O troublesome roller derby of the past

Another doozy from the Daily Maine Fact site! This one was posted 12/31/08:

In 1900, a New Year's Eve ball at Portland City Hall was spoiled by a cloud of dust. The fine white dust, which hovered about a foot deep over the hardwood floor and stained the revelers' fine clothes, resulted from a polo game for roller skaters held earlier. The pumice sprinkled to keep the skaters from slipping had lingered in the floor cracks despite a heavy cleaning. (Source: "City Floor Unfit for Dancing," Portland Evening Express, Jan. 1, 1901. Portland: Evening Express Publishing Company)
[Source]

Picture shown is from a piece of 1907 sheet music [Source]. Rollerskating was very popular at the turn of century in New England. Communities all over Maine had their own skating rinks, everywhere from Peaks Island to Trenton. Portland had a number of skating rinks that we plan to research in depth and report on in a future posting.