Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1903-04-18
T0N0PAH IN
DARKT0WN SCENES


the afternoon and evening OF Wednes-
day, April 18th, were the first of the
kind ever given In Nevada, and were
pronounced by many competent to
judge to be as fine as any ever given
on the Pacific coast. Tonopah looked
like a town in the Alabama black belt
on circus-day at the close of the cot
completing season. Fully 5000 peo-
pie were on the street, and the Elks
were BACKED and attired in the glad
dest kind OF rags for the parade,
which old Jack Haverly's Ministries
never surpassed. The procession left
the Stock Exchange at 2 p M, and
! was led by Chas. Blumenthal as a
| pompous drum major, accompanied
by Mrs Susie Mckenzie in a CLEAN
ing yellow silk, trimmed with red,
blue, green and purple streamers and
gorgeous purple hat. The business
houses turned out floats lavishly
draped in royal purple and driven by
their employees, 'tcooned" for the
occasion. A float had been prepared
for cake walking, and was fitted up
with platform, a special band of
music and two cake walkers, who
were the finest brand of the real arti-
Gle, dyed-in- the and warranted
fast colors. They had been loaned by
the Butler saloon for the occasion,
and at intervals of a block in the
procession gave exhibitions that con-
vulsed the crowds. At the corner of
Main street and Brougher avenue,
the platform was surrendered to
Wallace Knight and Chester Cohn,
aged II and 8 years, respectively,
and their cake-walking would have
done credit to Georgia hoe down.
To say that the Elks graced the
occasion would be putting it mild.
Joe Stenson looked like one OF Stan
ley's pet Congo chiefs, clad in the Sc
we're simplicity of "yaller" girdle,
and during the entire afternoon trav-
eled strictly on his shape. Charlie
Cole was grand marshal, scantily at
tired as ballet dancer In yellow
mosquito net, through which cleaned
his beautifully rounded black limbs.
Wesley Warren, as a plantation dar-
key, looked as If he had just stolen
ham from some white mans smoke
house. The Elks and their friends
remained black all afternoon, and any
place of business with white behind
the counter was boycotted. ANY
white man caught on the street was
BACKED, and by dark every man and
boy in town was colored--in way
that will cause the day to be long
remembered one by the laundries and
housewives. Everybody was as good
natured as though it were Los
Angeles fiesta, where the pelting of
flowers is the friendly salutation.
The hall in the evening surpassed
anything ever given by an amalga-
mated association of tonsorial artists
and hotel walters. The real darkies
behind the lemonade stand we're pale
compared with the dancers Of the
evening. No white folks we're al
lowed on the floor and white specta-
tors were relegated to the band
stand The dusky bellies gowns we're
marvels OF color and gorgeousness,
and the Tonopah dry goods mer-
chants claim there isn't yard of
bright or figured goods left in the
stores. There were the Miss Ange-
lima SNOWFALL type and the plantation
nanny, the coon who had just rob
bed a chicken coop, and the darby
coon of the city The real bellies of
the ball, however. were Ed. Knapp,
DR.. Mcintyre, Will O'Neil and Puddy
Grimes, in feminine dress. In fact,
Puddy was big part of the show
afternoon and evening-as likely q
wench as could be found in years
travel. The Elks themselves were
in uniform, consisting OF white duck
trousers and vests, square cut coats
of royal purple, and shirt-fronts and
collars that could be heard at Soda
vile. The music was excellent and
was principally ragtime. The cake,
as fine a piece Of work as ever came
from a bakers hand, was won by
Miss Elsie Scheneman and Mr.
Getchel. Dancing was kept up con
tinually until p. m. save during the
intermission for the Elks' solemn
toast to their absent brothers. The
Elks' committee deserve heap of
credit for making this unique affair
such a grand success.
NOTES.
The float of Lothrop & Davis was
quite attractive. It was the work of
Jack Mckenzie and Mr.. Platt.
Speaker Il Miller, grocers, had a
neat float, displaying all the leading
brands carried by their house.
The Nye County Mercantile Co. s
float attracted considerable atten
ton, it being well designed.
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