A SKATING STORY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 936, 26 March 1880, Page 3

A SKATING STORY.

It was just twenty years ago yesterday, says Reid Gordon, that a party of us fellers went over to Bergen Creek, on a skating match. The day was colder than ten icebergs, the ice smooth as glass, and we made up our minds to have a heap of fun. Bill Derry was the leader of the crowd. He was a tall six-footer, full of pluck, and the best skater in all creation. Give Billy Berry a pair of skates and smooth sailing, and he’d make the trip to Baffin's Bay and back again in twenty-four hours, only stopping long enough at Halifax to take a drink. Well, we got to the creek and fastened our skates on, and after taking a good horn from Joe Turner’s fl isk, started off in good siyle, Bill Berry taking the load. As 1 was telling you, it was a dogged cold day, and we had to skate fast to keep the -blood up. There was little air-holes in the ice, and every now and then we would come near going into them. My skates got loose, and I tried to fasten ’em. Just, as I had finished buckling the straps I saw something shooting along the ice like' lightning. It was Billy Berry's head. He had been going it like greased electricity, and before he knew it, he was into oue of them air-holes. The force was so great .is to cut his head off against the sharp corners of the ice. “ It’s all day Bill Bony, ” said I. “And all night too,” said Joe Turner. Just as he had got these wor, s out of his mouth, I looked at Bill's bead, which had been going it on the ice, and all at once it dropped into another hole. We ran to it, and I heard Bill Berry say, “Quick, hoys, quick ! pu’l me out !" I looked into the hole, and there, as lam a sinner, was Bill Berry’s body, which had shooted along under the ice, and met the head at the hole in the ice. It was shocking cold the head had frozen fast to the body, and we pulled Bill out as good as new. He felt a little numb at lirst, but after skating awhile he’felt as well as the rest of us. and laughed over the joke. We went home after dark, all satisfied with the day’s sport. About 1(3 o’clock in the evening somebody knocke I at the door and said 1 was Wanted over at Bill Berry’s. I put on my coat and Went ever. There lay Bill’s body in one place and head in another. His wife said that after he had come fiom skating he sat down by the tire to warm himself, and, while attempting to blow his nose, he threw his head into the fireplace. The coroner was called that night, and the verdict of the jury was—- “ That Bill Berry'came by his death by skating too fast.”—American Paper.