The herald., 1894-09-24
OLD-TIME DANCE HALL.
A PEN PICTURE OF EARLY FROM.
TIER LIFE.
Tarantula Juice and Btue Ruin. Inter
spsrssd With QuadrilIes, shoVt-
ing Hcrapss. Broils and
Gambling.

Many of the old-tims stage drivers
and government teamsters remember
the old time dance halls at the different
stations on the Kansas Pacific railroad
from Fort HASKELL to Xiii Carson, says
the Las Vegas Optic. Ths frontier
dance hall was q very quiet place in the
day time, but after sundown the fun
would begin.
The monte tables and chuekaluck
opened up TO their patrons; all kinds of
gambling games we're at full blsst by 10
O'Clock as night; patrons from the bull
trains. buffalo hunters from camp,
government teamsters from the corral,
Mexican bull-whsckers, overland stage
drivers and other frontier make-ups, ia
cludirg the female hard characters that
followed the construction of the rail-
road, helped to fill the great board dance
hall. Dancing, drinking and gambling
were carried on in this one great room.
The bar and gambling tables took up
the front end OF the hall; the dancing
set occupied the largest part OF the rear
end etring band perched upon high
platform furnished the music to
dance by.
Mexicans, cowboys. teamsters, stage
drivers and all could be seen on the floor
engaged in a quadrille, with painted
faced harlots for companions in the
dance.
"Got your pard for the next quadrille 1
Another couple to fill up this set She's
all full, let her go! Honor pard Bal
ance all! First four right and left, all
dance! Grand right and left, all hands
round! Promenade ALL everybody
dance; now waltz up to the bar and
name your pizen !" ''Tarsntuls juice"
"blue ruin'' and "herdsrs' delight"
with a "horned toad' and ''vitriol
dart" in it, were the frequent mixtures
called for. Cigars were called 'team-
ster's regAlias," or "bull-phaker's pas
time" These two brands were very
salabls at the bar, 25 cents for drinks
and 25 cents for the smokers. The
women took the same. When they got
too much booze they would generally
taper by taking ''regalia." These they
sold back to the bar at half price, whan
the dance finished up in the morning.
Things would move along quite
smoothly for the first two hours; af-
ter that the "tsrantula juice" would
begin to work, and all the deviltry on
the face of earth would begin to brew
in the general herd. Fighting, dancing,
gambling, drinking and all things else
were going on ct once, under the same
roof. All ct once some fellow, full OF
bug Juice, would howl at the highest
pitch OF his voice. declaring himself a
wild hoss," and hard to curry, and
could "whoap" his weight in wild cats.
He wonld not be long in finding some
other "hoss" that is willing to tackle
him. A few rounds soon settled one or
the other, and the defeated fellow called
the matter square, by setting up the
drinks to the crowd, who stood ready to
accept the invitation.
Presently another bad man felt the
bug Juice working. He would yell out,
IT am tough cuss. from the Huera-
fano. am one Of Dick Wooten's night
herders from the top of the Ration
mountains; am yaller-tsil wolf, and
it is my night to howl. Yipl Zip!
Every body howl With me?" The re-
sponse generally came, all joining in the
howl. "Set 'em up, barkeeper, Pve got
the stuff to pay for it; fur I've tapped
the monte bank fur ali even $100 on the
door card; cAbslla winl Oh, am from
old Mazoo, and peace distur bs my mind
can mug DuHaio waller ana HtAnd OH
a whole tribe of Cheyennes. Oil l
scalp, do; that's the kind of'a coyote l
am. Here. bsrkeep, is q 20. keep it all +;
l will dance out the change if there 10
any comm! Fiddler. play 'Old Johnny
Cox from Albuquerkp am chuck full
OF chill colorado, and like q Mexican
bale; fill up the set and start her off 1
will settle the bill when the bale is
overp'
Bang! bang and the lights 20 out.
Old "Baldy Bill" has plugged Mexican
for stealing sleeper In the Monte game.
No more dance until tomorrow evening,
and then the game will be running as
usual. There will be a "baile mafiana,
en- la noche. todas mujsres ALA" Seilo.
rita Camilla, Seilorita Black Mule,
Seiiorita Steamboat, Sefiorita MoIlie
Tibbetts. Buffalo Kate" and the "Sage
Hen" will all be on hand to dance the
cufia. Old Johnny Cox, es mucho
comandente, lives in Albuquerque in an
adobe hut. This il the programm me
for tomorrow night, after the Mexican