The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-06-12
oLp-FAsHloNEo CAKE WALKS.
They Were . Nevcr-FAiling Amusement
In the Days eff Slavery.

t6cy Here q Nevcr-EantnS AhuscDo1t
In the Days Of Slavery
Away back in the silken days of Dixie
land, when cotton was king and slavery
the colossal sir of the new wSrid, cake
walks occupied peculiar place IN the
relations between master and slave.
After the weary tolls of long day in
the fields the negro forgot his wrongs
and dreamed of liberty in practicing
with his partner intricate steps for the
cake walk that usually took place every
Saturday night. The sensible planters
encouraged this amusement for such
simple advertisement often softened the
stubborn spirits But the grand cake
walk, the one that aroused the most in
tense rivalry, and was looked forward
TO by the dsrkies with the same feeling
that children wait for Christmas. was
the function that took place after
"massa's" return from his annual trip
north, where he went TO sell his cotton
and buy new machinery and nipple
ments for the coming season The con-
lection that graced the walks on Satur-
day nights was nothing E1ore than a
corn pone, enriched with few eggs and
butter. On this ocsaxioz the cake vsA
q massive structure, covered with icing,
30 deleotsble that look at It widened
every slaves eyes and uplipped his shin
ing teeth. The master and all the ladies
of the household attended the contest
that every participant had been prePar'
ing for In the months past
To-day the cake walk Is az omnipres
ent as in the 5e's. and many man who
in the old days witnessed them with .
heartache, knowing what was TO fol-
low 50 soon, now hooks upon them With
infinite amusement, and goes home con-
trssting the two different conditions
that law of progress has made No
where has the cake walk been repro
duced with such close fidelity and natur,
al effect as in Nate Szlisbury's BLACK
America" Not less interesting than
the cake walk Is the effect IL has upon
certain Of the spectators. In Conren-
ton hall the other night, seated in cns
Of the FIRST rows, were three southern
men. who passed service IN the best and
worst days OF the gray cause. Near
them was an old negro couple Of The
most pro1ounced "uocle- AID -1z-n-
my" type. Tine hsd aged their kSadS
with q covering whittier than the cotton
they picked in their youth The sou;h-
erners showed - much fervor Is thiI
humble pair in the programme zen
dered- When the magnificent cfsDEus
sa1g the olc-tme melodies The gcotie-
men kept tine with their feet, ard
uncle and NANNY nodded their
heads in unison with the Eosoes-
Bat the pinnacle Of ecstScy vas
reached when the Soprano Of tie az
gregstio1. Bessie Lee. sung the ~Suua-
Zee River" Az the sweet notes O. TIA;
song sounded through the big hSu. 60
silent with its greS: co1oSurSe Of pro
PIE. down the shining black cheeks o.
the Old eOlorsd couple the tar 5roPs
splashed u1til their ebony faces in-oksc
Ike whi;E~aSbsd sbOuy HArdlE lea,
Affected were he r-atle5eu- Coe al
them leaned hack II lis sess ard olo~e1
his eyes while he softly bezt tire o.
his knee with 0ze hsIc-
What retrospect DID Re SO Sehicd
those closed eyrlsds7 YootA's soadea
koorx. wealth. sesucoae. The tzrucsi ~
war. the sting OF dr1szt. thsn peSce. Ee~
fortunes ao5-tbro Baszie STOPPED sag
sn1. while the spplzase surge1 orr ~
hall. led by the s0utAerzerz snd tie cd
esinred Couple Ds-s-sst n -ss---s-