Omahan, Barn Dance Caller, to Give at Chermot Tonight

There is no dearth of barn dance callers in Omaha, and one of the best is Jess H. Gruhn, 5825 Florence boulevard, who will be a feature attraction at tonight's World-Herald "Goodfellow" barn dance at the Chermot ballroom.

Gruhn first began calling them when 15. He came out of retirement when he read in the The World-Herald that Al Wolf of the Chermot ballroom was in need of a barn dance caller.

With his brother, Luther, Gruhn occasionally indulges in a bit of fancy "double calling," but mostly he sticks to plain calling, disdaining "hillbilly calling." An example of his song:

"First couple out, balance and swing.
Lead right out to the right of the ring.
Lady around lady and gents solo.
Lady around the gent and the gent don't go.
Round up four in the center of the floor;
Docey lady and a docey-do
Now a little more to do and a little more to jo,
Like a chicken in the bread pan pickin' out the dough."

With Gruhn will be "The Cornhuskers," a special dance band specializing in barn and folk dances. Leader of the band, Brownie Walters, is planning to play a number of folk dances being revived in many of the country's ballrooms.

Admission to the dance is 25 cents a person.