The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-05-09
OH, Dose GOLDEN SLIPPAHS'
Golly, Msssas, How de Coons Did
Walk TO- Dem Cakes.

auspices Oh Iue MOuutlSHt OVbOkAc'
The mammoth structure was decorated
with flags and national colors of various
designs. In the centre of the long sweep
of polished flooring stood a glass show
case filed with prizes, and upon it rested
two large and handsomely iced cakes.
One was pyramidal and was sur
mounted by a marriage bell. The other
was flat and centrally decorated with u
big red rose. The first was prize No. l
n the second No. 2 for the cake walk.
The judges, all of them prominent Green
Williams, were seated in front of the show
case. iZacn Watkins. the pride of the
dusky bellies in that pretty section, was
apparently master OF ceremonies. Mr..
John McCarty directed the entertain
ment.
FANCY STEPS.
The first contest was among the jig
dancers, "Zac'' announced the contest
with an imperial wave OF his right arm.
In response to the first call, .Mr. Wilson,
of Newark" a young, well built and
graceful descendant of Ham in a box
coat and light pantaloons stepped for
ward. "shook a foot" and shufied back
among the crowd about the judges
stand. He was followed by a rather at
tenuated ~ebony-hued individual, whose
eyes glistened like two white buttons in a
tar barrel. This was Prof. Cigarro-Ba-
quetto. The professor tested the 1oor for
an instant, twisted his handy legs into
positions that reminded one of two
crossed electric wires connected with
floor batteries, and then gave way to
Prince Albert, OF Darkness, a big strap
ping fellow in a long black coat. Prince
Albert made a graceful bow and semi
circled to the centre of the floor. His pre-
liminary scuffle made him a general fav-
orite: the crowd cheered and bets were
even between him and MI. Wilson. Mr..
Wilson came forward again, and before
he left the floor demonstrated that he was
familiar with all the steps known to a
terpsichorean jigger. In vain Prince
prize. Finding he could not lead in
fancy steps, he broke boldly into the old
Queen Anne shuttle, balanced his burly,
ebony-hued frame on the tips of his toes.
slid backwards and came ~railroading for
ward on his heels amid the wild cheers of
the multitude, and wound up with a
double side shuttle. MIR. Wilson, how
ever. was awarded the silver cup.
Loud cries were heard for FAC" Wat
kins, but s'Zac' knew too much to dance
after the famous tilt between Mr.. Wilson
and the Prince. He stepped forward and
count at the feet of an American heiress,
and with that imperial characteristic
wave of his arms, resumed his digni1ed
position among the judges.
A LITTLE HITCH.
Next, the Cake Walk was announced.
FAC waved his handkerchief to the big
bushy-whiskered leader of the Dutch
band in the gallery.
Valley, or shotteesh?" yelled back
whiskers.
"Hoompl wondah if he takes dis fo' a
Dutch ball, = said FAC, as he stepped for
ward with the whites of his ayes glisten-
ing as ne raised them to the gallery.
"Vat ees it you vants" asked whiskers,
excited.
.sDe gran mawch," yelled FAC.
we'll, you has no programme. Wy
didn't you say de grand march?'
The cornetist trilled a few notes from
an instrument whose valves clicked like
a telegraph instrument. The bass fiddler
gave u gr0wl like a e with the tooth
ache. Then all the instruments took a
hack at it, and mutilated morsels of the
march from Lohengrin began to fill the
quivering air. There was d stir below.
THE CONTESTANTS.
Ed. Whales, a cute looking individual
with a thrush complexion, wearing stifly
starched red and white striped cuffs and
collar, stepped forward with Miss Morris,
a dusky New York belle, resplendant in
black crepe and beads. Ed and his part
ner took the lead. Big Ben Cox, in a
Smith leaning on his arm. One of Ben's
big hands rested upon his hip, and he
walked with a senatorial strut.
George Thomas, "a distinguished look
ing gentleman with the complexion of a
beer-keg, Joined the ranks with Miss Hat
tie Vreeland, and Mr.. and Mrs. Charles
Jones followed closely behind. Jones,
who by all odds, was the handsomest
man in the line. wore q white vest. He is
a well-proportioned mulatto with oiled
curly hair and moustache. Mrs. Jones'
complexion is a few shades darker. Frank
NJ. = r H. zr,e rsf \. Afsra A -, o-e ~x~x. .x~A
closely followed by William Matthews,
his brother and Mrs. Williams.
Shall we preambulate, Mrs. Watson?''
asked a slim-faced, glib-tongued youth of
a fat middle-aged woman. sitting just in
side the enclosure.
n Mrs. Watson started to rise. The
slim youth attempted TO assist her. The
rreacherous waxed fioor was too slippery
for the stiff S0leS of his new box Loed gal
ters. Down he went in a heap, and Mrs.
Watson, in trying to save him, floundered
on top Of him. The crowd cheered But
the youth wriggled out from the bottom
Of the heap, and helping Mrs. Watson to
her feet took up a position in the line OF
contestants.
Mrs. Watson sized up the shape of the
attennated youth. whose forehead sloped
like q toboggan slide.
"Lor' go way, boy. What sort oh fig
gah do you 'spose we'd cut 'mong all dem
air fine looking folks on de fio?"
But Mrs. Watson looked as though she
wanted to ''perambulate" and feared
she'd be left.
TITS not de rust time Pve been dar. /
dough, boy. Use took de cake long fore
you was bawn.p
.Oh, come on, Mrs. Watson. / know
you'se an ole ham at de business. Well
defiogistlcate some of dem air guys we'll
frustify dere gyrations into a centrifu-
GATED 'spenduosity, an manipulate mat
tiers to d combinated subj
HARD TO DECIDE.
There were about fifteen couples in the
march. They walked around the i'm |
mense structure, then 'snaked1 down
the length of the building and around
the judges who sat in the centre. All did
the elegant. 1t was hard to decide who |
did the best. The judges finally selected
the six couples above mentioned, who |
an exhibition march. AT its con
Mr.. Whales and Miss Morris were
the cak with the marriage bell.
and Mr.. and Mrs. Jones the one decorat-
with the rose. When Mrs. Jones
walked off proudly with the rose bedecked !
cake she little dreamed it was filed with I
dust. Perhaps she don't know it
yet.
A waltz contest followed for a silver
and dancing was INDUCED in till
quite late.
The affair was a great success.
LAST NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.