The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-02
SCHOOLS FOR CAKEWALKERs.
A Local Industry which Il Giving Evidence
of Temporary Expansion.

The appreciation OF cakewalking. like the
taste for olives. is acquired. Walking for the
cake has been going on successfully at enter
tainments for colored people for a number of
years, and the controversies which have arisen
for precedence among the rivals for the sugar
incrusted cake have brought. in times past,
such functions into the local criminal courts.
Fine and fancy walking for a cake. by part
ners whose qualities were passed upon
by judges mot always without conflict and
dissent. involving the use OF razors). has
been an institution Of the colored colony OF
New York city for many years and one as
firmly established as policy playing under the
expectation OF the mystic mum Der 4-11-44. Re-
Gently. however. the enormous success OF
colored or coon songs and the accompanying
stage business Of cakewalking. intended to
illustrate them. has had the effect OF charging
the stock OF popular knowledge concerning
cakewalking, and has made many persons
familiar with that form OF recreation which
while neither dancing nor pedestrianism par
takes Of a little Of the qualities Of both.
As a natural result of the cakewalking craze.
as it is sometimes called. the urgent popular
demand for cakewalkers has come to lie con-
siderably in excess of the supply. and as no
newspapers remains long unprovided for in
the, United States. there have recently been es-
ldbllSlcu III. lo"H IL uuLllNT VI tuh'WillklnE
schools. or lyceums. as, they are called. in
fact, the present Partially for .cnkewalking
has ed to a temporary neglect OF the schools
lacked in New York a fair amount OF patronage
snd support The first c9Eewalking school in
attending its establishment show the adapta-
bility OF some Chicago men to conditions
which might not unreasonably be regarded as
Of a serious nature. In a State street restau-
rant. nearly half a block deep and having the
longest lunch counter in the city. about fifty
eolored men are, employed as walters. About
2:3O o'clock each afternoon the men take their
own luncheon. They all form in line in the
rear oi the restaurant. and march in single file
down to the front OF the room around the prin-
clpal counter. countermarch down the other
side and sit at a counter provided forthem. The
feature Of the march is the cakewalk swing,
which most Oft the men practice. and from this
beginning some of tho more proficient mem
beers have organized an after hours school. at
which the rudirnents OF scientific cakewalking
are Th aT igna w ana Grratf y rCr1biic,sncy Is acquitted
to st. Louis. Louisville and Cincinnati. where
the colorcd population is considerable. and it
has been taken up. but not without many de-
Der OF restaurants in this city which give en-
plovment to colored walters j. relatively much
smaller than is tho ease in Chicago. and there
fore the cakcwalking schools hereabouts are
not the outgrOwth Of walters JOURNEYS. hut are
established for the definite and admitted pur-
pose of teaching cakewalking somewhat on
the style Of tn" hicvcle schools. established
when the craze Tor bicycle riding. became very
general There is no reason why the art OF
cakcwalking should he better developed by
colorcd than by white people. but there are a
great many reasons why. as a former pastime.
it should he more popular with colored than
white people. The element of groteslueness
in walk: the fancy clothes worn, the Rarish
colors. favored, the peculiar swinging. negro
melodies and the initiative qualities. Of those
engaging IN such walks appeal strongly to the
imagination Of colorrd people and make them
the chief patrons OF cakewalking schools.