Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1900-02-08
OKIAHoMx,s;spRAM
Rot What II +ka.aWhen lhc Audi
!; ence Was Expected to Particle
pate in the Shooting.

pate in the Shooting.
:. The honkatonk is one of thesDew in
situations of Oklahoma wlichskzmain
to satisfy the" tehticffoot ivisitor in
read about. And it isn't So Wy live
| ly. In: the times that wereok cow
punchet was expected to p@ rfofate the
gaudy curtain when the Performance
Jagged. OF shoot a glimpse iof daylight
through the star perforler, SOM
brero if his Interpretation; of his part
lacked animatisn-:: AT the climax,
when the wild4yee heroine, ip boots
and spurs, rushed madly.. upon the
stage, and fired. the shot whsch put
her lovers pursuer's out pft::46e way
and saved him from an aesvf4k death,
the audience was not .alpne p4a1nittee,.
but expected. to rfsea as n man and
accompany the fatal SHOT with=8solley
that Jared the raft There is not
even this byplay TO Stir the easterner's
nerves nowadays.
Ordinarily, the honkatonk opens
about nine o'clock, and continues In
full blast until one, or Whereabouts,
as long as its patrons swill patronize
the bar. There: are no preserved seats
and the visitor may have his choice of
floors. The higher he goes the more
it will cost him. Fifteen cents is the
regular parquet price. 1t will cost
him dime extra if he prefers bal
cony or box seat where he may coz
verse with the actresses after they
have done their turn. Down on the
frst floor you can get drinks Eat bar
prices, gents" as the hustler from the
saloon annex announces at frequent
intervals. Wherever the visitor sits. it
is unnecessary at any time to abandon
his cigar, and whatever the part OF
the house, he is expected to be lib
eral in his expenditure for liquid re-
freshments. Along about II o'clock
the stage manage advances to the
front and announces an intermission
of ten minutes ''to give you all time.
ample and sufficient, for to refresh
yourselves" and then YOU pay fer
more drinks
The programme is made up largely
of spcetaaties. Whatever the feeling
OF long-suffering public, the honka-
| tonk yocalists never will permit
"Sweet Rosie O'Grady" and "Just One
Grip to perish from the earth, and
coon songs are sung as May Irwin
never Old and never will sing them
Always at least one drama is pre-
scented, the entire company, y6galists.
dancers and all, participating s#sAmong
the most popular plays are Tie De-
ton Eoys" and Mildred, the She
Devil of the Palms." for the old tra-
ditions still are respected to certain
extent. though the participation Of
the audience is no longer solicited.
The performers do not travel by
| companies. Every star hustlee for
himself: regardless of all the others,
and remains in a community as long
as the management will pay him his
price, or if in-ease of an actress, as
long as She is h success at winning
checks by inducing her admirers to
| buy beer. At what age the performer
usually enters his career is question
able, but the Gerry society would
hardly find the, AopkatonlS stage sue
erssfm felh.for operation, even when
Little Eva Or Jack the Boy Scout
makes her or his appearance.
The stage manager is an interesting
individual. If he is the valuable man
the proprietor expects him tp be, he
can beat the drum in the street band;
sell tickets when the doors are
opened: leg" for the bartender dur
ing intermission, play the heavy. viii
lain in the tragedy act, and do.a turn
as clog dancer all in one evening
! Loag :haiE. andfA soiled sfrock coat are
/ them1x which distinguish him from
his fellows on file stage. Every after
noon lhe gathers he people Of the cast
at the theater and puts them through
rxat>sarsal of the piece to be put on
rth evening". = =, (
There is no defined circuit OF honk-
ataIks but the performers swing
J ~fnd a circle of a half dozen thea
ter@ which dot Texas and the two ter
ritoriees. The once popular institution
is dying of: There is one in Guthrie
| ene in Apimorc. one in Fort Worth,
and q few others further south
Weatherfqrd had honkatonk, which
the stars say was one of the best-pay-
| my Va AN. DuC Nlltll lue Guy auluOEl-
ties cut down the corn in the streets
and Wea1kfrford wasAIeclared to; be
city OF the" first class it was crowded
o.:t:
Every child of the range can tell
what honkatonk means and where it
came from. Away away back in the
very early days, so the story goes, a
party Of COW punchers rode out from
camp at shutdown in search of recrc-
alton after a day of toll. They head
ed for place of amusement. but lost
the trail. From far out in the dis
tance there finally came to their ears
q 'honl a; tonk a -tonk -tonk-a,"
which they mistooll for the bass viol.
They turned toward the sound to find
alas. a flock of wild geese. So honk-
atonk was named.-N. Y. Sun.
| Wanted to Hear the Squeak
/ Teacher--l am very much displeased
| with YOU. and Tomorrow III punish