otherwise, they try to "strike out" as their fathers and grandfathers did before them, and consequently they lose half the fun of roller-skating, and make it awkward and laborious, whereas it ought to be one of the most graceful and easy of movements.
The skilled roller skater moves by swaying the body rather than by pushing with the foot and leg. A kind of sliding step is taken, the weight being thrown somewhat forward, the step is repeated with the other foot, and so with sliding steps, one after another, the body swaying gently from side to side, as the weight is thrown on one or the other foot, the skater moves easily forward. The moment striking out begins, all ease and grace vanish, and the skater presents the appearance of a windmill in active motion as to arms, and is, to say the least, ungainly as to the rest of the person.
The writer does not wish to be understood as saying that roller skates can be made to go up hill without rather more striking out than is needed on the floor of a rink or on a level sidewalk; but depend upon it, the swaying motion is the thing to be aimed at by every one who desires to become a good skater; and if skating is worth learning at all, it is worth learning well.
There are various patterns of skates; those most generally used having four wheels, two at the toe and two at the heel. The best are fitted in such a way that the irons to which the rollers are attached can move a little from side to side. These are considerably more expensive than those with firm roller fixtures. The cheaper sort, however, are the most popular, and answer every purpose of ordinary work.
Our artist has shown the interior of one of the large rinks in this city, where, on a fine afternoon or evening, the scene is indeed charming and full of interest, even to those who do not skate. The gently swaying, swiftly gliding forms of ladies and gentlemen, of girls and boys, moving gracefully round and round the large floor, arrange figures for dancing, and, barring the accidents that happen to awkward beginners, all goes on as easily and smoothly as clock-work. The professional attendants are ready to assist and instruct learners; there is generally a band of music on hand, and everything is done to make the rinks safe and pleasant resorts for all.
Nevertheless, the sidewalks are the great popular rinks. On Murray Hill and along the fashionable streets, little Miss Millionaire may be seen practicing on her rollers, attended by her French maid, and the pavements of the lower wards are not unacquainted with the rattle of rollers. A dozen newsboys or boot-blacks may "chip in" and invest in a pair of skates, to be enjoyed by each in turn, or by two of them at once, each having the jolliest kind of a time with one skate apiece, and one of the city parks for a rink.
At last city boys and girls have an out-of-door sport in which they have the best of their country cousins. The country is far ahead of the town for the enjoyment of life in general, but when roller skates are in order, some kind of a floor or pavement is necessary, and the skate has yet to be invented that can be used comfortably on country walks.
All exchanges, puzzles, and other communications for the Post-office Box should be addressed to the Editor of Harper's Young People, Harper & Brothers, Franklin Square, New York City, N. Y. Puzzles must always be accompanied by complete answers, and by the full name and address of the sender. They must be free from slang and from obsolete words.
Exchanges are printed in the Post-office Box free of charge.
The addresses of exchanges should be written very clearly, in order to avoid the possibility of mistakes. The name of the county, as well as that of the town and State, should be given, as in some instances the names of towns are repeated in different sections of the same State.
The exchange itself should be very clearly expressed, so as to leave no doubt of the writer's intention. The article to be exchanged should be mentioned first, in all cases. Thus, if you have minerals, and wish to obtain postage stamps for them, you should write, "Minerals, for stamps." This is the way the editor understands the offers; but in some cases it has proved that the youthful exchanger means just the opposite, and wishes to obtain minerals instead of giving them. Now remember this: the article you possess is to be named first, and your offer must be clearly expressed. Read it over carefully before sending it, to be sure that no little words are omitted so as to change the meaning of the sentence.
No offers to buy or sell curiosities or other articles will be published in the Post-office Box or Exchange Department. Such offers can only be received as regular advertisements.
We would also request our young friends to be considerate, and not send repeated requests for exchange. If the space given to the Post-office Box was elastic, we could make room for them all, but as it is limited, we must give the preference to those whose names and addresses have not already appeared.
A large number of boys, after a few weeks of exchange, find their stock of stamps, minerals, or other curiosities, exhausted, but they continue to receive packages from different localities. Now if any one has nothing to return, and no reasonable expectation of getting anything, he should faithfully send back to the owner everything for which he can give no equivalent. This should be done in every case, whether the articles be stamps, postmarks, minerals, or any other curiosities. In this way, although the correspondent may be disappointed, the exchanger will maintain a character for honesty and fair-dealing, and will be remembered with pleasure.
All exchanges which the editor considers unfair or unwise will be omitted.
