Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #20 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains a humorous poem about a rural barn dance on the "Whiz Bang farm." The text describes traditional square-dance activities—with musicians playing drum, jew's harp, and fiddle—and mentions specific dance moves like the "possum trot" and "lima bean." The satire appears light-hearted, poking fun at rural recreation and courtship customs (pinching girls' cheeks, changing partners). The poem's refrain, "Pick 'em up Silas and lay 'em down deep," suggests physical comedy or rowdy behavior. The concluding paragraph adds a cautionary note: apparently, the lights failed during an actual dance event, causing Mrs. Bill to ban future dances if girls from neighboring "Sugar Creek" attend—suggesting moral anxiety about unsupervised mixed socializing in darkness.