Eureka Daily Sentinel

THE PINTO BALL.

How the Folks Got There and What They Did Afterwards.

A good many of our townspeople started out for Brother Smith's ball at Pinto Thursday evening, about twenty-five of the fair sex and nearly twice as many of the sterner sort. The journey out was not altogether lovely. One wagon spilled its load, and a little child's face was badly scratched, but the line of vehicles went on a few minutes later as though nothing had happened. Some distance out of town the dust rose so dense that there was no driver in the crowd but Charley Dean who could be depended on to lead the festive, but pebble-chewing procession. They followed him so closely, for fear of getting lost, that they nearly smothered him, and he finally stopped and made a plain speech to the whole outfit: "Now, look here. If you want to get to Pinto, with me in front, you've got to let up on this jam. If you don't, I'll just turn out and you can go ahead while I camp in the sagebrush. I'll sachey around here, and you can sling your partners somewhere else." He was not bothered any more, and one driver was so anxious not to make his guide mad any more that he got far behind and wandered two miles away up the canyon, to an Italian ranch. Anyway, this is what he said. But the crowd hove in sight and stout about 9:30 o'clock, and dancing, to music from "fah to middlin'" was begun at once.

The occasion was a jolly one; everybody seemed to be happy, and Brother Smith received the sheckels with his usual grace. It was the largest and most congenial crowd that ever assembled at Pinto. Some of the males of the party, either because they found partners in the dance a little scarce, or else because it was too much like work to dance, and sweat, etc., started a game of bean poker for lemonade and sarsaparilla, of which articles the best brands are kept by mine host at Pinto. The ordinary luck of our worthy townsman, M. B. Bartlett, who was one of the party of nine, seemed to desert him entirely. He caught John Baker stealing beans and he was seduced into doing likewise; but he fell; nevertheless, losing five games in succession. Nor is he a candidate for office, either. The absence of the Courthouse boys, who usually contribute so much to the life of such occasions, was remarked upon. There seems to be some dissatisfaction with Brother Smith among them on account of some little back salary proposition of theirs against which the old man "emphatically bucked." It was thought that they were getting even on him by staying home. The party was a success for fun and for money.