San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-21
SOMETHING WE CAN'T GET

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a couple foN-trotted continuously fol
fourteen hours ard thirty-six minutes
This set new worlds record Tor fox
trotting and presumably both the man
and his partner were about "alI in when
| the performance was over.
Just why anyone should care whether
they danced IA hours and thirtv-siy
minutes or fourteen minutes and thirty
SIX seconds apparently is something that
did not occur to the average mind be-
cause the incident was deemed impor-
tant enough to pay cable tolls on by
several of the worlds largest news-gath-
ering agencies and was transmitted
thereafter by telegraph to all parts OF
the United States.
Dancing as an exercise engaged in
UNDER proper conditions and in modera-
ton is healthfu. Carried to excess it
is like anything else, dangerous 10 health
and morals. 1t may be that 4 reputa-
ton for having been able to dance long
er than anybody ever danced before is
something to be proud of but we must
admit that it is something we can't get,
to use a slang phrase.
For the matter OF that it might lie
interesting to know that the little stunt
performed by these British fox-trottcrs
pales into inSigniflcancc when compared
with the performances of a number of
tribes OF American Indians and various
other savageS scattered throughout the
world. There are Indian dances that
last for days, nights and days, without
cessation and the dancers train Tor :,1anv
months in advance for them. The AIouui
Indians OF Arizona have such dances.
Their dancers have been known to dance
for forty or fifty hours and were still
able to go strong. 1t is nothing for a
Pueblo Indian dance to last Tor twenty
four hours and to all appearances, the
dancers could continue longer did they
so desire. But the poor deluded Indian
dancer has at least semblance of san
ity back of his long distance dancing.
1t Is a ceremonial with him, a pagan
rite that he performs as his civilized
brethren perform their prayers. He may
be mistaken but he thinks his dancing
is going TO help his eternal hereafter.
10 Our way OF thinking, the long dis
lance toX-trotter is on a par with the
champion long time piano player who
continues to play piano for hours un-
til exhaustion compels him to stop. In
about the same category is the fellow
who tries to eat ten dozen eggs or t,ven-
ty mirce pies at single meal He is
close kin likewise to the "bar-fly" of
sacred memory who essayed to drink
two gallons OF beer without stopping.
All OF these people were champions
in their respective spheres but certainly
they can not claim anything more than
the cheapest and most beggarlv sort OF
notoriety therefrom
1t is one of the human weaknesses that
people are always trying to excel at
something or other. usually not in doing
their allotted task to the best of their
ability but in trying to devise some wav
OF getting a thrill.
There is nothing more graceful than
sllillful dancer. There is nothing pref
tier than terpsichorean art properly done
But there is nothing more disgusting
than excess in anything whatsoever
whether it be in eating, drinking. PLAYING
or working. Moderation in all things
applies equally to the whole category.
The funny side of these sort of stunts
apparently is that nobody NOWADAYS ever
seems to desire to set a new worlds
record with pick or shovel.
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