Putnam patriot., 1919-08-01
DANCERS STRIKE
 AT WILDWOOD
Music Plays, But Couples Re- fuse to Trip the Light
 Fantastic
Object Because Manager Increases
 the Price of Twirl

strikes. There are mill strikes, three strikes and out, and trolley strikes even the town clock has been known to have the habit. But here comes something new under the sun, the dancing strike. And it happened at the pavilion on the shores of Alex ander's Lake last Saturday night, where two hundred men and maids had gathered together for an evening of homage to the god of terpsichore.
 It was just before the jazz king leader of the orchestra took his baton in hand to conduct the strains of the first one step, two step or whatever step it was, that P. J. Sheridan, lessee of the Wildwood Park properties, strode into the center of his glassy arena and announced to the 400 would-be dancers, assembled from Putnam, Pomfret, Killingly and other points unknown, that the H. c. L. had hit the dance business and the price of a twirl would be six cents instead of jitney as heretofore.
 The crowd was not particularly pleased with this little speech on the part of Mir. Sheridan, but the fellows were there with the sweetest little girls on earth, and well-what could fellow do but dig a bit deeper and pay the extra copper? And so the leader took his orchestra in hand, shouted %On with the dance, let joy be uneonfined," and the merry cou- ples circled round and round. Then the dances, so the couples say, began to grow short and shorter, till at last five minute dance was taking only 180 seconds. And this. mind you, with the price increased. It was most disconcerting, Esmerelda.
 For an hour and a half the dancers tripped away, but all the while dis satisfaction grew and grew. Groups got together in this corner and that, and talked liked the williams in the movies. Something was on foot, and mysterious mods and glances were passing from pair to pair. At nine o'clock the orchestra struck up new number-but just four couples went onto the floor The remaining 392 as sembled persons stood outside of the rail, and all the syneopation that the leader of the band could summon was not enough to tempt them upon the wax. The music played on. Now and then a brave couple, willing to stand the taunts of the strikers, trip ped a dance or two. But for the rest there was nothing doing, to use a slang expression. Some danced on the wharf some danced on the grass i; some danced in the pines-but not one paid six cents to MT. Sheridan. It was a strike-the first shlmmey strike in Windham county. The mu- sic played on and on. There was "Nary" and q Want a Doll" and "The Alcoholic Blues" and all the rest. It reached ten o'clock. On went the music, but the dancers stayed off An aspiring Vernon Cas- tie took his partner for one step, only to be met with hoots from the crowd and yells of Say, fellow, you must be multi-millionaire."
 For two hours it was thus. Lots of good music going to waste, but the dancers made no move. The fiddler fddled in vain, the cornetist blew him- self red in the face, and the drummer pounded the big bass drum. It was fine concert from the standpoint of the crowd out on the shore-but MT. Sheridan didn't enjoy the situation.
 At II o'clock the crowd gave In. The misunderstanding were adjust ed and hostilities concluded. The strike was off, the dance was on and everyone made merry till the good night waltz was played. It was a peaceful strike, and without disor- der-but even at that, everybody was banpv that it lasted only two hours, and no longer.
 In fairness to MT. Sheridan It IS necessary to state his side of the mat ter. When the season began he wrote to the internal revenue collector III this district asking if it was necessary for him to pay a war tax on each tlck' ct sold. He received no reply, and SC sold his tickets for five cents, thf former price. Last week he saw revenue agent personally, and asked again about his business. He wa promptly informed that he must cer tainlv collect the war tax, and wha was more. would have to pay the ta' on every ticket he had sold slnc' onening the summer season. This MT Sheridan willingly did, but at tn same time he felt obliged to ask Una in the future the dancers pay the tax Hence the raise in price.
 When the situation was understood Mir. Sheridan's point of view was ae eepted by those at the lake. and the