The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1898-07-27
THE chill QUEENS.
THEIR THRONES WERE IN SAN An
TONIO'S HISTORIC ALAMO.
Their Reign Is Ended, but They Ruled
Royalty For Long Time. They We're
Especially Gracious to- Tourists
From the; North, and
Made 1t Pay.

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 tbs Alamo plaza chill stand
with its attendant divinity, the far
famed chill queen.
"Now sir, you've seen the historic
Alamo, the old cathedral and the mis-
sions and got Whit at our ozone," the
citizen would remark with righteous
pride, "and tonight you must come
and see the chill queens. The chill
queens are one of our most noted at
tractions-the beautiful, dark-eyed
senoritas, you know"
The tourist generally knew. This
was 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 idealized as stunning creatures,
with the rich, brown skins of the trop.
les and the languorous grace and be-
witchlng black eyes of Spanish
donnas.
When the citizen and the tourist
stroll up to the gay looking chill stand
with its red, green and yellow lanterns
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 hag-
Cling with thr chill gorged bootblack
over change.
She hastily rearranges the flowers in
her hair and the big bouquet in her
bosom and beams on the new arrivals
with sparkling eyes.
The citizen addresses her with an
easy familiarity.
"Hello, Chlquita! How's tricks?"
"Hello, senior. Tricks are bueno.
How is amigo, the senor?"
They all used the Spanish dialect
when they hadrspecial 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
German descent and another was born
in the island where the sod is highly
green and there are no snakes. The
other four however, were senorltas of
the genuine Mexican variety.
Chiquita's eyes sparkle with itheir
most brilliant lustre, and, with a quick
succession of flashing smiles, she uses
her red lips and white teeth to good adj
vantage on the tourist, while she en-
cages in badi0ac With the citizen.
'You're \ -ettier than ever
tonight, CHI n glad Of it, Ibe-
cause we war ,e good impress
sion on my here. He's from
away up north, u know, and he's
heard of you before"
Then Chiquita uses her tinkling
laugh and slaps the citizen gently on
the cheek.
$50 sorry, but have not a single
nickel to give you. But take this
flower instead"
She transfers a big rose from her
corsage to the citizens buttonhoIe.
The tourist is beginning to want his
share of the fun
eyes, heard Of you up there, and
that's one reason 1 came down hereto
see you, you know"
ooh, my! You must have flower
too"
Her hands lirger lightly on his coat
as she oarefullypins spray of honey
suckle on, and the tourist begins to
believe that he must have come down
here for this. lie is enjoying himself
very much.
+ ''Well, let's bgin on ours chill pep
pers," suggeststhe citizen. "You say
YOU never ate one before? We had
better take a lille of everything, then,
SO you can say cou did San Antonio
right. Bring Is the whole bill of fare,
Chiquita."
The queen tCps sharply to the Shiny
looking old Meican who has charge
of the steamingpots and kettles in the
! ear and rattles If this with celebrity
which seems to altonish the tourist:
"Tesus, andare! Dos platas de
chill con carne, yGos dos taElales con
chill gravy, de echilades tortillas, y
dos tazas de cafe.'