The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-03-08
SAD, This SPELLING.
Twenty-Five Girls IN a Row,
Dumb as Oysters,
Chewing Cum.
GENTS" DRINKING BAD BEER,
Then the Band Murders Another
Tune, Fights Cease at the Bar,
and the Melancholy .Grand
Annual Goes On.

Don't forget the grand annual ball of
the -- Association to be held at -----'s
Hall on Saturday evening. Gents hat
check twenty-five cents. Ladies admit
ted Free
These are the words which are printed
on diamonds and cards everywhere 10
Hoboken
These grand annual balls. especially
those which are held in the halls in the
lower part Of the city, ara just ordinary
Saturday night dances run off by a
couple of enterprising young men who
manage TO make few dollars out of the
affairs. A certain class who are very
numerous in this community, and are
commonly known as "spielers," atten
these affairs. which are not without
interest to the thoughtful student Of
human nature.
Iastended one Of these spieler balls in
Hoboken last night and found a ball room
etiquette Of so peculiar nature that ir
was hard to sag whether the occasion al
lights were violations of its rules or were
especially provided for by them.
The hall at which the bail was held Is
IN the lower part Of the Fourth ward. but
as the dance shut down promptly at
twelve O'Clock and there was no serious
violation of the statutes perhaps it is best
that the name Of the proprietor should
not be published
entered the place shortly after nine
O'Clock, The nall was in the rear of a
dimly lighted, low studded saloon and the
strains Of an orchestra desperately trying
to play They're After Me'' could be
heard through the half open door. Two
young men with clean shaven faces and
hair combed Ia pompadour were at q
low table Without saying q word one of
them took my hat, jabbed piece Of paste
board Inside the rim, and at the same time
stuck out his hand with a significant
motion. paid the necessary quarter.
On the paste board in my hat was the
number IS. handed 1t to tough look
ing specimen Of humanity who gave me a
duplicate piece Of pasteboaru, and |
entered the han.
THE MERRY DANCE.
There was something strange about
that ball room. It was bare Of decora-
tons. There was no excitement; no buzz
of conversation. 1.-The dance had Just
been concluded and all the girls seemed
10 have an aversion TO their male part
ners as they walked deliberately across
the floor and sat down on benches along
the wall. counted just twenty-five
young women, and they sat in line with
their backs to the wall and stared into
vacancy.
All the girls were pronounced spielers.
They were all passabIy good looking and
a few were rather hashily dressed The
majority, however, were very plainly at
| tired They all cnewed gum. and / do
not believe one word was spoken for i've
minutes at least.
! Ia the meantime the partners of the
| giris-for each girl had her particular
| partner-were at the bar filing them
| selves with beer and the proprietorfs
1 a. rvffh rpoaIfh 1ihopo xxror ~
two growls; and the phrase " Shove
| over"-Quite popular expression among
4 them-was used frequently.
One OF the members of the banda lit.
| tie German, came ont 70 the bar 10 get a
| drink when one of the gang began tc
guy" hin numerically. When the
| poor fellow was about TO drink his beer
| one fellow pushed another against MIN
and the beer was spilled all over his
clothes. The German muttered cuss-
word in his mother tongue, and went
| back to his brother musicians. where he
stood gesticulating wildly till the leader
took him In hand and gave him some
| good advice.
ANOTHER GOOD TUNE GONE WRONG.
| Then the band murdered another tune
| After some difficulty I recognized the
corpse as that of Sweet Katie Connors. y
In an instant the scene shifted. The
| young men at the bar darted for the ball
room, some OF them in their haste to
| catch the dance leaving their beer IN
touched. The girls along the wall also
showed signs of life. as If they were on
| the lookout for their favorite dancer.
| And right here is another feature Of q
| spieler ball which is at once noticeable.
| When male spleler wants to dance with
a female spieler he does not 60 over and
! say in his sweetest tones, May hare the
| pleasure OF this dance" No, indeed.
| That is too conventional for him. Ali he
| does is to stand at the entrance TO the
| hall. watch until he catches the eye OF
| the girl he wants to dance with, and then
mods his head The girl, if she is Evil
lin, )" walks half way across the floor aud