The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-17

MS FAMILY knew nothing or the affair until
a couple of young fellows approached and
informed them. The cases were extremely
rare when refusal was met with. The
committee moved the stove and furniture
from the kitchen and by that time the rest
had arrived with the girls and the fiddler.
These mining towns always contain good
musicians. violinists. harpers, bagpipers.
etc, of whom will speak later on. After
greetings had been exchanged set formed,
the fiddler rasped his fiddle and sung out,
Join hands and circle round and the
dance was on. After two or three sets some
one proposed Pat Droney for jig Paddy
blushed, but he complied amid hearty APP
plause. Then another announced Molly
Bannon for song and she responded by
singing in sweet. natural tones the folk
songs learned beyond the After
couple OF more sets an invitation was ex-
tended to SHINY Heating to dance a horn
pipe, and. while the fiddler made the roof
rattle with the Devils Dream SHINY made
the floor ache with the rata tattoo of his
feet These dances were the favorite re-
sort of Dan Cupid, and frequently on the
following Sunday a couple were called in
church by the Sogsarth Aroon. In the last
few years these primitive dances have be-
come almost obsolete and the younger
generation hold their dances in hall, have
an orchestra and banquet and extend for
NAL invitations. Twosteps and other mod
ern figures predominant.
GREAT SOCIAL EVENT.
Another great social event is when the
'greenhorns' arrive from the old country.
A miner comes from his native land, finds
work and saves enough money to send for
his family He gets letter announcing
that they Will set sail on a certain date,
and as he walks down the road from the
postoffice, in the joy of his heart, he per-
hapS sings:
GOOD news from home, good news for me,
That came across the deep blue sea,
From friends whom / had left In tears,
From friends whom I've not seen for
years
HE Immediately sets about to prepare
spree as they are termed, for his
forms everybody he meets, and on the night
when his family arrives the spree takes
place. There is to be singing, dancing,
borly welcome extended TO the green
horns The feast can be best described
by an old rhyme, anent one that figured
in local history:
There were lots of roast lamb,
But the priest got the snipe.
There were pork and plum buildings,
Cod, cow heels and tripe,
And mountains of beef were cut down.
population there but few ARRAYS these
generally arising out of desire 10 settle
the question as to who is the best man..
Reese Llewellyn, it is declared, is not the
best but one OF the best men in Dowlais,
a city in Wales, while Thomas Fields is a
| noted man with his hands from Stafford
shire. England. These two. surrounded
| by the entire male population, finally settle
| the matter according to London prize ring
rules on the village green. If the COM
batants are Americans or irish. they go at
| it rough-and-tumble, bite noses and
gouge.'
These contests cause great excitement
| for an hour or two, but. strange as it may
| seem, there is no malice or lingering Ill
| will among the combatants or their parti-
sans after the fight. Indeed, the fighters
are often butties, that is, they work to-
| gether in the mine and the next day toll side
| by side, the matter being closed Incl
dent as far as they are concerned.
1.-The schools are well supported. though
| the boys often sent to work in the mines
| at an early age. 1t requires no compul-
sion to get these boys 10 work. There Is
something fascinating to him about sitting
1 on a mule, with a blazing lamp In his cap,
and long leather whip which is used to
| energize the lazy mule and attract the at
! tention of stranger These boys feelings
| are best expressed by a verse current
| among them.
Crack. crack. goes my whip.
| l whistle and L sing,
| i sit upon my wagon,
| I'm as happy as king,
| My mule is always willing,
| For me, I'm never sad
| A free and easy bully boy,
| Is Bill, the miners lad
1.-THE boys are generally compelled to at
| tend night school, and If ever a man earned
| his money, these night-schoOl teachers do,
for the boys are bubbling over with ami
/ mated spirits. and are mischievous as
| monkeys. Many of the teachers are like
| old Scuplin, the New England skipper, who
| argued with a marlin spike, and reasoned
! with a rope The lads from the same
section Of the town are clannish; they stand
| together against those from another sec
ton Fist fights and stone fights are preva-
lent usually provoked by some such al
| fusion as
| The Fallow boys do like their fun,
But the Dublin boys can make them run.
MINER is MUSICAL.
| THE miner is nothing if not musical.
and mining town without brass band
is novelty. In addition. there are gener-
ally several good choirs I'm each town.
Among the Welsh an Eisteddfod is held. and
| the customs handed down from the days
of the Druids are gone through with. There
| are prizes for the best solo. duet quartet.
the best choir and the concert singers, and
a prize for the best poem by the local bard
| in his native tongue. The competition is
| opened to several towns. and while the
| spirit OF local pride runs high, these affairs
are great events and are conducive Of much
| good and are greatly enjoyed. On Hug
| mena (the Scotch Christmas) and on Jan.
%. Burnss birthday the canny people
have their haggis. scenes ard other home
| dainties. while the stuff wi a cinder int
will flow like water. and Jock. the piper.