Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1879-01-18
THE ACTIvES ACTIVE.
A Hall that II teOa the Police Force
Ia Help ROIl-How the Weeeaeoe
Introduced u New Dance.

AFTER weeks OF preparation accOrC
ing to anuo uncement the Wpccacos Az
tive Association occu pied the boards d
Prof. Wsbstsr's Dancing Academy, las
evening, with their second annual ball
and if the affair last night is to b- ia
ken an a criterion, VIZ sincerely hop
it will be tho last. The seen. w!,ici
presented itself to our gaze as we en-
tered the ball room, about ten o'clock
reminded us strongly of Dante = Infer
no, and Knocked all our preconceiv-,
ideas of Bob lngersOllism into a cooked
hat. About three hundred human be
ings We're packed in the small room, ful
y one half too many for comfort, ant
as We opened the door this sw.ltprine
mass of humanity was engae ed in any
thing els. but the innocent recreation
for which our Wilmington ANIMALS hav,
become noted. T-rpsichore and Orphe
us seemed to have taken back sea
and Pandemonilim reign-l supreme
BIasphemy rolled towards the ceiling il
sulphurous clouds, and women with
disheVsl.d Lair rent the air with theil
shrieks Of fright. We were at first be-
wildered by this strange scene, but re-.
mem bering that the Actives had adver
tised "a new dance" We came to the
conclusion that this was it, and thai
the gentl.maniy managers, who wert
doing some tall swearing, were only
calling out the fgu ~.
We were further impressed with this
idea by observing in the midst Of the
melee the towering form Of Chief Max
we'll, surrounded by corps OF his blue
coats, who were vaiDly endeavoring tc
bring order out Of chaos, for we cam.
to the conclusion that the Actives h ad
invented tho new dance" during one
of their famous Sunday afternoon frolies,
and as the tlue coats generally bear a
prominent part in these tame frolics,
We surmised that their presence at the
ball last night was necessary to make
the "cast" complete. After time by
the determined and united efforts of
the policemen present, som. semblance
of order was restored and the exercices
continued, but all through thu night
at intervals, the rough and turbulent
nature of the 'gang" who were con-
ductirg the affair would assert itself,
and for time repetition Of the
"opening scene" Of the evening would
be threatened, however, despite jarring
and wrangling. and an occasional
love tap that would compel the recip-
lent to study astronomy for a while,
this most rfcAers affair was continued
until about five o'clock this morning.
when ended one Of the most dsgraceful
apologies for ball that has occurred
in Wilmington for years, and the fair
record which our social clubs have es
tabished for order and decorum had
received its first blot.
We sad euded, but no, there was an
after scene Wien the ladies' retired
to their dressing room to procure tie
wraps, ETC., they discovered that t
usual accompaniment of such GO
the sneak thief, had been about.
cloaks, water-proofs, gums, ETC.,
they had left in fancied security, A,.l
d disappeared. There was some more
gent-el growing, a few more cuss
wol da waited gently upws.ds, but the
things were gone, and finding nothing
could be done to remedy the matter the
crowd went too, the managers taking
their course towards their native heath
where it is our earnest prayer that they
may remain until the broad leaven of
civilization shines upon them, and un-
til good behavior and decency become
part Of their creed. We would Also
suggest that good time to hold their
next annual wonld be when the hosts
gather to celebrate the second centep-
lial of American Independ-nce-l976. |
)f course we do not expect to be there,
out posterity will enjoy it.
From information received We learn
hat the new dance which The Activcs
Idvcrtised is really an interesting af.
air, and in the hands OF proper per
,onS promises 20 BE- a source of much
njoyment to our young folks this sea
on. The dance is called the Della
ware Quadrille,' and as the fact that
thers besides themselves had obtained
'ossessiOn of it, seems to have bern
he bone of contention arlong the chief
aims OF the Weccaco', it would not be
miss to relate how that possession was
btained. 1t seems thaA.when the Ac.
lv-procured possession Oft the quadrille
hey began to boast Of it, mo on- out
lde of q select few should know it,
tc. These boasts reaching the ears of
ie members of the Shields Library
nd the b. G.'s, in whose ranks are
)me of the best dancers ia town,
lot was formed to capture the dance
nd outwit the Actives. This was done
) follows: One evening last week the
Inflated of the Actives met in Prof. I
'ebstrr'1 Academy to practice, "to c
It the thing down tine,' Az they said, t
nd 80 careful were they to guard their n
t"o"''. Nhht tiiV V'Vh HNHS Idt
'er the door knob to prevent any one f
ON peeping in at the key-hole. Ilav-
& thus secured things they began to
actice, and continued until the entire 7
ladrille was gone through with, and /
ry We're just congratulating each C
her on how tho "boys' would open
cir eyes, when what was their con.
to hear tap at the window
Id voice saying "that's pretty we'll =,
me- and on turning they beheld \ +,
rec of the enemy, members of the J.
ieds', standing outside the window, |.
the cornice which juts out on the
trket street front of the building.
'ere they had stood during the entire II
busy with pencil and pa ca
r. until ut its close they had the di
nee as complete as the Actives them -
yes. All this was done in a spirit Of
nerous rivalry, and was so taken by Tc