The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-10
A FAMOUS CAKE WALK.
The Most Elaborate One Ever
Seen In Topeka.
The Cake Was a Foot and
Half High.
And Six Couples Walked for It While
Many More Locked on-Andy
Jordan and His Partner
Took the Cake.

Topeka young coIored society took to
its soft clothes last night and went af-
ter a cake.
1t was the second cake walk Topeka
ever saw and the most notable.
Doc Brown of Kansas City. who is
the champion cake walker of the west,
was not there, but Andy Jordan was
and Andy took the cake
The floor of Metropolitan hall was
waxed to a degree of daring. Al
though only six couples took part in
Ehe cake walk proper, there were so
couples there to dance
The cake itself occupied a place in
front of the orchestra on a table. It was
Is inches high and formed a snowy
draped pyramid that looked more en-
gaging than a water melon.
Tony Williams and Fred Hedge were
running the walk and they were there
in all their glory and dress suits.
Couples that desired to enter the
walk drew numbers.
Andy Jordan didn't do a thing but
draw number Is.
This was very bad but Andy is pos
sessed Of nerve and had it with him.
He also had Mrs. H. L. Wilson and a
dress suit to say nothing of a. diamond
that leaked like a paper weight, and
was not discouraged.
Bud GOff, who is what is known as
q petite brunette and a very prOnOunc-
ed one, drew No. '4-11-44'' and wore it
on a card a foot long tied to his but
ton hole. He wore white duck trous-
up six inches to insure all necessary
freedom. Miss Lucy Carney who ac-
cOmpanied him wore a bright yellow
lawn and a white parasOl together
with a stunning air.
Johnny Patterson also wore white
duck trousers and Miss Mile Young
in green lawn and white slippers &C
companied him.
''Ticklin' Harper was there too
with a broad smile and Miss Amy
AIimmS and Simon Jordan was with
Miss Mason.
Tom Weaver carried No and was
with his sister Lola and Fred Wear
had No. II and Miss Jennie Bell.
Henry billiard was the floor mana
ger and Jasper ChiIders helped him
They were also the judges.
If you ever heard the fetching music
of May Twins New Bully you can
imagine the enthusiasm of this cake
walk for that was what the GOndOIier
orchestra played for the people to
walk to.
All the boys carried hats and canes
The girls wore their hats.
The figure of a cake walk is a sort
of ''crOss" between what is known as a
grand march and what is known as
Virginia reel" It has some of the
points in both, though it could hardly
be called like either.
The six couples followed each other
about the hail. every walker smiling
and looking at his or her best. Grace
and energy were at a discount, they
were so plentiful.
Bud Gon led and the uninitiated
spectators We're afraid he would break
some of himself every minute; every
Joint in his body was in exact time with
the music His partner, Miss Carney
was hardly so undignif1ed, though she
approached It at times.
This general description will fit ev-
cry couple in the walk Wsth the excep-
tion of Andy Jordan and Mrs. Wilson
Andy's peculiar dignity and even grace
won him the cake and everybody said
It was all right.
After the march feature of the walk
was over, each couple was allowed a
chance at it alone, and was in turn