Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1892-03-29
A FRONTIER BALL
By JOHN B. SUMNER.

Better wait and KEN to the dance.
Ye see, the parsons kinder hard up,
and sot on hayin' meetin' house.
He's at t'other end of the circuit, and
weuns loved a dance war the thing
to s'prise him with the cash when he
shows up. Better kem.'
So remarked border boniface to
the writer early in the spring of 1889.
did not trequire great deal of coax
ing and decided so wait over one night
and attend the "ball" 5"
The dance was to be held in the COX
40 sod building that answered the
purpose of town hall, church, school,
house and dance house for the scat
tered settlement went with the
landlord. We arrived early and took
seats on the low platform at the end
OF the room.
The dirt floor had been. we'll
waxed - by liberal supply of alllali
water, and packed firm with the aid
of sawed-off fence post. The walls
were unadorned-paper being un-
known-save by few filckering
lamps whose headlight" oil had
been literally diluted with "bears'
grease " to save expense.
Soon the guests began to arrive
cowboys, farmers and miners. in 1lan-
mel shirts, coarse trousers and heavy
boots, and buXom girls with sweet
smiles, red cheeks and bright cali
Goes. Every one knew every one
else, and the hubbub ceased only
when the door opened and little old
man, with violin case under his arm,
entered the room. This was tho man
who originated the "shindig," and
was to occupy the position of man
ager, director, prompter and orches-
ira" Old Zeke Bennett, the best fld-
dler in the country
After the boys had bought their
dancing numbers, all eyes turned on
Zeke, who had reached the platform,
and stood with head erect, violin in
place and bow held high in air Sud
denly the bow descended. "Se-e-lect
Yer pardners tew honor tn first
o~ncel" came the sharp command;
and all was excitement, each seeking
his favorite for the first set.
To yer places; be ye ready honor
pardner; swing 'em steady; jlne yer
hans an circle tn hall! an circle TIL
halll"
shrill as the screech of frightened
jaybird sounded the opening chords of
the Arkansaw Traveller, shuflle-de-
thud sounded the rough shod boots,
and the charity ball at Pinto Gulch
was fairly under way.
Promenay singlel Back ag'ini
one at time, one at time!' sang
rather than called the excited Znke.
"Ilrot alon' there, Mollie Ann Fayl
Ford ag'in, an right an left throughl
Get Chicago move on yer, Sam!
Ladies' chain; chatn-a- backi Sling
'em right an left, an all poun' sandl"
The writer was more at ease now.
The dancers had forgotten the
stranger, and old Zeke was in his
his glory. Go it, ATi1el Stay by
i'm Sal!'' And the landlord pointed
out fellow who had attracted my no.
tice from the first by his liberal
method of spreading himself.
Who is hep" I inquired.
He air the Widow Murphy's first
husbands Mike. The best on 'em
all. See i'm shuttle tn back stepl He
allus did beat 'em all ter dance"
'Firs' lady ter tn rightI Swing
i'm if ye love i'm; cheat i'm IL yer
dare! Grab 'em as tn pass, or 'taint
no fairl"
Back and forth flew the admoni-
tions, interrupted by occasional peals
OF merry laughter.
Johnnie kept the old shcet-iron
stove in the corner well filled and the
nikali dust began to fill the room and
roll in clouds around the Pickering
lar ps.
Here a stumble, there couple
down in a heap; but no one takes Of
fense and no one notices. Faster and
faster the couples whirl; faster and
faster sounds the music, as old Zeke,
with only two strings left to his "49 -
fiddle, but with more than enough en-
ergy to make up, plies his deft fingers
and saws as if for his life, bending
his body this way and that, perform-
ing a series OF crow-hops over the
platform, and all the while in a shrill.
falsetto key prompting with a vim
and regularity of an exhaust pipe. A
break in the dancing, or the loss OF
fiddle string, makes no difference
vi h Zeke. The erring couple is
quickly righted, and the music goea
on. If 1t is the swapping of fiddle
string, without a break in the time,
old Zeke starts on an easier tune, and
continues his prompting with:
Git new holdt; an never mind
the fiddlel swing 'em hard, an leave
'em in the middlel Lamb In pen,
eTveD rails high lambie jump out an
plggie jump in; jine your paddles an
whoop 'em up ag'in."
At II o'clock Zeke announced.
One hour for restin' an oiIin' up.
M you'ns Wimmin az have lunch
must divide. AZ fer the men, How
.Ie tew add: Sheriff Tool an Squire
Jones hes provided the usual collas-
nun to be had at the Office of the
Laramie Argus gratis. !"
And the rush that followed testified
20 the popularity of the politicians.
Tho collashun over, moonlight
promenades and speeches at the
"off1s . filed the remaining time; and
promptly at o'clock Zeke, with fire
In his eyes and new strings on
his fiddle, entered the hall, followed
by the well "oiled company Of
g warriors bold, F" and dancing began
in earnest.
Now you'll see some dancin'," re-
marked the landlord, as he moved his
chair for better view. The boys, of
all ages. with rolled-up sleeves and