The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-11-03


danced In their locality in many
months. This Is a sad condition for the
old Californians-the men and women
who crossed the plains or rounded the
horn In coming 10 the Golden state in
the forties and ffties-to contemplate.
but there Is no help for them. The
Yankees aud fasteners have poured
In by the tens OF thousands into this
semi-tropical land. and the habits and
customs OF the argonauts and pioneers
In southern California have been van
ishing gradually at the presence OF a
new order OF Affairs. Los Angeles has
grown In a decade from a sleepy Mex
lean pueblo into prosperous. beautiful
American city Mexican and half-breed
proprietorship Of broad acres has al
most entirely disappeared. the Spanish
have In competition with aggressive
Amerlcaniam. grown poorer and poor
er and the famous black-eyed. olive
eomple1ioncd. graceful and viyacious
senorltas Of song and romance have
fast been retiring from public view.
The fandango Is gone forever from
this region. The pale faces aud blue
eyes from the north. the police fore,
Yankee Inventions and eastern moral
ity and spirit are all inlmlcal to reg
line under which the dance nourishes.
In the sixties and seventies the Mex
leans, Spanish and half-breeds made
money very fast Those were DAYS
when the owners OF southern Callfor-
MIA had a thorough contempt for the
frugallty and industry OF their north
ern neigheors. when ranch houses were
kept open 10 friends for weeks al a
time. when wine was drank like water
| and a large part OF the Young people
sang. danced and thrummed the guitar
or mandolin through half the year.
Everything was free and easy. Money
came down the coast from the San
Francisco and central California gold
miners by the sloop load. What need
was there for the work and economy
OF the New Englander? Those we're
the days when the dulcet tones OF fan
dango music were hummed and twang-
ed by everyone. and when whole towns
would turn ont 20 dance.
The encyclopedias and dictionaries
viii tell you that iandango means a
Spanish dance In three-four time. sun
posed to be Of Moorish origin. This
Il a true definition. but IL does no, de-
fine the fandango of the Pacific coast.
Here Il means a big dance 10 which
anybody j. welcome and at which
everybody Is expected 10 drink and 10
make fool Of himself generally. In
the olden days u meant a geneeal. con.
fused mingllng Of men and women.
reyolyers. gaming tables. boots and
spur. soft. melodious music in curious
contrast TO the surroundings. aud llq-
uoT, FIRST. last and all the time.
A large share Of the Yankee element
that has come TO make homes In south
ern California does not even nov know
the difference betweeg bale and a
fandango. A grand bale Is like any
ordinary grand ball. and Il attended
only by respectable guests. each Of
whom received a personal invitation
These balls were very scarce In the
early days. for the reason that the
right sort OF guests were difficult "a
obtain. Fandangoes were well patron.
lied by the Spanish dons and persons
Of select society. who attended then
clandestlnely because they thought u
hne thing to 90 10 entertainment
that were not respectable. The wor,
fandango came TO be employed In con
nectlon with these dances from the fac
that the best young woman dancer o.
the crowd was called upon during IN
evening to perform a genuine fandang'
TO the music Of the slapping Of thou
sands Of horny hands. shrill vhlstllng
Wild shouting and the occasional desul
tory popping Of a pistol.
In the years Immediately afte- III
civil war. when the Spanish ranchmel
all over southern California got I'm
menso profits from the sale Of thei
beeves. hlces. tallow. horses and wine
the quaint old pueblo q los Angelo
was filled with adyen,urers from al