Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1854-06-27
A FASHIONABLE WALTZ,
As Described by Ben Jonsing.

As Described by Ben Jonsing.
Nothing is more common when country
gentleman of any distinction visits city, than
for his merchant to extend to him the usual
courtesy of ssshowing him around.'' Hence du-
ring his visit he is lionized and taken to all the
places of public amusement, that he may
the town and the manners and customs of soci-
ety. Colonel Jonsing was similarly feted du-
ring late visit to Southern City, where
mong other places, he visited, with his mer
chant {. soiree, which he described in a letter
to his friend, the editor of the Southern Star;
and as the Colonel's description of Waltz and
ssSorry,'' was altogether so original and unique,
his friend gave it to the public. Here it is:
When we got into the place, we found a
great large room, as big as a meetin' house,
lighted upwith smashin' lamps, covered all over
with glass hangings. The ladies looked as nice
as little angels, their faces as white as if they
dipped them in flour barrel; such red cheeks
haint seen in all Sleepy Hollow; their arms
all covered with gold bands, chains, and shiny
BEADS such lipsyou nevcrdid sec-they looked
sc come-kiss-me- -all-oyer,' their eyes looked
like diamonds their waists drawn to the size
of pipe stem; and made to look like they
were undergoing regular cuttin'-in-two op-
Grafton by tyin string tight round 'em and
the bosims-oh, lOrdy all covered up with
laces and muslin they rase, then fell, then rose
again, like-hoi don't know what was like,
exceptin, the breathin' ofa snowy white goose,
chucked in a tight bag with its breast out
And the gals and younsters had walked round
and round for a considerable spell, the music
struck up;and such music, there was abig horn
and little horn, a big flute and little flute,
a big fiddle and little fiddle, and such squea-
kim, squalIini, bellowin', groanin',I never
heard before; it was like all the rats, pigs and
frogs in christendum had concluded TO sing to-
gether They called it a German Poker. /
'spose it was made by some of them Cincinnati
Germans, in imitation of the squeaIlin' alta
pork paci<ery, and guess it was pretty good
imitation.
So soon as the music struck up, such sight.
The fellers caught the gals right around the
waist with one hand, and pulled them right
smack up in kissen order with the gals bosoms
agin their bosoms, and the gais'chin restin' on
the fellers shoulders. At this the gals began
to sorter jump and caper, like they were agoin'
to push 'em away; but the fellers just caught
hold of the other hand, and held it off, and be-
gan to jump and caper, too, just like the gals.
L swou upon stack of bibles yon never seed
such sight, There was some two dozen gals
held right in the arms of them fellers-they a
rarin' and jumpen' and pushen' 'em backwards
over the room, Gas | thought tryin' to get away
from them,) and the fellers holdin' on to 'em
tighter; the more the gals jumped and capered,
the tighter they squeezed the gals, till at last
began to think the thing was bein carried to
too far for fun. / was a little green in these
matters, and sein' the gals tryin' harde and
harder to get away, as thought, and the fell
lers holdin' tighter, it was very natural should
take the part of the girls. So my dander kept
risin' higher and higher, till thought my biler
would bust unless l let out steam II pounced
smack into the middle of the room. Thunder
and lightning, every body come here with shot
guns, sx-shooters and butcher knives ~ 1
bawled the top of my voice; ss for will be shot
if any dad blasted ,long-bearded feller shall i'm
pose on gals that ar where am 20 and l was
going to pitch right into EN- promscuously,
when my merchant caught me by the arm, and
said, stop Ben ssI'll be cussed," says /,
icI will see the wimmin' folks imposed out
Look what them fellers doin' and how
hard the gals are rarin' and pitchin' to get away
from 'em! Do you s'pose l can stand still as
little post and see gals so? Look" says. /,
there's gal almost broken down, and ready to
give up to that 'rangotang ofa feller! Yonder |
is another so faint her head has fallen on the bo
som of the monster.'' tell you was aShy, |
felt like could jump into 'em like cata-
mount into a pig-pen.
When I looked in my merchants face 1
thought he would have bursted. He laft and
laft, and squatted down and laft.
ssWhy,'' says he, ssBen, that is nothing but
the red war waltz they are dancin' and them
gals aint tryin' to get away from the feilers-
they are only caperin' to make the fellers hold
'em tighter, kase they like it, The more the
gals caper the tighter theywish tohe squeezed
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