Evening star., 1925-11-29

Just as the United States own
frontier towns have quieted down in
recent years, with n loss in atmoS-
phere, perhaps, but a welcome gain
IN the life expectancy of the citizens,
so the countryS adopted resorts just
over international lines seem to have
lost something of Their old-time rau
cnus personalities. - says a Communi-
cation to the National Geographic So
Ciety from MCF'all kerbey.
Take, as Exhibit \, Juarez, prob
{ ably MeXico'S most important border
city which lies beyond n sluggish
stream and a short bridge from FL
Paso, Tex. JuareZ seems to have had
its fill of the hectic dance hall and
saloon days that followed on the heels
of our eighteenth amendment Wild
oats have palled. apparently, and the
community has settled down to cater
with measurable SoberneSs-and GER
tainly lucratiVely-to the type of
American tourist who has only Il
minor inhibition or two to fling over
! board when he finds himself, for an
hour or SO, in foreign land.
Curfew at Q O'Clock.
NO doubt great deal of JuareZ's s
recently acquired near sedateneSS is
due 10 its very effective CurfeW. No
bell rings, but at exactly 9 o'clock
on the international bridge clangs
closed. If any Americans are so luck
less as to be south of the gate at that
interesting moment they must remain
/ for the night, and hotels of the usual
American standard are not numerous
in Juarez. 1t happens, therefore, that
dinner, dancing and the hegira. across
| the bridge have become the fixed or
| der of the FL Paso-Juarez evening.
lSlSlnpSS
FL PaSO. a Sprinkling of the American
Younger SET, tourists from the four
/ corners of the country and "A few Mex
. leans of the better Class-these make
up the table groups about the dance
! floors of the principal JuareZ cafes
each evening. The food is all that
could be wished-the usual America n
and continental dishes, a few charac-
teristic Mexican viands and, thanks
10 MeNico's lenient game laws, veni
son. duck and quail.
Seated in one of the better Juarez
cafes one cannot avoid the thought
that his situation is about what 1t
would be in a fashionable club-cabaret
some thousands of miles farther north.
The outstanding differences seem to
be that his surroundings are not so
luxurious nor SO exclusive.
How Dancers Pay the Piper.
But the parallel must not he press
ed too closely All of the Vests
breeZinesS and the piquanCy of Latin
lands has not been rooted out. JuareZ
has 4 way all its own. for example. of
proclaiming the old truth that he
who dances must pay the piper. Hang
ing above the center of each dance
floor is a contrivance Of metal tunnels,
one directed toward each of the Tour
aY-tr 10 h
a collector of perquiSites for the or
CheStra. Music for a few whirls about
the floor. then dead silence that must
be broken by the rattle and clang of
coins tossed down the machines metal
maws by the dancers. When the
pracuiced ear of the orchestra leader
estimates that a gill or so of good
hard money has been donated. the
music strikes up again with an added
verve that is probably we'll worth to
the dancers the coins that have stimu-
lated it.
There is nothing noticeably exotic
nor unrestrain ed a bout Juarez dancing
L least in the better cafes. Young and
old and middle-aged America seem
out for the dance south of the Rio
Grande in exactly the same spirit in
which they pursue their pleasures on
the north bank of that river, or near
is the same music, the same steps,
often the same people.
Twelve-Mile Speed Limit.
"Promptly at $50 each evening
JuoreZ gives an early redition of
CGnderella's midnight departure. The
night life dies a-borning. Orchestras
suddenly stop and their members hur-
ridly pack their instruments. Chairs
bile horns begin to toot. But cars do
not dash madly about. The new and
somewhat chastened Juarez has re-
Stricted automobile speeds as well as
evening entertainments and the Amer
lean who drives faster than Il miles
an hour has only himself and his
hurried Gringo ways to blame if he
is invited 10 swell the municipal
treasury.
The cafe center of Juarez is nearly
half il mile from the international
bridge; but within a few minutes after
$50 an unbroken line of automobiles
extend TO the river. while on side
streets Of her cars wait tO tal,o +boir