are coming soon enough, with cold winds and plummeting temperatures.How many of us have
ever thought about taking a
little skate down the
Maumee River ice ...for a few miles?
In January, 1888, Tom Wight, Dave King,
Will Dolke, and Will Helpman
took some wagers and off
they went. Who was successful?
The Defiance County Express reported the adventure on January 5, 1888:
"Several of the court house officials made a wager of fifteen dollars with Tom Wight Wednesday that he could not skate down the Maumee river to the Elliott road, a distance of three miles, and back in one hour and a half.
At the same time, Dave King made a wager of five dollars that he could beat Will Dolke to the dam on skates.
All necessary arrangements were made for the contest, and at 3 o'clock, they went to the foot of Jefferson street and made the start. Four persons went in buggies down the river road to see if they went to the designated places before turning to come back. Will Helpman accompanied Wight on skates.
Wight won the wager, making the trip in 59 minutes. King failed, not going further than Marshal & Greenler's factory. He fell four times in that distance, and carried his skates home. He worked to a disadvantage, having on a pair of newly ground skates, the edges being so sharp that he could not guide them on the rough ice.
Dolke made the distance and back in the same time as Wight and Helpman, stopping to rest, and once to adjust his skates. The obstacles to overcome in the skate was the rough ice and a heavy wind to face on the return trip."
Who's game?
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