SKATES AND SKATING. Ice skates are made in many forms, the most common having a metal blade or runner, longer than the foot, with some sort of frame or mechanism for at taching to the shoe. The object is to provide a support on which each foot of the wearer can slide or glide on the ice, this method being by far the most rapid means of travel over a frozen surface by the individual's own exertions. Skating is undoubtedly of great antiquity; as shown by early carvings. It is mentioned in the Icelandic (Edda,' supposed to have been written in the 10th or 11th century. Primitive skates were made by tying smooth bones of animals to the foot-coverings. The earlier forms were mainly of wood, with a metal runner. This runner was gradually improved until it became a blade of hard steel with a slightly up-curved front. The wooden-bodied skates of the 19th century were universally tied on to the foot with leather straps, passing through slots in the wood. As they were improved a sharp point was placed in the rear of the skate to cut into the shoe-heel and prevent slipping; later a screw took the place of the point. Then came the club-skate, all metal, with clamps for gripping the sole of the shoe and a gripping mechanism to engage a steel plate permanently fastened on the heel of the shoe. Fancy skates were made with long ornamental up-curve of the runner in front. The racers developed a different type with a long runner, almost straight, though slightly raised above the level in front. This was found so superior that it was adopted by all speed skaters and many amateurs. Finally came the skating boot, a well-made strong boot, with the runner directly attached to the sole. This has been generally adopted by figure skaters and racers. t Skating was developed in the cold countries of the north, both as a pastime and as means of getting about rapidly. In the Netherlands the canals made convenient highways in winter, and have been used by skaters for hundreds of years. The earliest record of a skating club is in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1642. The British National Skating Association was formed in 1879. The American National Skating Asso
ciation was organized in the United States in 1884, and the Canadian Amateur Association in 1886. There are now also the Eastern Amateur Skating Association, the International Skating Club of America and the International Skating Union of America. Matches were held, how ever, long before the time of these associations. The first recorded English match was in 1823. Newburgh, N. Y., furnished the first American champion skater, Charles June, who was the recognized speed champion for many years. In those e4ys the skaters used a short runner and took loft strokes of 10 to 12 yards. All this was changed by the Donohues of Newburgh, regarded as the greatest family of skaters in the world, having produced three champions. T. Donohue, the elder, first beat all corners and educated his sons to the sport, and J. F. Dono hue and T. Donohue, Jr., in turn took world's records. They developed the long runner skate and the short stroke, and J. F. Donohue at tended the international meet at Amsterdam in 1891, and astonished them by his short quick strokes of six or seven yards, easily beating all contestants.
Figure skating, by some called fancy skating, appears to have had its first great impetus in the London Skating Club founded in 1830. Be coming favorably known as a sport, other clubs were organized in Switzerland and northern Europe, and figure skating became a popular sport of the well-to-do. In this branch of skat ing there is no attempt at speed, the object be ing first to skim around in loops, cross-cuts, grapevines, two-footed figures and various com bined figures in which one of more pairs of skaters take part. It might be called the equiva lent of dancing on ice, graceful exercise being the end sought. The British style of figure de mands an upright body, and is considered more graceful than the bending over style, though the latter permits some accomplishments not readily done erect. The plain figures are formed on one skate, the unemployed leg being trailed behind, either straight or slightly bent and used to steer and balance.