The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-04-21
Saturday Night in q Kansas Cattle
81 IOHn.

The .dullnessS which mad so weighed
Fupenus through the long, uneventful
afternoon wass but lull, we soon
learned, and not q. stagnation. With
the first approach Of darkness, the
lethargic town rubbed it's eyes, so to
speak, and leaped to its feet and in
twinkling, it seemed Qike an incanta-
ton, Eastman said), Grand avenue was
carnival of light, and motion, and mu-
sic. The broad board. sidewalks were
crowded with promenaders; smiling
groups passed in and out. of the drink
ing saloons and gambling places; in
every quarter glasses clinked and dice
ratified (and is there another sound in
the world like that of shaken dice y;
violins, flutes and comets sent out
eager, inviting strains of waltz and
polka from score or more establish
ments, and brass band was playing
patriotic airs in front of the @theater,
where, oddly enough, the crude moral
ity of '1Ten Nights in Bar Room" was
about to be presented, with the full
strength of the company in the cast. =
Everywhere, the cowboys made them
selves manifest, clad now in the soiled
and dingy jeans of the trail, then in
suit Eof many-buttoned corduroy, and
again in af1uence of broadcloth, silk
hat, gloves, cane, and sometimes cler-
ical white neck-tie. And everywhere,
also, stared and shone the Lone Star Of
Texas for the cowboy, wherever he
may wander, and however he may
change, never spends his money or
lends his presence to q concern that
does not in some way recognize the
emblem of his native State; 50 you
will see in towns like New Sharon
general pandering to this sentiment, and
lone stars abound of all sizes and
hues, from the big disfiguring white ono
painted on the hotel-front down to the
little pink one stitched in silk on the
cowboys shilling handkerchief. Bar
ring these numerous stars, tho rich
lights, and the music, we missed sight
of any special efforts to beghile or en-
trap passers-by. perhaps because we
were not looking for them; nor was
there for some hours q sound to reveal
the spirit of coiled and utter vileness
which the cheerful outside so we'll be-
lied. It was in the main much the kind
of scene one would be apt to conjecture
for an Oriental holiday. But, as the
night sped on, the festivities deepened,
and the jovial aspect of the picture be-
gan to be touched and tainted with q
subtle, rebuking something, which grad
ually disclosed the passion, the crime,
the depravity, that really vivified and
swayed it all, and made it internal.
The saloons became .clamorous with
profanity and ribald songs and laughter.
There were no longer any promenaders
on the sidewalks, save once in a while
single bleared and staggering fellow,
with difficulty in his clumsy lips over
some such thing as "The Girl I Left
Behind Me-" An inaamed and CULVER
ing fierceness crept into the busy music.
Tie lights paled, dickered, and here
and there went Gnt. Doors we're stealth
lily closed, window-shutters slammed to
with angry creaks. And at length, as
we looked and listened, the sharp, sig
nifcant report of pistol, with shrek
behind it, was borne toward us from q
turbulent dancing hall to certify it's tale
of combat and probable homicide, and
to be succeeded by close but brief
halt in the noisy quadrille- presumably
for the removalsof the victim. Henry
King, IN Scrib7aer. 4 "