Love and courtship in old-time Phoenix


It's the 1890s, we're in Phoenix, we're two fine upstanding young men, it's spring, and you know what that means. Yes, it's time to go a-courting. Love is in the air.

I met old man McGilicuty at the Golden Eagle yesterday, and asked him if I might pay my attentions to his daughter, Maybelline. He gave me a fishy eye, but he grumbled something that I took to mean that it was all right. I'll be calling tonight.

No, I don't mean making a telephone call, I mean a personal call, walking over to their place. And I was hoping that you'd come along, maybe bring that fiddle of yours. I got mine, and Maybelline plays piano. Yes, her little sister will want to sing along, you can talk to her. What? Yeah, all right, fair is fair, I'll do you a favor. I appreciate it.

How do I look? Well, you're ugly, too! In fact, if my dog was as ugly as you... Oh never mind. I'm glad you're coming along. We've been like brothers since we were kids, and I know that I can always rely on you. And besides, you make me look a little less ugly. Hand me that horse brush, will you, I want to comb my hair, look my best.

Here's their place. I declare, it's out in the middle of nowhere, two miles from town. Good thing there's a moon tonight, I wouldn't be able to see a thing. Wait, I see her in the window. No, I'm fine, I just slipped on the dirt, brushed against a cactus, that's what made me jump. Let's see, have you got your fiddle and bow? Here's mine, let's go on in.

Image at the top of the post: the Golden Eagle Livery Stable in the 1890s, Washington and 2nd Street, Phoenix, Arizona. By the way, the edge of town in those days was Van Buren, so in this imaginary story we would have been as far away from town as where the Thomas farm was, almost to the Osborn farm.
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