The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1914-02-13

crowded into the room. Then it was
almost impossible to pry way
through the throng. The orchestra,
one Of the best that has ever supplied
music for dance in the county,
struck up the strains for the grand
march at o'clock. That march was
comedy, tangled mixture of men
and women. There was not room on
the floor to keep any semblance Of
order, and before many evolutiOns had
been made those attempting to take
part were tangled up in ineXtricable
confusion. The march came to an
end in mixture like log jam. Dane
ing started again, or rather milling,
as gyrating was only rapid success
sion of bumps as the numerous COUP
les collided at every whirl, and dane
ing became more of hardship than
q pleasure. Men and women stood
many ranks deep watching those who
we're trying their best to do the waltz
two-step and other more modern
Terpsichorean novelties. The crowd
ed room by no means represented all
the visitors in town. There were
scores of men, women and children
in the basement, more scores on the
steps and in the balcony, and still
other scores on the streets, in the big
pool room block or two south of the
store, and in other buildings and
rooms open to the public. 1t is ow-
ing to this wide distribution of visitors
that makes it difficult to estimate the
number of people who were in To-
nasket on the night of February 6.
A most animated scene was the ball
room to look upon from the viewpoint
of the bystanders. From the balcony
one gazed down upon veritable sea
of swirling humanity, hardly an atom
OF the conglomorate mass being at
rest for a moment The faces, the
costumes, the department of the crowd
were an interesting study. There were
those who danced gracefully, others
who danced passing well, many who
danced grOtesquely. The colors of the
rainbow were represented in the raj
ment of the danes and maidens.
There were gowns running down the
gamet from elegant and tasty to
dowdery nondescripts. But clothes
cut no figure in that assembly. The
girls and boys were out to extract as
much pleasure from the occasion as
possible, joy and jOllity reigned su
preme, everybody seemed bent upon
having good time, and were having
it, judging from the bright faces, the
genial smiles, the continual ripple OF
laughter that floated out from and
over the tangled swarm of humanity.
1t was constantly shifting, changing
scene, and presented the irregular
features of crazy quilt, or the color
ed phantasmagoria of a kaleidoscope.
it was the most orderly crowd Of the
size and democratic character ever
collected together. Care had been ta-
ken to provide number of lusty mar
shals in case the necessity should
arise to discipline an obstreperOus in
truder, but these guardians of the
peace had little to do in their Of
ficial capacity.
Supper, as stated above, was served
in the basement, and was in charge
of the members of the Civic League,
band of Jealous, hard working ladies
who endeavOr to meet the steady on
slaught upon the provender with
courtesy and promptness. No effort
was made to keep count of the meals
served, but the company had provid-
ed 1000 paper plates upon which to
serve orders, and hours before the
time of closing the dining room every
plate had been used. This does not
mean that 1000 individual diners were
served, but it shows that a good many
abused the privilege of free meal.
There was no stint in the quantity or
quality of the viands served. There
was chicken and ham, cake and pie,
sandwiches and rolls, pickles, condi-
ments, and coffee, all deliciously pre-
pared and neatly served
At 6 O'Clock the Oroville contingent,
numbering upward of $50, was on the
train headed homeward, leaving the
balance of the crowd still dancing.
It was tired, sleepy, somewhat bed
raggled looking collection Of people.
The trip passed off without an accid
ent, without an unpleasant occurrence
to mar the occasion. Every excursion
ist felt well repaid for the night out,
and while some of them might not
care to do it again they would not
have missed the unique experience for
any consideration