The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-06-03

When the staring and faring cir
Gus advertisements first made their
appearance on the dlngy bill-boards in
the neighboring towns, there was i'm
mediately great excitement in the
community, and much talk about who
was going with who, and what the
girls were going to wear. There was
quite as much heartburning among
the girls as there would be at any
fancSdress ball at Newport and the
amount Of crisp sarcasm INDUCED in
by the girls was as is usual in such
cases made and provided. II the boys
were short 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
hurry.
Circuses we're always a long ways
on at some one of the larger towns,
but such an event drew on the neigh
borhoods for 80 miles around. Those
who went from the smaller towns usu-
ally could go 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 the monarch Of the
Jungle" and the corrugated-hided
rhlnoeeros disported themselves, and
the bareback riders contorted A
long line Of buggies, with joyous
ly anticipatory couple in each vehicle
would pass the house in the early
dawn, ana 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 a hit as II was supposed
Zine" could be gotten on his liberal
] ity as a husband in that way. Red
lemonade, peanuts, taify, the concert
after the show, dinner, the flying
dutchman," the side-shows, the for
tune tellers-well, there we're 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 a home-bound
couple.
The "band concerts" were always
given at the towns where they boast
ed OF a town hand, and they we're at
tended by the boys and girls for
miles around. Those in our section
we're 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
swalns 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 pernicious amount OF
reckless driving about at racing speed
around the dusty streets and corners
Of the town.
Sometimes a boy who had been bit
ten with a 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 &c
ruminate until the next Monday morn
ing, but usually there was very little
trouble at the concerts. The mu
was the best they had, and II you Il.
not Ike IT, you could 90 home. w,
attended at least one band concert
that 1 remember. The music was o.
the "catch-as-cateh-can order Queens
bury rules. classic holds barred AK
every fellow for himself until th'
finale. when they were all supposed
to unite for the end Of the piece.
AT the country dances the swainl
appeared in full force, dancing unit
daybreak. and with their best bib.
and fuckers. The dances were The
most important Of aH rural functions
and by the time a fellow began t
take a girl regularly to these events
there was no doubt but that he ha,
been hooked. played and landed
and that there was something shortly
to be heard OF in the matrimonial line
And yet. as everywhere. the coursl
OF true love went awry. and we woul'
see some one OF the boys driving
swiftly past with new girl on th0
seat beside him and the girl he usei
to drive with appearing In public
with another cavalier and by thes'
"presents'w we knew that the silken cor,
had been loosed" and that Cupid hal
received another back set"
The fish fries" were where old ani
young congregated, but the boys ans
girls never missed these exciting oc
caslons. They were usually held II
some grove near a river or lake. AM
the men went early to catch enougl
fish 10 supply the dinner for all Tn
women brought h3ge baskets loadeI
down with everything possible in TN
way of good things to eat, and some
, times an organ would be hrough
along, a platform built, and TO tn
music of fiddle and organ dane