Just before the turn of the century, Fort Worth was a town built on the cattle trade. Cowboys riding a herd up the Goodnight Loving Trail and points northward would gather in a part of the town known as "Hell's Half Acre". Truth is a lot of cattle towns had their own Hades-inspired real estate. With money in their pockets, dust in their throats and in dire need of a bath and a shave, the men would hit the town in waves. Saloons, of course, were the destination of choice. Mind you the real cowboy of this era was not the noble Hollywood type. More likely to be a hoodlum or an unsavory character with bad teeth, bad manners, and less-than-stellar intelligence.
Several of the local establishments were a much more elaborate than others. One such saloon was called The Two Minnies. Fine cushioned chairs, red velvet draperies and other gildery adorned the place. Seldom did a cowboy off the street and uneducated in the offerings of the Two Minnies ever get more than the first drink down their gullet before discovering another more enticing pasttime.
When they tossed that shotglass full of whiskey back against a trail-parched throat, their eyes would lock upon the glass ceiling that separated the first and second floors. At least 40 girls would be walking around upstairs, "nakid as a jaybird" and playing ten pins - a type of bowling game.
All goes to prove that the wages of sin are sometimes a damned sight better than the wages of virtue.
8 comments:
I've always heard that the Texan version of bowling was a tad more interesting than than polyester style playing on ESPN.
Didn't realize they made glass that could bear all that weight in those days.
Interesting and pretty dang funny, Pattie!
I have not heard about that before.
It certainly would have been " a sight for sore eyes."
bill
Boy, those don't look like "Minnies" to me! (arf, arf!)
Back in those days the ones tending the herds were called drovers and were mostly young men in their late teens and early twenties. Most were not hoodlums nor 'unsavory characters' just hard working men who seldom got to a town and let off a lot of steam when they did.
Facts are that few of the drovers even carried hand guns..and most that did owned a rusty piece that would misfire likely as not. Rifles were the weapon of choice on the trail and 'greeners' (scatterguns were the weapons of choice at home and i the wagons and stagecoaches..ergo the term "riding shotgun"
The "Wild West" gains new meaning from that well-written tale, Pattie!
Now, just where did the cowgirls hang out, and I don't mean on the second floor?
Since nobody's taken your bait, I'll simply have to bite.
"Guess that glass is always full."
Sorry.
NOTE; Word verification was saexzz. Austin Powers must be in the house, under glass.
BWaaahahaha! That's too funny!
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