The editor regrets that, owing to the great increase in the number of letters received, it will be impossible hereafter to acknowledge those favors which are not printed. We trust our little correspondents whose letters are omitted will not be disappointed at not seeing their names in print, but that they will persevere in writing. Their turn will be almost sure to come in time, and they will be better pleased to see their letter in full than to find their names merely in a long list.
Brooklyn, New York.
Last Saturday afternoon papa took mamma and my little sister Millie and myself to Coney Island. A good many children will think it is a funny time of the year to go to a beach, and we thought so too; but we wanted to see the wreck which had been washed ashore there, so I teased papa until he said he would go.
When we got there it did not seem a bit like winter. The snow was all gone, and the sun was shining as bright as summer, only it looked funny to see only a few people walking up and down in the places where we had seen such crowds.
We walked along on the sand, looking at the blue, quiet sea, and we could hardly believe that only a little while ago the water had been full of struggling, drowning men, and the great waves rushing ashore and tearing everything to pieces. It was an Italian vessel that was wrecked. She came all the way across the ocean, and just as she was within sight of New York she struck on a big sand bar about two miles from Coney Island beach. The night was very dark and stormy, and the big waves tore the ship all to pieces. The captain and all the sailors but one were drowned; that one clung to a piece of the wreck, and the tide carried him toward Coney Island. The people who were watching at the life-saving station there saw him away off in the water, and they got the life-boat into the surf, and rowed out, and brought him safe on shore. I guess the poor man was glad when he found himself on land among kind people.
The piece of wreck to which he clung was washed up on the beach afterward. It is a piece of the deck, with a broken mast sticking in it. I climbed all over it, and put my arms round the mast right where the poor sailor had clung, but mamma said I could not tell anything about how it would seem to be clinging that way all alone on the dark, stormy sea, expecting every minute to be washed off and drowned.
After we had seen the wreck, we walked along to see all the mischief the ocean had done in the winter. The nice plank walks in front of some of the big hotels, where Millie and I used to run races last summer, are nothing but a heap of broken boards and big logs. We saw lots of big barrels mixed up with the broken stuff, and papa said they were a part of the freight of the wrecked ship, which the waves had washed on shore.
It does not look now as if we could have any fun at Coney Island next summer unless we stay right on the sand, but papa says they will build everything up again before warm weather.
Herbert D. N.
Slate Mills, Virginia.
A long time ago I wrote a letter for Young People, but was afraid it would be dropped into the waste-basket, and did not send it. Since that time I have read so many letters from boys and girls that I thought you might put mine in your good little paper. I think it is so nice to have a paper where we young folks can talk to each other. I am thirteen years old, and live among the mountains of Virginia. We have a grand view of the Blue Ridge from our house, and a small stream flows at the foot of the cliffs near us. We boys have splendid times in the summer, fishing and swimming, and we have had good skating this cold winter. I have caught a great many rabbits, and sometimes a 'possum gets into the trap. One of the colored boys caught about twenty-five musk-rats last summer and fall. We sell the skins to the country store, and generally get powder, shot, and fish-hooks in exchange.
The big snow that we have had this winter has been very destructive to the game. It has been very hard on the partridges, for it gives the hawks such a good chance to pick them up, as they can see the birds so far on the snow. I have seen some rabbits that were shot lately, and they were very poor and lean. I expect many of them starved to death. The deep snow was so unusual in this part of the country that we got tired looking at the white fields. But we had some good sleigh-rides, and lots of fun coasting. The snow was so heavy on the trees and bushes, and especially on the pines and other evergreens, that it bowed them over so that they had a very singular appearance, particularly in the moonlight, and one could imagine the shapes of animals, people, etc.
I must tell you old Uncle Joe's experience. He is an old colored man that we all think a great deal of. He is very small, not bigger than I am, and is very superstitious, and imagines he can see all sorts of things at night, especially when he has been listening to ghost stories at the store.
Uncle Joe started home rather late one night, and I expect the stories had been more weird than usual. While passing through a lonely glen, just as the moon came up over the tree-tops, the old man began to see sights. No doubt the bushes, trees, and rocks had a queer look, and all kinds of queer things put in an appearance. If all the curiosities he thinks he saw could have been got together, Joe would have had quite a respectable menagerie. Uncle Joe insists upon it that he saw them all, and at first sight would have turned back, but he had gone so far into the show that when he turned around "it looked wus behind than it did befo," so he kept right on, and "he don't know how he ebber got home." He said "he could hardly keep his hat on, his har ris up so," notwithstanding he had two cotton handkerchiefs, a pair of socks, and some other things, in his hat.
