TX BIOs:  J. T. Smith, McLennan CO. TX
   Selected and converted.American Memory, Library of Congress.
   
   Washington, 1994.
   
   Preceding element provides place and date of transcription only.
   
   This transcription intended to be 99.95% accurate.
   
   For more information about this text and this American Memory
   collection, refer to accompanying matter.
   
   U.S. Work Projects Administration, Federal Writers' Project (Folklore
   Project, Life Histories, 1936-39); Manuscript Division, Library of
   Congress.Copyright status not determined.
   
   00011
   
   FOLKWAY S
   
   Edward Townsend
   
   McLennan County
   
   District # 8 [???]
   
   No. of Words 350
   
   File No. 240
   
   Page 1
   
   A. Personal interview with J. T. Smith, at one time a cowboy on the
   Caufield Ranch.
   
   The Caufield Ranch was one of the first ranches that was fenced west
   of Waco. At that time, dancing was the most common amusement, and
   before and after each big cow hunt it was the custom for some family
   to give a dance to speed the parting cowboys or to welcome their
   return. The music was furnished by a single fiddle or accordion, but
   sometimes two or three other stringed or wind instruments were added.
   Most of the dancers danced only old Virginia reels or cotillions, but
   some of each sex were expert "jigger" and some could dance the "round
   dances" such as the polka, waltz schottish, etc.
   
   At the time of this story, the dance was given at the foreman's house.
   It was the usual type of building, wooden frame with two large rooms
   and a wide hall between; long porches stretched across the front and
   beside the L-shaped rear room. Huge fireplaces of rough stones were at
   each end of these front rooms.
   
   At one of the dances, according to prevailing custom, a large wash pot
   of coffee, surrounded by numerous tin cups, was kept boiling all night
   under a large tree in front yard, so that the guests might refresh
   themselves whenever they wished. While the cowboys and their
   sweethearts danced light-heartedly inside the house, some tree lizards
   also engaged in dancing in the live oak tree just above the pot of
   coffee.
   
   About three o'clock that morning, a lady asked Smith to get her a cup
   of coffee. He gallantly sprang to do her bidding, but, to his
   surprise, the pot was almost empty. He scraped the bottom of the pot,
   however, and with a sweeping bow presented the steaming cup to the
   fair one. The porch was only dimly lighted from the lamps within the
   house, so the lady laughed and talked with Smith while sipping the hot
   liquid. When she had almost finished the cup, someone came outside and
   the beam of the light from the open door fell full upon the contents
   of the bottom of the cup. Imagine her horrow and consternation upon
   beholding a boiled lizard in the bottom of her cup! Nature brought
   that coffee back to the world instantly, while Smith, in the presence
   of all assembled, condemned each separate member of the lizard tribe
   to Hades in language that was not suitable for Sunday School. (A)
   
     NOTE: [???]

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