Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-10-30

Election day in Salem, sixty years
ago. was a carnival Of four days. Key,
author of" The eStar-Spangled Banner"
while prisoner on board an English
corvette. did not more anXiously look
up to the flag at Fort McHenry, sigh
ing, I" Does that flag still wave?" than
We looked south ON election day morn
to see If that flag waved over Mr.. Col
lins Ingalls, election-house, in Leach
Street, South Salem. Armed with
fourpence-ha' penny, We Juveniles
from six TO nine resorted TO that fam
Gus. and must say, for all that ! saw,
well-ordered election-house. The large
parlor, which still remains. was de-
voted to dancing. In one corner of the
room was circular bar, at which L
never saw any strong liquors sold, but.
as often as prudent disbursement of
my six and one-fOurth cents would al
low, went up, and from the fair hand
of winning young lady received in
exchange for one cent wiHe-glass full
of egg-pOp, the flavor of which waters
my mouth to this day. The dancing
commenced at an early hour in the af-
ternOon, and was kept up till, WE'LL
grew weary, went home to bed that
long summer day before sunset; and
that's all know about it. The dancing
was principally done by sailors in their
short blue jackets and duck trowsers.
There were two girls = one rather
pretty and graceful - who did the
ladies' part all through the day.
"Those who dance must pay the fid-
dler" was the maxim OF practical i'm
sailors walked up to the white-headed
negro fiddler in the corner of the
room and placed fourpence-ha'p penny
in his hand, at which he bowed. drew
his bow and prepared for the next set.
The dancing consisted of that active,
sailor-liSe kicking of the heels opposite
his female partner, the feet separating
them, nor did / notice any meretriciOus
smirking on the part of the latter; on
the contrary, their dull, downcast feat
ures might have done honor to an in
quiry meeting. At the trial of a girl
brought from a north-end dance hall of
that city, that sensible magistrate.
Chief-Justice John W. Bacon, of the
Municipal Court, now of the Supreme
Court, catechized the girl, who said
dancing was her occupation; by that
she got her living; at which the Chief
Justice discharged her, saying a girl
had a right to get her living by dane
ing. Now, the girls above referred TO
danced for the emolument. They no
doubt were hired for the purpose and
no smirk or lasciviousness met the gaze
of the ever-changing gallant saltwater
partners. They danced with spirit op-
posite their partners, four only consti-
tuting the quartet; and you may be
sure that if any of the modern close
quarters methods, called polka, schot-
tische or waltz, had been attempted,
we young critics who eyed them hour
after hour from the side benches would
have retired in disgust.
You may ask what became of these
dancing-girls. They were from the
neighborhood of High Street, and at
other times and afterwards fol-
lowed diligently their weekday occu-
patiOns. One of them heard of years
afterwards as valued domestic in one
of the best-ordered families in Salem.
These gaieties, with others such as ten
pins, now monopolized by summer va
cation clergymen, lasted from Wednes-
day morning till Saturday noon, when
we watched the constable of the town
march up what is now lafayette street,
with his staff, the badge of liberty in
his hand. and, presto. the flag of liberty
was lowered at twelve O'Clock noon,
and preparation made for the New
England sabbath.