Butte record., 1853-12-17

wOoDs.-In winter, the squatters have
leisure and wish TO dance. A bail is to
be got up; nor IS amusement the sole
thing considered The squire who pro-
jects to give qualification, hopes al the
same time to FIJI his pocket, and opens
negotiations with some neighbor, by
saying, II reckon we should fix ball
for the whole neighborhood The day
is appointed The sntrance fee for
gentleman is one dollar, and he has the
right to introduce lady. The prepa-
rations now begin. All the neighbors
who had not attended the meeting are
visited and invited to the ball; they are
expected to lend knives, forks, spoons,
tumblers, &C., to the common feast. The
log-house, where the great event is to
take place, is scrubbed; the floor Is
smoOthed with the axe, and wood is piled
up in the yard If the squire cannot
provide sufficient venison, sugar and tea,
his neighbors must do it. and deduct the
price frsm the entrance fee. On the eve
Of the great day, several Of the neigh
boring ladies' are enrolled for the kitchen.
Wheat and Indian corn bread is baked;
squash pumpkin and minee pies are
prepared; fowls are boiled, pork and veni-
son roasted, and the jugs are filed with
whisky. Already, at ten o'clock in the
morning, the Gentlemen begin to arrive; /;
they are inclined to enjoy as much as
possible and take out every farthing of
their money. After the whisky-jug has
been handed round, one of them takes
up the fiddle, and the others practise a
little of the orthodox step Of the dances
handed down from father 10 son \ long
row of carts approaches, crowded with
ladies, who sit on chairs placed in the
carts The procession Is headed by the
spokesman Of the company, appointed to
his Office by the squire. The gentleman
arrive on horseback; bullock-earts are in
the rear, intermixed with strange riders
man, wife and chi dren on one and the
same horse. Chow do you do;" and
"Where the deuce have you been staying
so long," are asked on every side The
ladies, wrapped in their red, blue or
white blankets enter the house and throng
round the chimney, and restore them
selves from the chill by hot beverage
composed Of warm whisky and honey,
whilst the men remain in the yard around
the big fire, smoking and freezing When
the ladies have put their dresses right,
and arranged all their many -eolored rib
bons and fnerics bought by pioneers IN the
markets Of Iowa and Indiana, the squire
presents himself at the door and shouts
out, ''Ladies, dinner Is ready; boys take
your partners" The gentlemen press
in and proceed, each with his fair partner
to the other room, where the tables are
laid; but as there Is never sufficient space,
the gentlemen have again to retreat, and
a guard watches the door that the ladies
may take their dinner quietly After
them it is the turn Of the gentlemen; and
when they have done the spokesman be-
gins to collect the charge for the enter
tainment, and the extra for the fiddle.
He exeIts all his eloquence to arouse the
generosity Of his guests, and to get more
than the fee agreed for. He speaks
about the unparalleled trouble and the
expense of the undertaken, and how
splendid has been the dinner; he ad-
dresses the wealthier settlers by name,
and says, f ellow, you can pay double. "
But the backwoodsmen are tough; they
protest that they cannot afford more than
the others, and they find fault with the
others. At last the money Is collected,
the fddling begins; the great-coat and
the muskrat cap are thrown aside, and
in their ball costumes Of antiquated cut,
but all with very dashing shirt collars
they present themselves again to the
ladies.
1t is a strange exhibition Of all the
fashions of the last twenty years;
a tailor Of long standing would at once
find out in what year those gentlemen
have left the civilization Of cities for the
backwoods. The room is small, therc-
fore only eight pairs are allowed to dance
at once; they jump, they stamp, and jerk
until they are out of breath; the gentle
men chew, but while they dance they do
not spit But at once the fiddler puts
down the bow, and declares that be viii
not play any longer without additional
pay; he Is tired, he cannot do more. The
spokesman, who has to keep order, stands
forth and appeals to the generosity of the
and endeayors on the other
side to lower the pretensions of the mu-