Connecticut western news., 1897-09-30
THE CHILL QUEENS.
THEIR THRONES WERE IN SAN AN
 ToNlo'S HISTORIC ALAMO.

Royalty For Long Time-They Were
 Especially Gracious to the Tourist From
 the North and Made It Pay.
 When the northern tourist used to hrike the town, the first things the pa- riotic citizen who was doing the hon. DTS would proudly steer him up against would be the Alamo plaza chilli stand, with its attendant divinity, the far famed chilli queen
 "Now, sir, you've seen the historic Alamo, the old cathedral and the mis- sions and got whiff of our ozone, Y" the citizen would remark with righteous pride, "and tonight you must come and eat Mexican supper and see the chilli queens The chili queens are one of our most noted attractions-the beautiful, dark eyed senoritas, you know"
 The tourist generally knew. This was in the late eighties, the palmy days of the chili queens, when their fame had spread to the larger northern cities Some very musical verse about them had appeared in the magazines, and in the newspaper sketches they were ideal ized as stunning creatures, with the rich, brown skins of the tropics and the languorous grace and bewitching black eyes of Spanish donnas-
 When the citizen and the tourist stroll up to the gay looking chilli stand with it's big red, green and yellow lan- terms and its scintillating pyramids of cheap but gorgeous glassware, she promptly shuts up the sporty young man who is bandying slang with her or quits haggling with the chilli gorged bootblack over change.
 She hastily rearranges the flowers in her hair and the big bouquet at her bos- om and beams on the new arrivals with sparkling eyes
 The citizen addresses her with an easy familiarity.
 Hello, Chiquital How's tricks?"
 Hello, senor. Tricks are bueno. How is my amigo, the senor?'
 They all used the Spanish dialect when they had special customers, de- spite the fact that other tongues came easier to some of them by nature. There were six reigning queens on the plaza in 1888, and one of them was of Ger man descent and another was born in the island where the sod is highly green and there are no snakes. The other four, however, were senoritas of the genuine Mexican variety.
 Chiquita's eyes sparkle with their most brilliant luster, and, with quick succession of flashing smiles, she uses her red lips and white teeth to good ad- vantage on the tourist while she en- gages in badinage with the citizen.
 "You're looking prettier than ever tonight, Chiquita. I'm glad of it, be- cause we want to make good impress sion on my friend here. He's from away up north, you know, and he's heard of you before''
 Then Chiquita uses her tinkling laugh and slaps the citizen gently on the cheek.
 So sorry, but have not a single nickel to give you, But take this flower instead" Y" ....
 She transfers big rose from her cor sage to the citizens buttonhole The tourist is beginning to want his share of the fun
 "Yes, heard of you up there, and that's one reason came down hereto see you, you know"
 "Oh, myl You must have flower too.
 Her hands finger lightly on his coat BE she carefully pins 8 spray of honey suckle on, and the tourist begins to be- lieve that he must have come down here for this He is enjoying himself very much
 Well, let's begin on our chilli pep pers," suggests the citizen. "You say you never ate one beforep We had better take little of everything, then, so you can say you did San Antonio right Bring us the whole bill of fare, Chiqui- ta.
 The queen turns sharply to the slimy looking old Mexican who has charge of the steaming pots and kettles in the rear and rattles off this with celerity which seems to astonish the tourist:
 Jesus, andarlel Dos platas1de chilli con carne, y dos tamales con chilli gra- ", de enchilades tortillas, y dos tazas de cafe" "
 The flercely burning chilli con oarne agonizes the tourist and he chokes on the enchilades, but he manages to strug- gle through the tamales by drinking a great deal of water. Meanwhile, the chilli queen sits opposite him in lan- gushing attitude and keeps up her tin kling laugh. When it comes time to go, he insists on paying the bill, despite the protests of the citizen, and tenders a $5 bill Chiquita seems to have trou- ble in counting out the change and a thought strikes the tourist.
 "Say, Chiquita," he says tentative- ly, "you needn't mind that if'-
 You mean you want to make me present?"
 AS that is what he means, she tucks Ihe bill in her bosom, and gives the tourist fond look. She takes another rose from her hair and pins it on his coat and squeezes his hand in bidding him goodby.
 Then, when her customers are gone, she goes and sits down in front of one of the steaming kettles, with lap full of tortillas, which she uses to scoop up large mouthfuls of chilli.
 Chiquita was a fair type of all the; chilli queens They were not the idyllio creatures of popular conception that they appeared to be when on dress pa- rade, but most of them were really come ly and they had the charm at least of novelty.
 The glory of the chilli queens waned and f1ickered away with great sudden ness, and they themselves drifted away from the high tide of fame and fortune in like manner.-San Antonio Express
 Costly Playing Cards.
 A pack of cards was recently sold at London stationer's for 5000 It was 0f