We all laughed heartily at the poor old man, and asked him if any of the ghosts spoke to him or molested him in any way. "Now, honey," he would say, "you can jest have your jokes wid de old niggah, but sure as you're born, dem was sure enough ghostzes wot I seed—ghostzes of people, ghostzes of animals, and varmints, and elephants, and all sich."
The next night quite a lot of us went to the glen to see if the show was still on exhibition, or, like other affairs of the kind, had flitted in the night. But sure enough we could make out some resemblance to various animals, but not quite so plain as Uncle Joe made them out. Papa went with us, and he made a sketch of the old man travelling through the dark hollow.
Ernest C. P.
Brooklyn, New York.
Dear Mr. Harper,—I'm in an awful fix. I don't believe Jimmy Brown felt any worse or any more discouraged with life after his father laid him across that old chair than I do now.
I hear grown-up people talk about writing to the papers when things go wrong, so I'm going to try it, though that's the way I got into trouble.
First of all, we children had scarlet fever. It didn't hurt much; but mamma kept us shut up in two rooms for five weeks, and of course we had to do something.
After fixing my stamp-book all up, I had about twenty duplicates, so I wrote to Young People requesting exchanges. A day or two after, I was greatly delighted when a dozen letters were handed me, all containing stamps. I went over them, selected what I wanted, and returned the rest, with those asked for. In about four days all my duplicates were gone; still the letters and stamps kept coming from far and near. Hardly anybody sent anything I wanted, so I had to send dozens upon dozens of replies, containing stamps.
Now my income is just twenty-five cents a week; and when it came to paying postage on from five to ten letters a day, at three cents each, I couldn't find any rule in my arithmetic to make it come out right.
Now that I am going to school, and haven't much time to write, there has a fresh lot started in from Omaha, San Francisco, Denver, and a lot more of those places with uncivilized names.
I'm an awful slow writer—the perspiration just rolls off me doing this—and it will take me a month to answer them all, as I have only Saturday; and papa shakes his head, and says things will be twice as bad when the mails begin to arrive from Europe, Asia, and Africa, not to mention all the islands of the Pacific and Indian oceans; and mamma sighs, and says if I keep the stamps so long, people will think I am dishonest, and when I am nominated for President of the United States, all these things will be brought against me.
Now I want to say, Mr. Harper, that I think all this is a good deal your fault. If you hadn't sent your paper all over creation, I'd never have had all this trouble, and I wish you'd please stop printing so many copies, for with no Saturdays and no pocket-money, a boy might 'most as well be dead; and if the Hottentots and all the rest begin sending stamps, I shall be ready to go with Jimmy Brown and his dog and monkey.
Sorrowfully yours,
Percy L. McDermott.
New York City.
I contribute to the Young Chemists' Club a very pretty experiment, called the Alaska Landscape: Dissolve one pound of nitrate of lead in one gallon of water; filter; then drop in four ounces of muriate of ammonia. Stand it in a place where it will not be disturbed, as it can not be moved without injury.
C. R.
Malden, Massachusetts.
My brother takes Young People, and I think it is the best paper I ever read.
I wish the Young Chemists' Club would send a recipe of their ink. This is a specimen of mine, but I have had very poor success. It is very pale, and does not flow well from the pen.
Frank M. P.
Seneca Falls, New York.
I am a little girl eight years old, but I am not strong enough to run about as much as other children, so I pass many hours with my Young People. I have been busy the whole morning making a puzzle to send, and I think it is quite as much fun as guessing those sent by the other children. I had to use my geography, and the big dictionary with pictures in it, and I learned how to spell some new words. I have never been well enough to go to school, but mamma says I learned as much making the puzzle as I should if I had spent the morning in a school-room.
Edith M. W.
West Washington, D. C.
I wish to tell the Post-office Box about my little sister. She is not quite two years old. The other day she asked mamma for some cake. Mamma told her it was all gone; but on looking in the closet she found some small pieces, which the little rogue ate, and pulling mamma's dress, said, "I want some more all gone cake."
She is always applying quotations from little verses and songs, of which she can sing more than a dozen. Yesterday she threw her little china kitten on the floor, saying, "Jack fell down and broke his crown"; then she fell down herself, and said, "Jill came tumbling after."
I hope every reader of Young People has such a darling little sister.
Josie Belle A.
Easton, Maryland.
My brothers and myself enjoy reading Young People. We think Toby Tyler's "Mr. Stubbs" is a most remarkable monkey.
