The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-10-23

| was billiards, and every morning num-
| bers of young women, escorted by the
! Young men, gathered about the one
| billiard TIA le in the town. If a stran-
ger of note put up at the only tavern,
and gave out that he was come TO
stay some time, he was sure TO be
| called on, as the phrase was, to sign
| for ball. When the night came the
| garrison at Fort Jefferson would FUR
nish the music, and the managers
would choose the dances. The first
| was generally minuet, and, till his
number was called, no man knew
with whom he was to dance. This
over, each was at liberty to choose his
own partner for the first volunteer. -
With New York people the battery was
| a. favorite place of resort for amuse-
ment. There were other places ofpop-
ular outdoor resort in hot weather
without the city New York seems to
have been as uncomfortable IN the
summer time as it is now. In Phila-
delphia the assembly and the theater
provided for amusement lovers. "Ihe
assembly-room was at Oeller's tavern
and made one of the sights
of the town. The length was
sixty feet. The walls were papered in
the French frshion and adorned with
Pantheon figures, festoons and pllas-
ters, and groups of antique drawings.
Across one end was a fine music gal
lery. The rules of the assembly were
framed and hung upon the wall. The
managers had entire control. With
out their leave no lady could quit her
place in the dance nor dance out OF
her set, nor could she complain if they
placed strangers or brides at the head
OF the dance The ladies were to rank
in sets and draw for places as they en-
tered the room. Those who led might
call the dances alternately. When
each set had danced q country dance
a cotillion might be had if eight ladies
wished it. Gentlemen could not come
into the room in boots, colored stock
ings, or undress."
One of Mr.. McNIaster's long chap
ters is devoted exclusively to the SUBJ
iect of the ordinary life Of town and
country, and is a rich stOrehouse ofin-
formation concerning this very essen
tlaI part of history The matter of
dress is treated in highly interesting
fashion. stDress became every season
more and more hideous, more and
more uncomfortable, more and more
devoid of good sense and good taste.
Use and beauty ceased to becombined.
The pantaloons of a beau went up to
his arm-pits; tc get into them was a
mornings work, and when in to sit
down was impossible. His hat was too
small to contain his handkerchief, and
was not expected to stay on his head.
His hair was brushed from the crown
of his head toward his forehead, and
looked, as satirist of that day truly
said, as if he had been fighting an old
fashioned hurricane backward. About
his neck was a spotted linen necker-
chief; the skirts Of his green coat were
cut away to a mathematical point be-
hind; his favorite drink was brandy,
and his favorite talk of the last
French play. Even these alb
surdities were not enough, and when
1880 began fashion was more extrava-
CANT still Then a beau was defined as
anything put into pair fpantaloons
with binding sewed around the
top and called a vest. The skirts of
the coat should be pared away to the
width OF q hat-band, and if he was
doomed to pass his time in the house
he would require a heavy pair of round
toed iack-boots, with a taSsel before
and behind. Women were
thought worse than the men. To de-
termine the style of their dress, fashion,
decency, and health, the statement
was, ran a race. Decency lost her
spirits, health was bribed by a quack
doctor, so fashion won." The theaters
sought to provide for all tastes. We
mood Of xu1,ar, 4la
ance consisted Of the "BeauX STRAIT
comic opera called the ''Poor Soldier"
hornpipe, slack-rope tumbling, and
the pantomime of the "Death of Capt.
Cook" all in one evening. Gin the
theaters at the north it often happened
that the moment a well-dressed man
entered the pit he at once became
mark for the wit and insolence of the
men in the gallery. They would begin
by calling on him to doff his hat in
mark of inferiority, for the Gus
tom of wearing hats in the
theater was universal. If he
obeyed he was loudly Missed and
troubled no more. If herefused abuse,
oaths, and indecent remarks were
poured out upon him. He was spit
at, pelted with pears, apples, sticks,
stones, empty bottles till he left the
house. AS the blades in the gallery
were poor marksmen the neighbors of
the man aimed at were the chief suf-
ferers. On one occasion the orchestra
was put to flight and some instru-
ments broken" In New England the
puritan sabbath still had a strong
hold, although it was rapidly under
going modification. "Pious men COM
planned that the war had been great
demoralizer. Instead of awakening
the community to a lively sense of the
goodness of God the license of war
made men weary of religious restraint.
The treaty of peace had not been
signed, the enemy was still in the land,
when delegates to the general court OF
Massachusetts boldly said the sab
bath was too long. Country members
demanded a sabbath of thirty-six
hours; town members would give but
eighteen, and had their way. The ef-
feet was soon apparent. Levity, pro-
faneness, idle amusements, and sab