The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-05-14
THE DAGOS.
A Queer Race OF People on the Gulf
Coast.

A Rueer Race OF People on the Gull
Coast.
Cor OF the Philadeiphia Times.
The creole had. before the transfer OF
Louisiana and Florida to the United
States, assumed something of national
character. Most of the respectable in
habitants held commissions in the army
or in some of the departments of gov
eminent; they lived on their salaries,
paid no taxes, and were rarely called to
strict account for their conduct The
balance Of the people kept little shops,
cultivated small gardens or followed
fishing and hunting. It is the descend
ants of these old Spanish and French
government officials and soldiers who
are to-day the planters in Florida, lower
Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and
along the Texas coast. They have stop
ped cane growing and cotton raising
and are planting banana and orange
groves. They are the future millionaires
of the south; a people OF intelligence,
bravery, virtue and beauty. The de-
scendants of the latter class-the "poor
white" creoles-are the dagos of to-day.
The dago is almost wholly confined to
the towns; a few COW pens in the coun-
try form the only exceptions. The
dagos are generally temperate. 1t is
true they drink vast quantities of wine
and st. Croix rum (their "sangarees !"
are the best / ever tasted), but it is not
often that you see an intoxicated dago
| at first thought them quiet people
but have since learned that it is con
stitutional Incidence. When reused by
passion they exhibit all the baser quail
ties of their mongrel ancestry. They
are atlectionate and friendly to each
other, hospitable and generous to
strangers, and the even tenor of their
way is not often disturbed by business
of any kind. They are distinctively a
dancing people, and fandangos are Of
frequent occurrence. Gard parties and
patgors, bull-tights and the theater are
frequently INDUCED il but never to cx-
cess. The hustle and excrtion Of the
mixed American population, daily set
Ting among them, will for time throw
these people into the back ground. Those
of the new settlers who are successful
will take rank and join caste with the
more cultured creole, but the unfortu-
nate ones will soon settle down to the
easy lives of their neighbors, and by in
and force of habit, become
the progenitors of fresh generation of
dagos. Like the Andalusians, they
dance the fandango III the evening and
always on Sunday. Other dances
waltzes, polkas, cotillions, and even
JUDAS and jigs-arc danced by way of va
riety; but q ball is always ended and
often begun with the fandango. 1t is
danced in three four time by one couple
only, and after each dance, the lady
offers her cheek to the men present, and
allows herself to be embraced by all of
them. 1t is yoluptuous, dreamy ex-
ercise, and once INDUCED in will meyer
be forgotten. The fair dancers perfume
to perfection after Spanish customs; all
wear mantillas of lace, and all are adroit
in the managementof their fans (abani-
con). They carry on conversation with
it, and could extend this article far be-
yond the limits Of your columns, explain
ing the complicated code of signals by
which they express their feelings with
this implement of fashion. Rage, hate,
love, jealousy, pride, grief, tenderness,
joy, are all typitied in their inimitable
of the fan, The dago wo-
men are fond of intrigue, but it is only
when they are married that they are
much INDUCED in. Female morality
among them, therefore, is necessarily
rated high, and they have little mercy
on q woman who errs before she is mar
ried. After matrimony this relation pro-
tects them from the scandal that would
originate were they to indulge in their
favorite pastime while yet maidens.
They mature early, marry young, are
generally prolific, and before they reach
the age of 80 are old women-yellow,
and garrulous The children
of the dago parents are study in Them
selves, resembling each other or their
parents in but few instances. One will
have thick lips, curly hair and olive
Of the quadroon; another,
strongly marked Spanish features; one
with a physiognomy decidedly Hiber-
MAN, and the next child, small-boned,
vivacious, hottempered, inheriting these
peculiarities from some remote French
ancestor. In disposition there is an
equal dissimilarity, the gay, the proud,
the stern, the quiet being
found in all families.
The dago men are passionately fond
of gambling. They risk their all on the
turn of dice, or the fortune of a card
with recklessness that is truly remark
able. Spanish monte, roulette, rouge ct
noir, and dice are played, and a game
which bears striking resemblance to
our faro. TWAS undoubtedly introduced
among them by the French. In Pensa-
cola it is very extensively played. In
religion the dago is Roman Catholic, and
observes all the feasts and fasts, the forms
and ceremonies of the church with pune
tillious fidelity. Sunday is their gala
lay, and horse-racing, gambling, dane
ing, ETC., are freely INDUCED in after
the morning deyotions are attended to.
They make excellent sailors, and those
that follow the sea also follow snug
Cling. No one has any idea of the
of contraband goods surrepti-
5iously brought into the gulf states by
The dago sailors.
A Delicate Mission.