Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-05-01

LouIsvILLE.-Few persons - certainly
few outside the south who have either
heard or employed that common express
sion, He takes the cake. in some one
OF ITS various conversational modi6ca-
tons, have any idea of the origin Of the
phrase Certainly few were ever specta-
/ tors or participants in the little game from
which 1t had its being.
The cake walk is distinctivey Afri-
can institution. Save on one notable Oc-
casion, the Caucasian has not attempted
to profit by the, inventive genius of his
dusky brother. This was when Douglass
Sherley, the well-known dilettante of this
city. the leader of kent1cky's -Four Hun
bred, introduced it to ne society of the
Bourbon metropolis. The best blood of
kentucky participated on the memorable
occasion. The fairies of beauties In the
! famed Blue Grass, brave galImts with
pedigree almost as long rs those of their
thoroughbreds. gentlemen "of the old
school, sab, judges and statesmen, were
/ there and walked for the cake
Socially, it was grand success; artsti-
oally, 1T was a dismal failure. As well ex-
pect to take a native Catfre and 10y putting
him IN evening dress make a modern
Chesterfield of him. The "cake-wak be-
4 longs to the plantation not the drawing
room. 1t has been known in the south
for at least fifty years but has undergone
SLIGHT changes since slavery was abolished.
Ii flourshes to a great extent in country
towns, but reaches its highest Insurance
on the farm or plantation
The tr0phy-a cake would not be worth
over 40 cents IN any baker shop i'm Amer
, : 4 rtt,ff H Il
if we come TO that. what is the intrinsic
value OF the red ribbon of the Legion of
Honor? 1t is "a mere question of prefer
ence. The trenchman wants millinery
and the negro wants cake. To allow the
eagles of E2uce or the tddlers at cake
walk requires 9u equal amount of yalor
or courage, though may be a different
kind. Each is oftimes attended by blood
shrd and not infrequentiy by loss Of
( life
A negro-he must be the head of
family Ending himself in financial
straits, bids his friends to meet him at his
cabin, at cake-walk, at a time specified,
/ The etiquette Of the walk-there is an
etiquette, mind YOU and it is rigidIy en-
forced-requires. first, that you be invited
second, that you pay; third, that you bring
company; fourth, on no account must "a
musician be attacked Failing to de-
| cline an invitation at the time of its ten
der is an acceptance ana the host will
hold you to a personal accountability for your
failure to appear. There is "a pleasant
feature connected with walks, to the
effect that a host cannot be held to account
for emitting to invite one just as in legis-
| latiye bodies a member cannot be question
ed outside for words spoken in debate.
But, as in the latter case the outraged ele
ment gets even with the statesman at
the first convenient opportunity 10y rip
ping him up the back at the polls so the
sighted colored brother gets up an opposi-
ton cake walk. or, falling in that,
seeks a quarrel and lets the sunshine into
the vitals of the forpetful host,
That couple gets the cake which dis
plays the most grace in the promenade,
which IS half a walk and half a dance;
that is, they get it when no demurrer is
entered 1t often happens that the negro
who is handiest with his razor and not his
feet is awarded the cake There is gener-
ally present some big buck, hideously ugly.
who invariably looks around to get the
most slatterny wench he can find. And
he and his partner usually get the cake.
Indeed observation leads to the conclusion
that ApOlos are generally nowhere In the
race and that "cake-walk' is a game
where Hercules wins or dies.
The position Of judges ore ones Of grave
responsibility and moment, which call for
nerve and no small amount Of courage
These judges, together with the musician,
gather i'm one corner. while the chief JUS
tice cries IN loud voice: ladies prom
6nade' Festivities have begun On
with the dance, Mark the music sort
of old plantation, "h0e-down, with
shutting accompaniment. A big buck,
with affected mconcern, leads his female
companion out salutes, and together they
do their most graceful walk, he lifting his
hat at short intervals, she Sinking and
bowling
1t IS part Of the ethics of "cake-walks"
that no remarks be made of any couple
while they are IN the ring partly because
it might influence the Judges mainly be
cause it would interrupt the reyelry and
precipitate a panic All the talking is
done by the c0ntesting couples generally
twenty-five although any number will do
who from time 10 time give vent to such
Recommendations as these oh, we Sc
exputts at de biz. 80 81 Sc web-fOoted, I is;
watch dis wing, or joining in the refrain
Of the fddles and punctuatiug the time
with the shuttle Of feet
Is'e humpbacked. roundshondered and fun Of
Bnt ds .I,' Amt no fife. on Dandy Jims knees
recommendations which would be some
what ont of place in Douglass Sherley
drawingroom or even average polite So
ciety.
The cake-walk proper generally lasts
from s p. IN. to II. at which time the
Judges are expected 10 hand down q de-
ci.ion. They are prompt There Is no
precedent Of "cake-wa.k judges ever
hanging fire. or being iresolute. Their
award bring, the victorious couple tothcm,
and array. the remainder Of the contest
ants against them The musicians at
mi, point work their most stirring and I'M
spirinp music. They bad been at cake
walks before and know what is coming
Some one Of the defeated imuugn- the
honesty of the decision by asserting that
amy one who saws his ga. am T. de- grace
fullest ladv on The boards is a liar. Tins
followed 6y every other buck-recltlng hls :