Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-11-21
BRATTLEB0RO LOCAL.
VETERAN DANCE PRoMPTER.
Boston Globes Sketch Of Alonzo n
Hines of Brattleboro.

Alonzo II. Hines, Familiarity known as
Lon" is one of the veteran musicians
and promptcrs OF New England. AL
though I'm his 9th year and having fol-
lowed his calling for a. years. he is still
busly at work and bids fair TO be so for
many years to come. Notwithstanding
his years he hlcd more than 100 engage
mopts last winter and he Is as hale and
hearty as when he was boy
At rough estimate. Mr. Hines has Of
hcatcd at about 5000 dances, either as
pianist or prompter, or as both
These engagements have taken him to
about every town or hamlet In southern
Vermont. to very many In southern New
Hampshire and To many in western Mass
achusetts. 1t is the claim of his friends
that he has prompted or furnished music
for dancing in AL that section for three
generations.
/ The picture which the Globe presents
shows Mr.. Hines seated at a little me-
lodeon. which he has taken with him on
thousands Of professional engagements
and used In lieu Of a piano. The melo-
deon like its owner, is still in active use,
and while not so extensively used as in
former years 1t is employed almost weekly
| i'm the winter season.
Early in his career n musician. Mr..
Hines learned the necessity of having
a portable melodeon or organ. Very
many Of the old-tme hotels and public
! halls We're not equipped with either an
organ or piano and Mr.. Hines set to work
to make a portable instrument
/ He made one and used II for a num-
! Der of seasons. but It did not quite suit
! him In the one now in use he secured
an instrument of excellent tone. weigh
/ ing only 20 pounds when I'm its leather
! case. 1t can be taken apart In less than
/ three minutes and inside of two minutes
/ more 1t can be neatly packed and made
| ready for another journey.
a fa q r1a.v-
dances were the contra dances. Ike
| money musk" Fishers hornpipe."
/ Lady Walpole's reel" etc. Forty years
fago the old-timers put ia an the steps and
executed them with all the grace shown
/ in the minuet and with vastly more fire
/ and abandon.
Then came the quadrlles In the
/ larger towns these are now very largely
! things of the past. In the smaller towns
| they are stin largely danced, although
/ the waltz. two-step and schottische are
| crowding out the less modern dances
There is a zest in the dances In the
| smaller towns and hamlets totally I'M
! known In the cities The very rich at
/ Newport or LennoX would willingly part
| with considerable portions OF their money
II they could obtain the enjoyment pur-
| chased for half a dollar at a dance at
some of the country hin towns by those
who toll as a rule from 10 to Is hours
daily.
II is not uncommon In some Of these
| country towns to find unusually large
persons stil participating in some Of the
contra dances. Indeed. at Westmore-
! land, small town in southern New
| HAMPSHIRE. only few days ago. a girl
10 years old and stil wearing short dress
! es. but who was six feet three inches
tall a woman weighing more than 90
pounds and more than 20 years old and
another woman nearly seven feet tall and
quite slender. all participated in a
contra dance and enjoyed 1t hugely
The price paid musicians in the locality
In which Mr. Hines has offciated at
dances. has varied but little during his
g years of service. In the olden times
there were more ALI night dances" by
this is meant untr O'Clock in the
moroing The price for that sersce was
aud stil is s. aud expenses. Jackson
VILE Vt, is about the only place in Mr.
Illness circuit where I o'clock In the
morning dances are still Kept up.
1t is the observation OF Mr.. Hines that
there has been little change in the use
of Intoxicating liquor as a beverage al
dances during the i3 years he has been
on the scene There was more or less
liquor drinking when he commenced and
It still continues. In his early days the
popular beverage was rum of pure quail
ity, and this has given place to whskey
that largely leaves kick and an ache
| In the head the following day.
Mr.. Hines has been generously ennr-
tanned at scores OF homes all through
his section. aud he has made thousa nds
Of friends. lie recalls very pleasantly
some of the old-time musicians whom h,
as assisted or directed. AlonZo Goode
nough of West Bratteboro. now dead
prompter and violin player. was one Mr.
Hines played the accomraniments on his
little. meiodeon to Mr.. Goodenough''
| violin MIA wing for wears At all of hi,
engagements. so far as Mr.. Hines Is