Daily American telegraph., 1852-05-05
A Donkey I'm a BalI-Room.

Mr.. Kendall, writing from Paris to the New
Orleans Picayune describes the following scene
in Paris ball room:
"A highly ludicrous incident occurred few
evenings since at the Casino Paganini, large
ball room located at the head of passage lead
ing out of the Chaussee d'Antin, and which
is much frequented this season by a mixed and
most micellaneous crowd The orchestra had
just struck up the Galop du Chenin de Fer,
/ RAILROAD Gallop,) andthe merry dancers had
taken their places when into the room bolted
a donkey, snorting and braying at the top Of his
powerful lungs, and, joining in the gallop went
round the large sale with perfect rush
I Never was such stampede seen in ball room
| The now affrighted dancers scattered in every
direction. and such "gittin up stairs" such
Il jumping upon chairs and tables and such
climbing up pillars, up to that moment had
never been witnessed in the Casino Paganini
or any other casino. The police were struck
dumb at the strange apparition, the musicians
dropped their instruments and fed in terror
while the donkey kept galloping on in his mad
flight, careering in circles around the room,
amid the wild screams Of the hundreds OF
women, all only bent upon seeking places OF
safety.
"What could have brought such an intruder
into dancing hall no one could imagine, but
it was afterwards ascertained that the donkey
had been left by his master standing before
door in Chaussee d Antn, and that, struck by
one ofthe carriages continually passing through
that noted thoroughfare, and frightened by
the rafting of Others he had suddenly started
of at the top Of his speed The more he ran,
rs is always the case, the more frightened he
became, and in his flight, seeing the passage
leading to the Casino, he bolted into il for
refuge. But poor refuge did he find; for he
had now to run gauntlet OF at least fifty
coachmen always stationed in the passage on
the lookout for customers who, yelling and
cracking their whips at him, further increased
his terror and his pace. The saloon il on
the first floor, and without stopping 10 pro.
cure ticket Of admission but knocking over
the astonished door-keepcr in his headlonC
career the poor brute made his advent among
the dancers as already mentioned Solitary
and alone he snt that ball in motion, and com.
motion too, Without stopping to select part.
ner,. he joined in the grand gallap, and at .
stride which soon diatanccd everything ou the
track
"After half dozen turns round the saloon,
and to music Of his own composition and pcr-
formancc. he finally cooled or tired himself
down, came to his senses, and quietly commenced
a survey of the premises From this out he y
said to have been the pet Of the evening the ie
male portion of the crowd in particular pressing
around him, and regaling him plentiully with
cakes and other notions. When the ball was
over, he was sent by the commissury Of police
to the public pound, and thus ended the doings
of donkey in dancing saloon. The advon-
lures of the celebrated bull in tho china shop
we're as nothing in comparison; that animal
simply confined his operations to breaking
plates, cups, and saucers; but the hero Of the
Casino Paganini for space broke up ball y