The age-herald., 1897-10-10
MRS. STOKES COON PARTY
DEDlCATES HER NEW KENTUCKY
 BARN WITH A DANCE.
Darlxies on the Place and for Miles Around Gather to Dance and Take Part in Cake
 Walk Features of the Occasion.
From the New. York Sun.

"dlh tdUureS or the Occ3SfOn.
 From the New York Sum
 Lexington, Ky, Oct. 6.-The new S10.- 900 barn on Mrs. w. E. D.. Stokes Patchen Wilkes Farm in this county is a blaze of glory tonight. It is being dedicated by what is known as a coon party. It is decorated with 1000 yards of bunting and scores of flags. Half the floor space is covered with canvas on which the negroes of Mrs Stokes farm and those for miles around are dancing. They are the swagger darkies. The other half of the barn is reserved for the dining rcom.- A table 11o feet long has been spread, on which supper will be served at midnight. There are near ly 400 darkies at the party.
 Mrs. Stokes is known as the 'horse lady, by the darkies. The new barn in which the dance is being held is of brick and takes the place of the wooden barn burned last spring, in which Josie B.. her famous pacing mare, and twelve other valuable horses were burned to death.
 Joe Mrunfs, the mulatto hors-shoer for the Patchen Wilkes Farm, tells how it all came about
 You see," said George, "It's like dis. The white folks want to make de ne- groeS feel good. The boss man (Peter Duryea) comes to town and he says to me, George, we want to give you col ored folk big ball in the new barn when it's done. I want you to give me list of the colored people that ought to be invited I tole him all I knowed, an he done sent all of 'em invertations. We WuS gwine ter have the biggest kind of CT time, but de newspapers get onto It, and by printin' about dem prizes got de boss man mad, an dona. know whatll happen. l aint gwine ter tell you no more cause you done print dat l give It away.''- 4.ssss = Peter Duryea, who is partner in the Iarm ana IS its manager, left nothing undone to make the ball a success in every way. He went to the leading ca terer Of Lexington and contracted with him to furnish supper for the guests He also engaged Jones' celbrated col oreu orchestra ito make music for the dancers. It is great orchestra. It has live members, and they are all "born musicians" One of them is blind. An other Is very fat and weighs 26O pounds Another has a, crooked leg, and ths other two have their share of earthly affictions. But they make good music ". brsakdowns, reels and clogs, and the buck negroes dance until the dust rises from the floor in clouds Al Hoskins. one of the buck dancers, while talk ing about the newest steps tonight said:
 'Tain't no use fer amy white trash to come here and try to teach us niggers how to dance, cause we've been dancin' all our lives, and I think the niggers aroun dis town know as many different steps as anybody. We are gittin' new steps all de time. Now, thar's the Klon- dike. It's cold, breezy step and makes you think the icicles are fallin' off you; thars the General Miles step when yer got to walk and danI,e as proud as a peacock, musn't look around; just pear like yer own de earth; thar's the Billy Bryan step, whar yer goes two steps forward an three steps back, and keep a sickly smile on yer face all de time thars de Mckinley step, you go along just easy like, don't raise yer feet high off de floor, and just kinder give a double shuttle and let de music of de hs.nd kinder push you along; thar's de Pingree step, when yer tries to dance all de different steps at once; and one of the best steps of all is the Jo Black burn step. It's a peach. Don't make no difference how yer dance it; it's all right, just so you make lots of noise If you keep time to de music, well and l., it brings down de house."
 Al is booked for the winner of the buck dance tonight. He will have to contend with George Williams Ben Scott Bill Taylor Jeems Broadus, and half dozen other expert dancers, Al thinks they will all fall down on the General Miles step.
 Perhaps the leading feature of the en- tertainment will occur after midnight. It Us a cake walk, in which buck me- groes and wenches walk for a prize The bucks train the wenches to walk, and they frequently form a partnership which last for years. Dicer Williams began cake walking seven years ago, having for his partner Mary Emma , Jones. Mary Emma is walker from away back, and she and Dicer won their first contest They have walked for many cakes since then, but Dicer would newer have any other partner except Mary Emma. They will walk together tonight. Dicer is an authority on cake walking. He is tall negro, almost jet black, with a. slight moustacha. He carries himself well, and is as active as spondent tonight about cake walking. He say 1t is an art, and that it requires a great deal of study to become an ex- psrt walker.
 If "a man can't carry himself nice" said Dicer, tits no use for him to walk for cake. He's gel. ito look stylish alrd he's got to throw sperit into his work. He must hold his shoulders back, throw his head up, and look like he didn't care whether the world came to am end or not He mustnt let his head droop down ike a Sick turkey gobbler, but hs mus keep rared back, walk straight, keep hisself goin', and not go too fast. But there ain't no use tryin' to walk fer a cake unless you have a good woman with you Mary Emma Jones is the beist wo- man walker I ever seed. She ain't never gwine to give down. She's been walkin' fer seven years with me, aand we've nevr been beat but twice. T. tell yer, she's a hummer. She makes mor- keys out of them other gals and they can't help 1t. She's so proud look iak,