The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1919-10-18
The Bevy OF Ladies' was an Inspira-
ton and q Delight to all.
BY N. w. HarIIee.

or of the American Syncopated Or
chestra. The spacious hall was fill
ed with bevy of the most fashion
able and pretty women 1t has ever
been our pleasure to see and for
once the writer imagined himself a
youngster once more as these ladies'
made the hall ring with their modesty
and beauty and the pleasure of by
gone days stole upon him as he sat
in corner and peeped out at them
like the country mouse that came to
town.
The Lovers Musical Club of which
congenial l. NJ. Horton is the Presi-
dent entertained the Syncopated Or
chestra. which has been engaged at
the State Fair to render daily pro
grams. This orchestra has an inter-
national standing of which Mr. G..
Il. Duff is the leader and president
His corps consists of thirty members.
young men of education, some of
whom are graduates of Harvard and
Yale colleges, and each is an ex-
pert in his line of the musical art
that tells the story of proficiency
whenever they sing or perform on
an instrument. During the evening
several pieces were rendered by the
members of this renowned and ar
tiatic orchestra of which the Ameri-
can people who have heard them
pride them as true artists that they
are. The German called this orches-
ira, 1.-THE Black Devil Band as it
would continue to play for the adj
vancing Negro soldiers in No Mans
Land under bursting shell and FUN
ing gases and even in the flames of
LIQUID fires, leading the 379th Sth
Illinois, conducted by Mr.. Duff the
magnetic and accomplished musician
that he is. Those who have not heard
them would do well to go out to the
greatest state fair on earth and hear
this great aggregation of Negro tai
ent.
But we must speak of the banquet,
the mirth of real joy, the bevy of
ladies, attired in the latest fads and
beautiful gowns Of the seasons that
gave life and real animation to the
occasion. 1t was pleasure to see
them. to hear them. to be in their
company, and to call to mind what
the old Romans really meant when
they called their daughters the
Primitive Graces of the Golden
Age" it was all revealed on this joy
ful evening when covers were laid
for rs fair ladies and seventy-five
brave men who did valient service at
the banquetting table laden with the
deiicacies of the season. There was
no need of tOasts on this occasion,
hut they we're on the program with
the menu and of course they were
carried out perfunctory and in place.
Mr.. Billy George was the caterer and
prepared the menu.
After the banquet was finished,
the deck cleared for action, we under
stood that there was to be a battle
OF the fantastic toes, we slipped out
as the sweet strained of music kept
us looking back like Lots wife, and
how thankful we were that we did
not matrialize into the salt of the
past age, for We peeped and peeped
and saw that 1t was real battle
IN which the fighting kept time to the
latest music known to the waltz
kind and its effect on the emotion
of those who delighted to swing and
sway with measured steps and elastic
rendition peculiar to the are of modern
dancing. We even stopped at the
door and stopped peeping and looked
sQuarely at the business and saw
that each one was an artist as a.
score and half would mingle and
meet a score or more without con-
fusion with the same motion and
sway, and finally we left and know
nothing about the victorious ones in
this battle of the Fantastic Toe
Much credit is due Pres. Norton,
and to the following persons of the
splendid bahquer rendered the Ameri-
can Syncopated Orchestra: Mesdames
Overton, Island Pittman. L. C. Nor
gan, Mrs. Frank Hawkins, and Misses
Virginia Stewart and Birdie Jordan.
DIR. Frank Hawkins was the accom-
plished toast-master.
1t has been long time since the
writer has seen such a. splendid
affair in all his travels. not even in
the city of Washington, nor yet while
m New York City being at banquets
in these and other cities and even
in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, he has
seen nothing to excel the one that
was STAGED in honor of the Synco-
pated Orchestra, which the entire
Negro race should rise up and do
reverence.
The official of the state fair did
a splendid thing to engage these
artists to give entertainment to the
lovers CT real music who visit the
fair. Another lesson is learned that
the Negro needs no longer to stand |
- -......h Farm. I'd IL. |