NEW YEARS AT TEN ACRES (1903)

Photo Courtesy: Greenwich Library

Source: Greenwich Graphic. Saturday, January 3, 1903. Page 1, Column 6.


Ten Acres is flocked with skaters. Merrily the skates clink as someone goes whizzing past. The bright steel glimmers in the afternoon sunlight. 

It is New Year's Day, and five hundred souls are merry as they softly fly over the icy surface. Hardly a safe on the pond which is not dotted with skaters.  The old winter sport is on. Everyone is enjoying it to the utmost. 

Here and there will be seen a trio coming along in a row. Swiftly a single flyer dashes past. There a couple with hands clasped come gracefully up, pausing for a moment to make a turn, then gliding away to some other part of the pond. In and out among these go the skaters in another direction. 

Not a moment is lost. It is a grand panorama. 

The eye first feasts itself upon one happy group and then another as each goes by. The bright coats of the ladies catch the eye. Now it is red, now blue. Sweaters are much in evidence. 

Here comes a hite one, and the graceful outline of the girl's figure is seen for a moment. Next comes a red, and from another direction one of brown. The variation bring rest to the eye. 

Bright hats are everywhere to be seen. Jauntily they sit upon the heads of the fair wearers. How well the colors harmonize. What a picture for an artist to paint! The rosy color of the fair one's cheek is heightened by the exhilarating exercise. 

Here comes a couple! It is worth while to watch them a moment. See how their blades move together; the same ray of light strikes one and the other. The flash comes together. The man's strength tells in that stride, but his fair partner is no hindrance. Away they go with a short glide and then to a catch-step which sends them away out to the side. Off they go again on the other tack. 

Now a single skater goes sailing by with hands clasped behind his back. 

Off at a distance some of the more inexperienced skaters are hovering about the shore, skating back and forth in the hope that no one will notice their poorer efforts. 

In the enclosure at the lower part of the pond two teams are playing the king of ice games-hockey. They are very much in earnest, as their shouts of "Here it is!" "Pass it here!" and other terms familiar to the sport would prove. 

Here and there on other parts of the pond a match game is on and the same earnest spirit is shown. Now and then someone gets a fall, but quickly rising is away again.

Occasionally a skate comes off, and the disgusted skater wanders to some secluded spot to put it on again.

A fancy skater is doing his "stunts," and an interested group looks on. Then the group breaks up. 

Everyone goes where fancy leads him. The bank of earth which crosses the northern side of the pond is covered with weary ones in groups or alone. No one stays there longer than is necessary for rest. 

Carriages come to the edge of the pond to bring fresh skaters or to carry others home. 

A car goes by and another crowd is dumped at the lower end. The car going the other way carries back those weary with the sport. Coming or going, skating or resting, all are happy, all are beginning a happy new year.