Morris tribune., 1898-02-02
CAY CHALLENGED cHoATE.
KeuEuCtSian Danced - breakdown and
ChoatS Cut Pigeon Wing,

&&MEWCE12n Danced ~ oE6@AuOWA @hO
ChoatS Cut q Pigeon Wing,
In the long ago antebellum days,
when southern aristocracy made its
s1unmer headquarters at the noted
Virginia Springs, where the planters
came up from the Carolinas, Ken
fncky, Georgia and Mississippi in
their carriages, with great baggage
trains and a retinue of servants, and
sEhen they came the 1st of June and
Hfaid until frost fell, thosewere gay
nd times at the mountain resorts,
when life was worth the pain of liv-
mig
Beginning with the first register
m 1896 and coming on down to 1860,
nne finds succession of historical
names. There are the Su-nters, the
Pickenses and the Hamptons Of the
Carolinas; the Clays and Marshalls
and Crittendens of Kentucky; Cor
win and Ewing and Trimble of Ohio;
the Choates and Websters and
Pierces of New England; Dickinson,
Marcy and Dallas of the middle
states; Cass and Douglas and Benton
from the then far west; the Floyds,
CabelIs, Prestons and a galaxy of
bright names from Virginia; the
CAROLS from Maryland, and a host
of others whose names have render
cd American history illustrious.
Here these old notables came in their
sfEadhellied coats and sideboard col,
1axs, and proper, dignified time
they had of it as they mingled their
sulphur water and mint juleps to-
gefher and talked politics. 1t was
away back in 1887, when there must
have been something in the wind of
importance to the Wing party. On
a mngty old page of the hotel regis
ter of that year, in that fine, almost
feminine handwriting that is IA
Kniliar to all, we find this inscrip-
ton, ''H. Clay, Kentucky" while
among the next days arrivals are
Rufus Choate, Massachusetts; Thorn
as Corwin, Ohio; William c. Rives,
Virginia, and Willard Fillmore, New
York
Those were the days when the
making of julep was an art as well
rs domestic accomplishment. The
night before Mr.. Clay's departure
from the Springs he gave banquet
m his cottage to his friends. For
funately there is still living eye
witness to that entertainment, and,
If his description can be relied upon,
1t was gala event that transcends
all modern blow outs. Old Uncle |
Jimmie Patterson, the venerable |
gatekeeper, who has been an attache
IF the White Sulphur from time i'm
memorial, was the floor servant on |
zhe row in which the Clay cottage |
was located and helped to serve the
Banquet. He says that the deport-
saent of the host and the guests was
E-E'inently proper until about the |
AesnF of midnight, but from that |
EESBae of the night until the morning
lsawned there was high old time
Em the premises When the cloth
had been removed and the Powhatan
pipes were brought in-the degener-
ate practice of cigar and cigarette
was not in vogue in those halcyon
one called for music,
and messenger was sent for ne
gro fiddler, who soon appeared with
5sies old fashioned instrument. The
M. fiddler started in with Money
Galsk = and then played "Sugar In
skse 43ourd, but when he touched up
!" mississippi Sawyer" Mr.. Clay STEP
ped into the middle of the floor and
gave them Kentucky breakdown.
This was fair challenge for Mr..
ss2aUafe, who followed with a New
Eng land pigeon wing. When the
3zl negro struck the chord of "Old
Virginia Never Tire" the courtly
s23gGs, afterward minister to France,
SeAs that the reputation of the Old
Dominion was at stake and, shedding
Ssls: s,oat, executed the double shuttle
a92tis a skill that would make a min
s1Ttaa man enviOus. And thus the
SEzn grew fast and furious until the
s.Eay dawn peeped over. the noun
sSln tops--Louisville Courier Jour
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