The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-11-16

Garland City. This ii the newest
town in Colorado. The Denver A Rio
Grande Railroad reached here the LIST
Of August. Immediately the plucky
fellows who advance with the railroads
erected little town and called il Gar
land. II Is In the heart Of the Rocky
Mountains, and 2zO miles south from
Denver, and at an elevation Of over g..
OCO feet. Garland possesses no attrac-
tons for the touist, except in 50 far as
II Is specimen Of extreme Western
life, II has two good hotels, one week
~ newspaper, two forwarding houses,
four or five business houses, two dance
houses and thirty-six saloons. II is the
present terminus Of the ID. a X.
@. X. r., and all the supplies Of the
great San Juan region are forwarded
by wagons from here. This forward
ing business j. immense, and, outside
Of the saloons and dance-houses, is all
OF Garland. The dance-house might be
said to be Garland. Your correspond
ent visited it last night Sunday and
saw il in full blast. As your readers
have no idea of dance-h0use, and as
il is one Of the principal adjuncts of
Western frontier life, will try 70 give
them some conception Of this one. Ii
is large one-story frame building,
opening BY wide doors upon the main
street. You are first attracted TO the
house by the outside lamps, and by the
music and hilarity within. Entering,
you see near the front Of the hall, on
one side, 4 bar, and opposite faro
table, with a crowd Of eager players.
The dealer has the solemn, careful air
Of Judge, handles his cards dexter
ously, slowly, watching every part Of
the table with the keen eve of an ex-
pert, his countenance perfectly com
posed, and Interchangeable at either loss
or gain. watched this game for an
hour. The man and his opponents were
study. One sharp, blue eyed, hand
some-visaged fellow, with slouch hat
and mountain overcoat thrown care
lessly over his shoulder, piled up MS
chips. alternately winning and losing
never saying a word, and never chang
ing expression. John Cinnamon was
there. John bought % worth Of chips,
and risked them on few deals-lost
them all. With placid smile-.'a
smile that was childlike and bland
he departed. In few minutes he re-
turned with another innocent Chinee.
Another V was invested and lost.
Smiling the two departed, and returned
reinforced by third. The same pro-
cess was gone through, and the next
time our valiant Chinaman returned he
was reinforced by fourth. They in
vest 80 more, a few looks and words be-
tween themselves, the chips are piled on
two cards, as if determined to lose or
win all AT once, and they 60
out for the last time. In sidc-room
a number Of games-M Mexican monte
and others-were going on at lively
rate. But 10 the dance. In the rear Of the
room, on an elevation, three yiolins give
forth the music and keep time for the
dancers. The women are the degraded
camp-followers, American and Mexi-
can. Some Of them have fair faces, and
a few were elegantly dressed. One Of
them told me she had her wardrobe
from Chicago, and another from Den
yer. The majority are ugly, requisite
looking creatures. The men are IF c
cry class and condition. The merchant,
Nht Aaliivua tbHtltttDT. the uIululntT.
the tourist, and the travelling invalid, the
adventurous miner, the hardy noun
taineer, the wagner who has returned
from summers toll over mountain
roads 10 New Mexico and Arizona: the
lazy. lousy, repnlsive Mexican greaser
--all help 10 make up the molly crowd.
OF course many are here only as specta-
tors. The dancc-hOusc is the only place
Of amusement, and every body goes
from some impulse or other. The wom-
en- invite the men to dance. You dance,
and At the front bar you treat your part
ncr and pay dollar; at the rear bar,
not quite so aristoclatic, 80 cents. A re-
fusal 10 dance is not always accepted,
and you may be pulled on to the floor,
and made 70 dance and pay Being
lenderfoot-that i the name all strang-
ers 60 by in the West--your correspond
ent was excused Cor. L0uisriilc Con-
ricr-J0nrndl