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Show HOLLER SKATES NOT NEW. It is generally believed that roller skates are a recent Invention. They are not. For more than 130 years ago ' many attempts were made to ignore King Frost and skate on boards, i The first attempt of this kind was by I Joseph Mertin, a native of Huy, Bel gium. He went to England with the Spanish Embassador in 1760. He was a maker of musical instruments, and had, among other novelties, a pair of skates that ran on wheels. A story is told of Mertin. that at one time he put on these skates, took a violin and attended a masquerade. The skates, which were not made to turn ana had no contrivance contri-vance by which they could be stopped, got contrary during the evening and . run him through a mirror costing $100. In addition to smashing a mirror, his violin, a valuable one, was splintered, and Mertin himself was badly wounded and bruised. In I8V9 roller skates were brought to the attention of the public through the Patent office. This was the time when M. Pettlbled patented a skate, fitted with thin copper wheels, which, however how-ever persistently refused to turn corners. cor-ners. From here it went through various vari-ous improvements and modifications until the roller skate, such as the boys and girls of 1905 enjoy, was produced. |