The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-09-06
Arl asir,A cRAcKeR DANCE.
Odd Characters Keep Time to Queer Music
Soaring n Locomotive.

odd Characters Keep Time to Queer MUSIC
Soaring n Locomotive.
had not been in central Florida
week when was invited to a dance.
,ays a writer in the Detroit Free PreSs.
It was my first opportunity to make
the acquaintance of the native Florldl-
an. and of course went. The dance
was held in a school-house in Polk
county, and two kerosene lamps illum-
mating the room, produced decided
Iv Rembrandtish scene. The benches
were removed from the center of the
room. leaving low seat all around the
sides. The place was already filled
when arrived, the floor being occu-
pied by two sets.
The neighborhood for miles around
was well represented, entire families |
from the youn gest to the oldest turn i
ing out, babies and all. |, too. had !
brought my baby with me, only said !
baby was in his teens and already be-
ginning to fiirt with the young ladies.
The older men were most of them In
their shirtsleeves, their wives in calico.
The Young people put on more style,
some of the Young girls. being in
white. What did wear? Let me see,
| think it was my blue and gold calico,
and felt myself the best dressed woman
in the room.
The mothers didn't sit and hold
their babies-oh, no. The latter We're
laid on the floor in a corner of the
room, where they rolled and tumbled
and walked and slept and kicked their
little feet;one never once cried. Among
the infants there was pair OF twins
who had come to the festive scene with
father. mother, and five brothers and
sisters. The next in age to the twins
! was a comical little fellow years old
who regarded it as IL great privilege to
be permitted to attend the dance. lie
slept the evening through, sitting dog
pedly upright on the hard bench and
manifestlng deep but silent ntindignation
if anyone insinuated that he was sleepy
or sought to put him in @ more COM
Portable position.
The belle of the ballroom chewed
gum while she danced.
The musicians consisted of a fiddler
who, as well as could make out, did
not attempt to play tune, but contin-
ually repeated a single strain; and "a
second performer who with couple
of sticks beat a loud tattoo.on the vio-
lin, almost drowning its sound. Each
set on the floor had its own caller, so
that. each danced independent figures,
according to the fancy of the caller,
md each eotillOn was prolonged until
he dancers were tired out. The dan
.ers varied in age from 9 years old ia
even times that number.
Certain whisky bottlesh been cir.
culating privately outside the door,
and presently their effect began to be
manifest. Some of the young men
grew noisy and then quarrelsome. II
was not long before there was dis
pute about place on the hOor,and the
two Young men went out into the pine
woods to settle matters, number o
their friends accompanying them
some probably for the purpose of help
ing on the fight and others perhaps t.
itry to prevent it. When they had re
treated Il sufficient distance the com
batants stood and sassed one another
II want YOU to know Pm the king o
Pike county, am," says one.
.I's whale, l is; l walters owe
seventeen acres and a half" retorts tn
other.
. .sCome on, if you dare. and I'll shoe
YOU plumb through the blubber, an
then l reckon you'll waller som
more.
! YOU'RE q king. be ye? Well, yo
can't king it over me. I'm no bug
eater if do scratch bark. rs whale
> I is. and bigger'n any king that eve
swung q pine knot.
, Thus the wordy battle ragged. br
memory fails me on the remainder c
} their taunts, boasts and threats. The
came to no blows, and after havin
3 made sufficient display of courage bot
it the king and the whale were r9nter
), to relapse into normal Florida cracl
h ers.
The reyelry was kept to late
It rather an early hour. One by one, al
ls family by family, the dancers drOppt
IS off, and in the early morning moi!
y shouts dying away in the distance pr
d claimed that the last of the revele
a were on their homeward way.
= Before / close / mnst tell a lit
story the truth of which is vOuched f
is by an acquaintance. 1t isn't so maj
:. years since the railroad was extend'
i to Polk county, and the day on whi'
,s the ears reached the jubilant little ci
if in which am tarryiag was observ,
re as holiday. A barbecue was hel
n and / don't know how many OK
roasted. The country people can
from far and near to see the cars. n
- acquaintance stood on the platform
, the station just as the train was col
= ing in. Beside him stood raw cou
- tryman who had never seen train
- cars before, and who was watching t
. approaching locomotive with ope
- mouthed and wide-eyed awe and wo
der. At this moment it began to raj
J, and the countryman naturally rails
TX his umbrella.
IS Put that downr' exclaimed n
: acquaintance with a cautionary g
: ture. 'tYou will ffighten the locom
ee tive"
{ The umbrella came down.