Chapter Seven
An excerpt from Chapter 4 of Alvin Burgmeier’s as-yet-untitled history of Toulouse:
Toulouse may have been born as a haven for free thinkers, a renaissance community for writers, dreamers and Darwinists, scholarly folks mostly, but it wasn’t long before it started attracting a seedier population, and the upscale establishments where the learned could wax poetic over a snifter of brandy soon became overshadowed by corner taverns. With the saloons came entertainers because where there are rowdy men boozing it up, two things are sure to follow–prostitutes and entertainers, both looking to help those men part with their money. Early on, these traveling entertainers put on what were referred to as “saloon shows.” These shows soon became known as vaudeville and though a small tow
