The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 1, July 1897 - April, 1898 Page: 94
334 p. : ill., ports., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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94 Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
building to the outside-at least for the time. So it was removed,
and the opening where it had passed up into the hall above was
temporarily floored over, the boards not being nailed.
In the hall thus prepared occurred the ball at the inauguration
of President Anson Jones in 1845, the first and last inaugural ball,
as I believe, that was held in Texas during the days of the Repub-
lic. The attendance of prominent men and beautiful women was
very large, and the ball-room was densely packed. In the course
of the evening there happened a contretemps of a rather ridiculous
nature, the story of which may not be without interest here.
During one of the intervals in the dancing I was sitting beside a
young lady, and we were waiting for the tap of the fiddle to take
our places on the floor and join the dance. She was rather large,
very attractive, and to judge from the marked attention of the
distinguished men who surrounded her, very popular also. She
seemed to be particularly admired by Gen. T. J. Chambers, who
had escorted her to the ball, and who stood beside her while we
waited. When the signal came we sprang up to take our places,
but I observed that she was pulling back; and on looking around
I saw that she was sinking through the floor into the saloon be-
low. I had just time to catch her by one arm. General Chambers
lent his assistance, and together we drew her up and relieved her
from her awkward position and the prospect of a dangerous fall.
Our rising had disarranged the carelessly laid planks over the open-
ing of the staircase, and they had given way beneath her. The
delay, however, occasioned by the accident was but momentary;
we took position at once, and the dance went merrily on.
In the same hall, some years before, occurred another incident
that may be worth relating. A large body of gamblers and like
characters had gathered in the town and held complete sway. The
citizens were cautious of what they said and to whom they said it,
for these men defied all law. While things were in this condition,
Rev. Robert Alexander, whom the Methodist church had sent along
with Rev. Littleton Fowler and a Rev. Mr. Wilson to preach the
gospel in Texas, stopped in Washington. He at once engaged the
room over Hatfield's saloon and announced that he would preach
there on the following Sunday. The gamblers sent him word that
he could not use that hall, that it was employed for other purposes,
and that they would not allow him to preach in it. Mr. Alexander
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 1, July 1897 - April, 1898, periodical, 1897/1898; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101009/m1/111/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.