Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-05-27
Copyright. by Joseph B. Bowles.)

were snort OF money, there was the
usual scramble to get some, and any
chance to get out and do little extra
work was always snapped up in a
hurry.
Circuses were always a long ways
of, at some one of the larger towns,
but such an event drew on the neigh.
borho0ds for 80 miles around. Those
who went from the smaller towns usu-
ally could 60 by rail, but the main
body Of the circus goers went In
buggies.
AS we had seen a tiger or two in
our time, these events did not excite
US beyond our control, but we rather
lost caste. imagine, by our staying
away from where 1.-The monarch Of the
jungle" and the congratulated
rhinoceros disported themselves, and
the bareback riders contorted. A
long line of buggies, with a joyous
ly anticipatory couple in each vehicle
would pass the house in the early
dawn, and if we happen to be up, We
would be greeted always with "ain't
you going to the circus?" A liberal
spender" among the SWANS was sure
to make hit, as it was supposed a
"line' could be gotten on his liberal
ity as husband in that way. Red
lemonade, peanuts, taffy, the concert
after the show, dinner, the flying
dutchman," the side-shows, the for
tune tellers-well, there were several
ways in which the "nimble shilling"
could be induced to change hands, and
along about midnight the rigs would
come trooping back, an occasional
yell from some jolly Lothario notify
ing us of the passing of home bound
couple.
The band concerts" were always
given at the towns where they boast
ed of town band; and they were at
tended by the boys and girls for
miles around. Those in our section
were held invariably on Saturday
nights. The band gathered at lit
tie plank pavilion on one side of the
public square opposite the courthouse,
and there discOursed sweet music from
about eight to ten p. m. The rural
SWANS came in great droves, buggy
laden, and from all points of the coun-
ty. They bought the girls supper at
the hotels or restaurants, ice cream
at the drug stores, and lemonade, pea
nuts and popcorn wherever these
necessities could be found. There
was visiting among the various neigh
borhoods, and a pernicious amount of
reckless driving about 1T racing speed
around the dusty streets and corners
of the town.
Sometimes boy who had been Bit
ten with desire to be "a bad man.
would get into an argument with the
police force, one in number, and be
escorted to the town Jail, there to
ruminate until the next Monday morn.
ing, but usually there was very little
trouble at the concerts. The music
was the best they had, and if you did
not like it, you could go home. We
attended at least one band concert"
that l remember. The music was of
the "catch-as-catch-can" order, Queens
bury rules, classic holds barred, and
every fellow for himself until the
finale, when they were all supposed
to unite for the end of the piece.
At the country dances the SWANS
appeared in full force, dancing until
daybreak, and with their best "bibs
and fuckers The dances were the
most important of all rural functions,
and by the time fellow began to
take girl regularly to these events.
there was no doubt but that he had
been hooked, played and landed"
| and that there was something shortly
to be heard of in the matrimonial line.
And yet, as everywhere, the course
OF true love went awry, and we would
see some one of the boys driving
| swiftly past with new girl on the
seat beside him, and the girl he used
to drive with appearing in public
with another cavalier, and by these
presents" knew that the silken cord
had been loosed" and that Cupid had
received another back set"
The fish fries" were where old and
young congregated, but the boys and
girls never missed these exciting oc.
castOns. They were usually held in
some grove near river or lake, and
the men went early to catch enough
fish to supply the dinner for ALL The
women brought huge baskets loaded
down with everything possible in the
way of good things to eat, and some.
times an organ would be brought
along, a platform built, and to the
music of fiddle and organ a dance
would wind up the entertainment
All boats in the vicinity would be
pressed into service, and the woods
would ring with the good times the
folks were having. 1mpromptu swings
would be installed, and the shrieks of
the girls who were being hoisted heav.
| onward shook the leaves in the
branches above.
"Oh! George. tell them to stop.
This was the cry of Marian:
But the louder she hollered
| The harder they pushed,
And the swing went a little bit higher"
Fish fries" broke up about dark,
and the grind of wheels on the gravel
~ spots and the shouts of the return
ing couples soon died away along the
road.
Barbecues were rather infrequsnt
AFFAIRS, sometimes occurring when a
noted political speaker was to make
an address. They were held usually
at the county fair grounds, or out in
the woods somewhere, and whole
beeves, sheep and hogs were roasted.