The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-12-27
CAKE WALKING, OLD AND NEW
How It Was Started by the Negroes
in Slavery Days.
NEW York sun

Lots of folks have told how the cake
walk came into being, and all the tales
have been different. This is what Proc
tor Knott" the retired champion of this
sort of fantastic pedestrianism, says
about it; and he should know.
1t goes back to slavery days long be-
fore de wah' was thought Of said Proc
tor to Sun reporter the other night.
You see, in those days the negroes did
not have much chance to anuse them
selves, so, when the opportunity came.
you can gamble on it they took it. Once
IN great while their masters would
give them a holiday, say around 'cohn'
shocking time
The slaves would gather in barn on
night and some of the sports would en-
gage in corn shucking contest in which
all We're allowed to compete. The corn
was piled in the center of the floor, and
the first man who fould a red ear of
corn was declared the winner. AS a re-
ward he was allowed to kiss the pref
uest girl and have her as his partner for
the rest Ct the evening. Then the floor
was cleared and a dance followed.
The dance was cross between a
shan1ble and a strut, but it was original
with the negro and exceedingly funny,
Once in awhile one of the darkies would
try to emulate The white dandy by walk
ing across the floor with head erect and
chest expanded. The others would ieer
him, but he kept on walking urtil he got
tired and sat down In due time the rest
of the negroes took the walk up.
! On all of these occasions the old mann
mys would bake cakes from eornmeal
placed on layer of cabbage leaves over
hot ashes. 1t was the custom after the
dance for all hands to partake of the
cake. When the walk became popular
the mammys used to bake extra cakes
as prize Tor the couple making the Lest
showing. That's just how the cakewalk
originated.
The genuine old southern cakewalk
was introduced in New York in the early
,70s by colored walters who had worked
in restaurants in the south. One who
held the championship for many years
was Tony Brown. he was as black as
hades and was darby to the core.
Brown was funny fellow and when he
came north and showed folks how ne
could prize walk. he made hit
Brown was fine waiter. too. He
could hold more cups of coffee on one
man | ever saw. He got a job in a
restaurant on Sixth avenue and stag
gered the customers by carrying twenty
cups of coffee at one time. He was daffy
on cakewalking and the way he strutted
up and down the floor was caution.
''One night at a prize walk Brown at
tempted the feat of carrying dozen
cups of water, but came to grief near
the close of the match Someone creased
the floor and he slipped. The cups and
water flew in all directions. Brown was
roasted by the crowd, and left town and
has not been heard from since.
THE best cakewalks used to come off
at the old Jefferson market. The 'cullud
swells of those days were right in it and
some fine sport was the result. Then
the game switched over to SiXty-ninth
street and Third avenue in the old Amer
ican Institute building. This was in 1882
was a prize Walter at the time and
butted into the game by chance.
The employees of the old Empire, Star
and Garter, and Hamlet used to give
fancy balls occasionally. In 1884 these
were turned into cakewalks. The best
He worked in a tailor shop. Webster
was a fine looking fellow and could walk
to beat the band. Then Dandy Jack
came along. He worked for Honest John |
Kelly. Dandy Jack had large follow |
'After him came Polo jim Jefferson.
jefferson was an assistant to Starter
at the race tracks Jefferson
'futurity balls. A prize cakewalk was
the feature. l defeated Dandy Jack in
1894, and in 1895 at Madison Square gar
den | lost the title to Luke Blackburn. !
But / met him again for the worlds !
and was victorious and |
have since retired on my laurels, never |
to compete again.
But cakewalking amt what it used TO |
be- The white folks have taken it up |
now When the white folks try to imi- |
tate the negro they are sorry failure. |
They may blacken up to look like him, |
but that is all.
ITO be a good cakewalker you've got to |
know how to hold yourself straight, keep /
time with the proper music and carry |
with dignity. Why, if some of |
those niggers who were born in the north |
ever dared to go south and walk for !
prize there, they would be run into jail. |
Fancy one of those swell ace horse touts !
and crap shooters trying for the cake. /
walking like dandy on parade. If some |
of the old mammyS now alive saw them |
they would cry themselves to death.
years ago some of the cakes were |
worth walking for. Besides being good
10 eat they had diamond rings baked in /
them OF course, n square cakewalker
would always hand the ring over to his
lady fren if he won and keep the cake
for himself.
"A good partner is essential to sue
cess in walk. If she is pretty the
chances of winning are more in your
favor Tying a ladys shoe and dancing
ike jumping jack are not considered
ady's shoe or drops a handkerchief, in
nv opinion, is a shine Any time you
did this in the old days it was a mark
against. you.
Good manners is the art of making
hose people easy with whom we con-
yerse. Whoever makes the fewest per-
cons uneasy is the best bred in the
once give your mind to suspicion
md there is sure to be food enough
sor if. In the stillest night the air
{ filed with sounds for the wakeful
sar that is resolved to listen.
-0-<o
None are so hard to please as those
yhom safety of pleasure makes weary
# themselves: nor any so readily pro-