Viewing page 89 of 101

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

many, dancing women were seated at the back ready to join with whoever might come in dancing on the earthen floor to the music of a harp & one or two guitars.

In one booth a favorite dancer was a woman who glided about in time to the music with a bottle of beer balanced upon her head. Flaring torches and many lamps made this place bright at night and [[strikethrough]] the low place [[/strikethrough]] it was crowded until midnight with a host of the poorer classes who found great pleasure in these simple amusements. A considerable number of police men were scattered among the throng but I saw no trouble needing their interference in the many visits I made to the place.

Outside the booths there were many sellers of fruit and various kinds of cooked food, with a liberal sprinkling of men or women with a small table & dice box at which one could gamble a cent at a time, betting on the throw of the dice. Roulette, faro and monte were favorite games in the booths.