AMUSEMENTS IN THE EARLY DAYS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2159, 27 May 1914, Page 18

AMUSEMENTS IN THE EARLY DAYS.

,/V/vLIFE AT HOEITIKA. Some idea of life in Hokitika iti tl*e lieydey <?.f the rusii is given by a writer in "The Diggers' Stovy," that iuvalunWe little collection of pioneers' reminiscenees issued hy tho West Coasters' Aseoeiation.

' .Iho only asiniseuicnts." says tto writer, "wore dancing, billiards", and athletic shorts—and what athletes they Were! If one -could only prodnee 9 team of runners, junipers, wrestlers', and fightei-s cqttal to tliat which could be picked on the Const in 1867, w-fcat a sensation it would jiroduee at tho west- Olympic Games! They wore natural athletes, whoso tßtimngVae the pick, tile slmvel, and tho tush track, ami it would be hard indeed to fine their equal to-day.. I liavo been am-owg athletes all my life, and know, The dajice roam Ms a great institution in these days; and although the free and. easy style which was the fashion would probably shock the modern ballroom, tail-coated, Itigh-coflared damly of today, I want t« say that the proportion of nianlj- men and good women *as as great- a.s t-l-iat could bis found in any ballroom to-day. "Dance, girls got £6- per Week, snsl it. was their business to get. partners. Tl'.sro wwe no programtnes, and mtre.<!ucti*»s were not considcretj necessary.. The ineu hi moleskins, watertight bssot's, «o!o«reti sllirts, awl red. sashes, just strolfed into the big room, took tlieir i seats on iho wooden forms ranged round the room, and smeked. l?ir»t----1 class music was provided, and the girls ' seeu.ro4. partners by asking the men. j Tiws M.C. {by the way, ho fras the only person on vtaro u> white shirt was tolerated) iinnounced the cianee—Cafcdo.ninns, Lamcers, Polka Jlaziirka, Seliottisehe, Pelka—as the casfl might bu.

■partner to the bar, and Iso shouted for tier, Of course tko girl mad© oriy p. pretence of d-rmhing, l>ut the man paid for two drinks, all tile same, Is, each. You can imagine the amount that would I be spent at that rate with a room full of fflfli, going from 8 to U every night. ! "Sometimes the hotelkwjser (I forget to mention that tte dsneo ream tras usually Tui adjunct to the hotel) would : announce a ball, tho difference feotween ; that and an -ordinary dance toeing that the hail was kept up as loftg as anyone liked to stay—always an all-night affair —a Inrish supper was provided free.' At those suppers, or dinners, as they would ?}e described now, everything, even the most costly article of feodj was in profusion,-and .free, of course. Tho eefrecfc thing fof tho male- guests was to' shout cliam-piigJMi at £1 per bottle, and the men always did tlto oerroet thing. When one -man ordered a couple of bottles, his neighbour would g-9 onebetter, and call for six. and a dozen was iiot an racenimo-n or.de*. As a matter of fact, tto' reoottt' shout m the Waimea was .1 dozen cases, eostisg £144; bat that's another story. Tlicte nr-o perlrap.s J i-tJCH on the Coast now who helped to [ drin.k it. Qα tlwso gala nights the married woiucft cniue iii scores; it was the only amescißMVtv they had, a-n-d they dances! until they sauted to step. "Nowit'hstfiudhxg ail this, it is prising JioV little- drunkenness or quarrelling there -was. A dispute generally cuimitiatGEl in a fisM, which was thoroughly enjoyed by tb-s crowd, and an adjwmmcßb to Me bar followed a» -amatter o£ course,"