Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-12
A BRo0ELYy CaRE.YALK.
The Co,oreS PorWl alton CUifi eating Grnc.
ard Sfyi~-3tr0g riding Ga, Prise TO ia
"GrdCiest' LudB U0iksr

The co,ore' Pop"t alton Culfira.ing Grace
oHd Sfyi@-Atr0gdil IA, Prise TO ia
"Graciest" Lady HGtker.
From me Na,g YORK Sml
"ft's 70 a benevolent csse," said Mr..
TTower, at cake-walk In Scdweltzer hall,
| OAR ain't 10 move bout IL. Dls walk dis eve.
| MIN is for a benevolent csse-fDr q young
| man. That's enough. De delicacies must oe
BY midnight the benches round the sides
| the hall were comfortably filled by about 100
negroes, young and old. and OF both sexes,
who were dressed 10 an astonishing degree,
and WHO ch4tted, laughed and made free With
each other very merrily. Presently young
| man who had been assisting an old man with
An enormous badge, standing beside him and
snatchiDg the entrance tickets before the
visitors who had purchased them could see
their color, entered the hall and blew shrill
whistle.
Peel for de scbottish.v cried another
young man, who afterward called out the
Then began the "good music" which the
| bills announced would "be in attendance"
| and which was produced by piano and vio-
| lin. While the scottish progressed ]. A.
| Trower and six other negroes mounted the
bridge like gallery, and MIR. Trower read the
printed programme. Even when the dane
ing ceased the hubbuD in the hall was so
great that he could not make himself heard.
"'Low me to notify you, ladies ard gentle
men. dat dere will be literary entertain.
ment at the Zion Baptist church next -"
He had shouted this at the top of his voice,
and had succeeded in gaining attention from
below. He left the last sentence unfinished.
'Dere, you see, dat was little trick OF mine.
only give that out to max you keep quiet.
Now, we bab some VERY important BUSH
ness. De ladies are to walk for dat cake"
An iced pound cake and a roast turkey
had been placed in dishes upon r table in
| the centre OF the hail. ''Accordin' 10 the pro-
gramme, the gentleman accompanied by a
lady who exhibits at this this-this-"
The programme in his hand read ''at this
competitive trial." but Mr.. Trower felt that
| these were words worthy OF deliberation and
"At this-dere's too much grammar here"
said ne, lat this compost tive trial,-the mos
graceful aud genteei wa k. elegant and pleas
| ing manners and 81 gni1ied and noble bearing
VIII be presented with turkey; and, in like
| manner, the lady who Is conceded to be u
| periOr in these accomplishments will receive
| a handsome Ike. Now. then. find your part
ners and go In for de ca ke- don't be mean and
| lay back and den say. 'Pshore! could "a got
| the cake eff I'd been mind to-"
Before Mr.. Trower finished speaking, a few
| couples began the circuit of the room. and
| as they walked the number increased until
nearly all present had entered the lists. Each
| of the ladies assumed a solemn expression
| of the face, and walked IN the stiflest and
haughtlest manner. resting finger or two
| of one hand on the arm ri her partner, and
| with the other hand holding her skirt gin
| gerly by a finger and thumb. The men rolled
| their eyes ana grinned, sometimes even ven
| turing TO call the attention of their ladies to
whaieveramused them, as they paced around
| the room.
Mr., Trower ordered the walk stopped after
| 1t had continued about ten minutes. ''Ac-
cordin' to de programme" said he, from the
| gallery, "de SIX judges viewed de cOntes tants
| as dey walked. When dcy came to decide,
Cere was three In favor of one person, and
| three in favor of another. Dat vote didn't
! amount TO nothin', and nobody got de cake;
but dere was de referee. and he come in, and
dat made four against three. 1t gives me de
| creates pleasure to 'nounce DAT de Judges de-
| eide in favor of Miss Burnett as de most su-
| perioro Oh you all-nOt ON account of her good
oil. no Sff al.
| for jOclry or such things about her-but for
! being de most perlick walker. Come! amt
| none o you gentlemen got manners II un
| to present de cake
Miss Burnett took the prize, and wake!
| from the table with il, before any of tue gal
| lants e,idei who should DO the hUuOrs OF the
presentation.
After a waltz. several Iaiies mounted the
| gallery, and order being re stored, announced
| trat they would judge which gentleman in
| the contest for the turkey displa yed the most
creditarle pedeslriaDisin. In this walk the
| gentlemen laid aside their drolIery, aud be-
| came earnest competitor. Each placed one
! hand under his coat on his breast, threw back
| his head, dietended his chest, and working
I his shoulders alternately backward and for
ward, walked in The manner in which fast
| young men in the Bowcry are buriesqued on
| the stage. The contestants in Schweltzer
| hall, however, exaggerated the picture by
Sbuffling their feet Instead of raising them
as they stepped. The ladies, as in their con-
test for the cake, wore grave faces, and strobe
! stifily along. Unreleved by the mischief the
men were continually creating in the cake
| walk, this contest was not unlike q solemn
| church or funeral procession.
| De idea is, said a colored spectator 4" TO
see who is de graciest walker. Fancy walk
| ing ain I lowed. You must put on style. you
| know; but you mus jest walk long like you
| didn't know any one seen you, and like you
| knew how and didn't care" Norman Gore
| won the turkey, and, afterward, as prizes to
the neatest dressed lady and gentleman, Mrs.
Sawyer, OF Brooklyn, and Mr.. Storms, of
| Williamsburgh, received some toilet orna
| ments. The dancing was continued until
day break with but one interruption by the
| landlord, who threatened TO turn Off the gas
unless the person Who had incurred q debt OF
| thirty five cents at the bar, and secreted
himself In the ball room, should at once
| settle the debt In terror lest the landlord
would be true to his word, a dozen different
persons volunteered to owe him the thirty
| five cents. The offender himself was found
| however, and the trouble smOOthed over.
| The benevolent cause for which the wal k
| was gotten up was ascertained to be the
assistance of the Rev. John Mathews, q col
| ored Baptist preacher who is very popular
with his people in Williamsburgh.
\ A