The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1892-08-06
WHAT A CAKE WALK IS.
An Institution OF slavery That Is Very

Popular.
The cake walk is one OF the ins:i'u-
tons of slavery which has survived
the emancipation proclamation.
The evolution o. the cake walk is
an interesting study. says the Clncin-
natl Inquirer. 1t is closely allied to
the coon inc, bu :Zard lope and Mobile
buck dances which are il turn rclat-
ed 10 the South Sea island tu.ahu. 4
dances ana more remotely. perhaps.
to the South American coombiamba-
All these are exhibitions in movement
and gesture OF human emotion and
necessarily are rude and barbarous
bu. wonderfully fac mating. The
cake walk is the highest type OF the
forms of amusement 1t is easy 10
see how the idea Of walking for a cake
impressed the ina @inative brain Of {;
coiorcd person ana caused it to become
what it is to-day.
AS nearly II, can BE- learned-for
cake walking has no 1T nature the
custom orig mated in the lowly cabins
of the colo.el people in antc-b c!lum
days. 1t was customary for the slaves
TO dance Il homeiy sort of squire
dance somewhat resembling qua
drillc, but not s. involved EOr latrl-
cate here Was Il time in this dance
when every participant walked arou nd
in a circ.e. AT first the men and
. women alone. bat in time they began
to walk in couples. The reward was
hoccake. baked in the hot 60 us Of
the hearth and wrapped in Il capb1ge
NJ, t,,t has .SFr nj
male while the victorious female was
presented with the first piece Of mo-
/ lasscs candy pulled from il batch made
for that purpose.
Cake walking has been for upward
of fifty years popular amusement
When slalc'v was abolished 1t was
car led into til, northern states. more
particu AIRY to New York. The first
cake wax that is known to have
taken place north Of Mason and
Dixons line occurred in Turner's
/ hall. In Troo,;lyl in IS Is. 1t WIS
, conducted by II man named Nobbins.
who still lives in Vanderbilt avenue
and is so years old.
4 cake walk was such 4 novelty at
! that time that spectator, cane from
twenty mics around The country to
! see it. an there WAS such Il crowd
that ha.f the peoJlo w!:e tn ned
away.
For many yca"s the coo 'el people
/ mad cake walks at long intervals.
wA!ch were witnessed BY WY few
white men. They usually took p ace.
! fifteen or twenty years ago. rs an ad-
| june; to Il fail. held in tie al! Of al
| African church.
The nest step in the progress Of
cake walking evolution was It's intro
! dlction at Summer ana seaside re-
sorts by the co!orcI walters in the
! hotels. There arc very lew Of the
big summer 10 els in TIE United
! StatcS but have their aurutl cake
| walks ut the close Of the season.
Eourt rsc.;i b; $i,r.t-.
The owner Of a house near fcrlin
found single cry IN thc Ers,. OF IL
| pair OF stofks built on the chimnc:.
and substituted for it u goose's cT-.
| viii n in due time was II tcha all
! produ ed a g0-!ng instead . the c:,-
| Dected storiIing. The male bird was
thrown INTO the greatest excitement
| by this event ana finally few away.
| The female. however, remained on
! the nest and continued to cure for the
changing as though il were Ecr own
oiTorr ng On the m@i'n.ng o. the
| fourth cay the mae r@:lrp AIRED a:
! compan.cd by ncar.y 300 ,to:i which
, held a mass aectiag in al al :, cnt
| tivlda Tho asscmbl,, we are IL 20: med
was addressed by several speakers
each orator post ne hin ,clt on the
Sa,aaa S,anf Ia. hn. ri:.n :str hi ha"-
ran rue. Tic c ac.. ,r..t;02i id | dis
cussions cccs,picd nca:.iE the entire
/ forenoon when suddenly the meeting
broke up and al the storks pounccd
| upon the IN 1c"tun,ltc fem lie and her
suppostit.ous young one. Killed them
both. and alter destroying The pol.
lutcI nest took wing and departed
and were never scen th.rc a,aM.