Papa tried some pretty experiments for us this winter. He took some glasses and partly filled them with water. Then he covered the water with raw cotton, over which he sprinkled grains of wheat. In a short time the wheat came up very tall and beautiful, falling over the sides of the glasses.
Then he put a sweet-potato in a glass jar half filled with water. Very soon it put out a great many slender sprouts, which we trained up on strings. The vine is flourishing now, and we say we have potatoes growing in this cold winter weather.
Emma E. J.
The Young Chemists' Club still continues to be a success. At a recent meeting, Professor S—— was present, and gave us a very instructive lecture upon the products of coal-tar, of which I give a brief abstract to the readers of Our Post-office Box: The most wonderful product, from the manufacture of coal-gas is coal-tar—a most unpromising-looking substance, but containing much of interest and value. By distilling coal-tar we get many more new products. By continuing the process of distillation, a dead oil is obtained, which is very valuable, as it yields carbolic acid, a great disinfectant, and creosote, which is used extensively to protect wood-work exposed to the weather.
We thank Young People for its kindness toward us, and we are trying to pay it back by taking an active interest in it.
We would like more experiments from the readers, and would also like to know of some good books on chemistry.
I would be pleased to correspond on scientific subjects with those young chemical students who have requested my address.
Charles H. Williamson,
President of Young Chemists' Club,
293 Eckford Street, Brooklyn, E. D., N. Y.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
I have a little brother Carl, who was two years old this month. Mamma has been reading "Toby Tyler" to sister and me, and Carl must have been listening more sharply than we thought, for last night, just as supper was over, he laid his head against the back of his high chair, and said, "Little Toby Tyler sleepy; little Toby Tyler wants to go up stairs."
We think both Carl and Young People are splendid.
C. O. M.
Cumberland, Maryland.
I have just read the paragraph concerning birds' eggs in the Post-office Box of Young People No. 70, and I think it is by far the best thing that has appeared for a good while. If the poor little birds could only speak, I know they would thank Young People from morning until evening. Boys and girls, let us all protect the little birds, and agree not to kill them or rob their nests.
"Starry Flag."
Evans Mills, New York.
I entirely agree with Young People on the question of birds' eggs. I think it is a heartless, cruel thing to rob a bird's nest, and if all the correspondents of Young People will think it over quietly, I am sure they will all feel as I do.
M. F. C.
Westport, Connecticut, February 27, 1881.
I wish to notify correspondents that my stock of coins is exhausted.
Alfred S. Kellogg.
Albany, New York, February 26, 1881.
I have disposed of all my copper cents of 1802. Exchangers will please take notice.
Frank P. Huested.
Since my request for exchange was published, I have sent away all my moss. I hope those correspondents who wrote last will excuse me for not answering their letters. I have some crests and monograms, which I will give for minerals or ocean curiosities.
Vaux Chadwick,
44 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
I like Young People better every day, especially the Post-office and exchange department. Since I requested exchange, I have increased my collection from ninety to nine hundred. I will now exchange postmarks, for foreign and United States postage and revenue stamps.
C. H. McBride,
Rexford Flats, Saratoga County, N. Y.
I live on Chautauqua Lake, about five miles from Fair Point. We have a very fine view of the lake here, which I would appreciate more if I did not see it all the time.
This spring I shall collect shells and stones from the lake, and curiosities, different kinds of woods, flints, arrow-heads, and other things, which I would like to exchange for curiosities from other States, or for stamps.
P. A. Butts,
Bemus Point, Chautauqua County, N. Y.
I have heard that autumn leaves, especially maple, are very beautiful in the United States, and if any little girls will send some to me, I will send them some postage stamps in return.
Gertie Rolin,
Redmyre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Is there room in the Post-office Box for another little boy? If there is, I want to come and say that I think Young People is just splendid.
My papa has a fish-pond here, and raises brook trout. The young trout are nearly all hatched now, and there are some funny ones among them. Some have two heads and one tail, but these do not live after they lose their sac. How many of the little readers of Young People ever saw a trout that still had its sac on?
I would like to exchange some flints from old-fashioned guns, and Mississippi carnelians, for Florida moss, sea-beans, or ocean shells or curiosities of any kind.
Carl Moll, Tunnel City, Wis.
The boys around here are collecting everything. A boy and myself are collecting ores, minerals, stamps, and other curiosities.
I will exchange a stone from Michigan for one from any other State.
Georgie P. Codd,
26 Adelaide Street, Detroit, Mich.
The following exchanges are also offered by correspondents:
Canadian coins, for foreign or United States coins. Or flower seeds, for the same, or for postage stamps, postmarks, or anything suitable for a collection of curiosities.
