, 1897-11-04
THE CHILL QUEENS.
THEIR THRONES WERE IN SAN Az
ToNIo'S HISTORIC ALAMO.

1heir Reign Il Ended. but They Ruled
Royalty For . Long T~ime-They Were
Especially Gracious to the Tourist From
the North and Made 1t Pay.
When the northern tourist used to
strike the town. the first things the pa
triotic citizen who was doing the hon.
ors would proudly steer him up against
would be the Alamo plaza chill stand,
with it's attendant divinity. the far
famed chill queen.
Nov. sir, you've seen the historic
Alamo. the old cathedral and the mis-
sions and got n Whit of our ozone. the
citizen would remark with righteous
pride, land tonight you must come and
eat q Mexican supper and see the chilli
queens. The chill queens are one of Our
most noted charlottesville beautiful.
dark eyed %senoritas. you know.
The tourist generally knew. This
was i'll the late eighties, the palmy days
of the chill 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
dangerous grace and bewitching black
eyes of Spanish donnas.
When the citizen and the tourist
stroll up to the gay looking chill stand
with its big red, green and yellow Ian
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 chill gorged
bootblack over change.
She hastily rearranges the flowers in
her hair and the big bouquet at her bos-
ON and beams on the new arrivals with
sparkling eyes.
The citizen addresses her with an
easy familiarity,
"Hello. Chiquita! How's tricks"
Hello. senior. 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
nan 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 n quick
succession of flashing smiles, she uses
her red lips and white teeth to good adj
vantage OH the tourist while she en-.
cages in badinage with the citizen.
You're looking pretticr than ever
tonight, Chiquita. I'm glad of it, be-
We want to make a 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 OIL the
cheek.
80 sorry. but l have not n single
nickel to give you. But take this flower
instead"
She transfers n big rose from her cor
sag to the citizens buttonhole. The
tourist is beginning to want his share
of the fun
"Yes. l heard of you up there, and
that's II reason ! came down hereto
see you, you know"
"Oh, myl You must have a flower
too"
Her hands linger lightly on his coat
as she carefully pins a spray of honey.
suckle on, and the tourist begins to be.
lieve that he must have come down her
for this He is enjoying himself very
much.
well. let's begin on our chill pep.
pers." suggests the citizen. lyon say
you never nte one before? We had better
take a little of everything, then, so you
can say you did San Antonio right
Bring us the whole bill of fare, Chiqui
tn.
The queen turns sharply to the Shiny
looking old Mexican who has charge OF
the steaming pots and kettles i'll thu
rear and rattles off this with n celebrity
which seems to astonish the tourist:
Jesus, andarlc! Dos platas de chill
con carne. y dos tamales con chill gra
Wy, de enchilades tortillas. y dos tazas
de cafe"
The fiercely burning chill con carne
agonizes the tourist and he chokes Oh
the enchilades, but he manages to strug'
gle through the tamales by drinking n
great deal of water. Meanwhile. the
chill queen sits opposite him in a Ian
gushing attitude and keeps up her tin
king laugh. When it comes time to go
E. lie insists Oh paying the bill. despite
the protests OF the citizen, and tenders
II IS bill Chiquita seems to have trou
bic i'll counting out the change and n
thought strikes the tourist
'say. Chliuita. he says tentative.
ly, ''you necdn I mind that if
"You mean you to make me a
present.
AS that is what he means, she tucks
the bill III her bosom, and gives the
tourist a fond look She takes mother
ross from her hair and pins it OIL his
coat and squeezes his hand in bidding
him goodby
Then, when her customers are gone,
she goes and sits down in front Of II
of the steaming kettles, with a lap full
of tortillas, which she uses to scoop mp
large mouthfuls Of chilli.
Chiquita was a fair type OF all the
chill 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
" aud they had the charm at least OF