The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-02-27
ARKANSAS sHETcH
saturday Might IN Caiiie Town The
Typical COW-tOy

Henry KIM, IN tprihner lnr March
The dulness which had so weighed upon VI
through tho long, uneyentful afternoon WA
but lul, We soon learned, and not n sAgna
ton, With lko first approach of darkness
the lelhnrdo town rubbed it, Dyes, 50 Il
speak, and lcaped 10 lts foot-and in
twinking IN scented like an incarnation, East
man said, Grand avenue WIS u carnival Of
light, and motIona music, The broad board
sidewalks wore crowded with prOmenndcr'i
smiling groups pasaed In md ont Of the
drin, ng-snlouns and gambling placeai IN
every quarter lasses ellnked and dice ratified
~ there another sound IN tho world like that
Of shaken diee2)l yiollns, flutes and comets
sent out oRger, inviting strains Of waltz and
polka from score or more establishments
aud u brass band WINS playing patrl-
otir aira IN front Of the theatre, where,
oddly enough, the crude morality Ct "ren
Nights In liAr-room" was about 10 be pre-
sonted with tho full strength Of tho COM
pnny IN the Casi," Everywhere, the cow
bows made themselves manifest, clad now In
the soled aud dlnsy Jeans of tho trail, then
In n suit of many-bultoned corduroy md
ngain In RllluGnCG Of brOadc0th, silk hat,
gloves, cnne, and sometimes u clerical white
necktic. Aud everywhere, also stared and
shono the Lone Star Of ToSas-for the cow
boy, wherever no may wander, and however
ho may change, never forgets TO be Il
Texan, and never spends his money
or lends bis presence 10 concern that
does not In some way recognize tho en-
bom Of his native Statoi 50 you will see in
towns Ike New Sharon general panderRg
10 this sentiment, and lone stars abound of
Nil sizes and hues, from the big Ghlgur-
ing white one painted on tho hotel front To
the little pink ono stitched in silk on the
cowboys handkerchief Barring these nu.
mcruus stars, the rich lights and the rdusc,
wa missed sight of any special efforts
10 boglilo or ontrap passcrs-by
perhaps because We were not
looking for thcm; nor was there for some
hours II sound 10 reveal the spirit Of coiled
and utter Yilonoss which the cheerful outs dc
so well boiled, 1t WIS in the main much the
kind of u scene one would be apt TO conjet-
turo for an Oriental holiday. But rs the
night sped on the festivities dccpcncd,
and ~ the joyial aspect of the picture
began to be touched and limited
with II subtle, robuking something,
which gradually discoses the passion,
the crime, the dcprOyity, that really vivihed
aud swayod tall and made il Internal, The
saloons became clamorous with profanity md
ribald songs and laughter. There were no
longer any promenaders on the sidewalks,
save once in awhile a single bleared and
staggering fellow, with difficulty in his
clumsy lips over some such thing rs "The
Girl left Behind Me-" An inll0med and
quivering Ilorcencss crept into the
busy music. The lights paled,
llickcred and here and there
went out, Doors were stealthily closed, win
dow-sbutters slammed t, with angry creaks.
And at length, as we looked and listened, the
sharp, significant report Of II pistol, with II
shrek behind it, was borne toward us from u
turbulent, dancing-hall to certify its tale of
combat and probable homicide, and to be
succeeded by close but brief halt in the
noisy quadrille-presumably for the removal
Of the victim.