Willie B. and Emily Clark,
P. O. Box 79, Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.
Foreign coins, Austrian, Turkish, and Russian especially desired.
A. F. Hunsberger,
Inland, Summit County, Ohio.
Sixty postmarks, for twenty foreign stamps.
H. C. Jamison,
735 First Street, N. W., Washington, D. C.
Postmarks and stamps, for Indian relics or other genuine curiosities.
Walter J. Lee,
357 East Fifty-third Street, New York City.
New York and Pennsylvania postmarks, and postage stamps, for Indian arrow-heads.
Clare Willard,
Alleghany, Cattaraugus County, N. Y.
Minerals and curiosities, for coins bearing date before 1816.
Ralph T. Pickett,
744 West Congress Street, Chicago, Ill.
Postage stamps. A Mexican stamp, for one from Denmark, Iceland, Japan, or China.
Percy Chrystie, High Bridge, N. J.
Persimmon seeds, for minerals, shells, or curiosities of any kind.
Frank Bryan,
Papinsville, Bates County, Mo.
A stone from Indiana, for one from any other State.
Eugene Huthsteiner,
Tell City, Perry County, Ind.
An ounce of soil from New York or New Jersey, for five foreign postage stamps (no duplicates).
Will Odell,
221 East Eighty-sixth Street, New York City.
Curiosities of all kinds.
Lloyd Warren,
520 Fifth Avenue, New York City.
Pebbles and shells from Lake Michigan, and soil from Illinois, for any other curiosities.
A. J. O'Connor, 363 Rush Street, Chicago, Ill.
Carrie B. H.—A verse is, properly, one line of poetry; a stanza is a set of verses. The former term is frequently but incorrectly used in place of the latter. Thus,
"Tell me not in mournful numbers"
is a verse, and the following is a stanza,
"Tell me not in mournful numbers
Life is but an empty dream;
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem."
W. Prentiss D. and Others.—A mistake was made in the scale of the plans for making a sail-boat in Young People No. 66, owing to the failure of the artist to allow for the reduction of his drawing. As it stands, instead of one inch equalling one foot, the general scale is a scant nine-sixteenths of an inch to one foot. That for figures 3, 6, 7 is one-eighth of an inch to one foot, and that for the completed drawing is nine-thirty-secondths of an inch to the foot. This would give a boat twelve feet long.
If Frank R., of Oxford, Ohio, and Fred W. A., of Delaware, Ohio, will add the county to the addresses they have given, their requests for exchange will be printed.
J. E. B. B.—No such advertisement ever appeared in any paper, for no such offer was ever made by the United States government.
Willie F. W. and Rosa M. B.—Some numbers of Harper's Young People, Vol. I., can be obtained of the publishers, but not a complete set.
Starry Flag.—United States twenty-cent pieces were coined in 1875, and also during the three following years. The largest coinage was in 1876, and the smallest in 1878.
[The names of those sending a complete list of answers to puzzles in one number of Young People will in future be printed in italics.]
Correct answers to puzzles have been received from Bessie B. Anderson, Maggie Berry, Cortlandt F. Bishop, "Car. O. Liny," R. O. Chester, Maud M. Chambers, H. M. C., Willie Curtis, E. A. Cushing, Jun., George Pierre C., R. H. Davidson, "Dollars and Cents," George P. Deacon, Daniel Dowdney, E., C. Gaylor, E. W. Halsey, Frank Haines, Albert H. Hopkins, Alice C. Hammond, Isobel L. Jacob, Clara L. Kellogg, Howard B. Lent, "L. U. Stral," G. W. Needham, "North Star," Hattie A. P., John Phillips, Mattie P., "Pepper," Howard C. Rouzer, Willie F. Robertson, Harry R. Romer, Alice M. Sheppard, "Starry Flag," G. A. Sahlin, Alice E. Thorp, W. I. Trotter, Louis Treadwell, Dora N. Taylor, Charles Westcott, Lucile W., Willie F. Woolard, George E. Wells, "Young Solver," Henry M. R.
PUZZLES FROM YOUNG CONTRIBUTORS.
No. 1.
DOUBLE ENIGMA.
In grumble, not in smile.
In roofing, not in tile.
In blockade, not in siege.
In sovereign, not in liege.
In trouble, not in sorrow.
In give, but not in borrow.
In evasion, not in shift.
In keepsake, not in gift.
Two pretty birds are we;
We love our liberty.
Please leave our nests in peace,
Or our merry songs will cease.
Sarah Ann.