Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 148, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 June 1910 — THE FIRST ROLLER SKATES. [ARTICLE]

THE FIRST ROLLER SKATES.

Mishap That Befell Man on Wheels in Soho, London, in 1700. It is said that the first roller skates were introduced Into England so long ago as the year 1760. The inventor was a Fleming, who was attached to the suite of the Spanish ambassador, and came with him that year to London. We are told that “mounted on a pair of his contrivances and playing a violin, he mixed in the motley throng at the celebrated Mrs. Cornell's masquerade at Carlisle House, Soho square, when, not having provided the means of retarding h}s velocity, nor of commanding its direction, he impelled himself against a very valuable mirror, dashed it to atoms, broke his instrument to pieces and wounded himself severely.” This grievous mishap to the hilarious inventor probably put back roller skating a century or so. We have improved on the “contrivances” since then, but even now no one has been able to retard velocity by means of pneumatic brakes. We leave this hint to pres-ent-day inventors for their consideration. *