Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-06-29
Tho Grand Japanese Ball IN Now York
The Crowd and its Conduct.

Tho Grand Japanese Ball In Now York
The Crowd and its Conduct.
The grand Japanese ball at Niblo's Garden,
in New York, occurred on Monday evening,
and is of course described by the local press
as a magnificent affair. The Express thus
refers TO the festive scene;
mo finer spectacle was ever witnessed In
New York than there met their eyes. The
great building with its variegated and bril-
liant decorations, its fragrant flowers Its
profusion of lights, its flags and muslins and
painted columns, and the prodigious throng
of gaily-dressed people moving to the sound
Of music, on either side. the galleries and
balconies as full as the floor, constituted a
pageant well worth witnessing But this
was only one portion Of The fsis. Not only
the theater was thus converted into a mag
ni6cent satte, the corridors were carpetedand
draped, and decorated In the most elaborate
and sumptuous profusion, and thrown open
to the multitude. The great enhance way
by which t1e saloon is ordinarily approached
was lined with flowers, and as the doors ON
Broadway were closed, a large copy of
Churchs Niagara" had been arranged there.
1t was skillfully illuminated. Ll TgiJ T.
The court-yards on either side of this wide
hall, occupying the space between the hotel
and the theater, constituted one of the most
novel and interesting features Of the enter
tainment. Outside Of every window in the
buildings which surround these Enclosures,
| colored paper lanterns were hung in great
| numbers some of them were placed on the
cornices Of the roofs, and ranged along the
balconies and among the trees; Transparent
cies were illuminated and disposed at inter-
walls on the walls; mimic grottoes and foun-
tains were arranged in admirable taste, and
the GOODNESS Of this outdoor atmosphere, the
refreshing sound of the waters, and the blow
ing of the breeze among the trees, the pecu-
liar effect of these gaily-col0red lamps, and
the blue, quiet starlit sky looking down on
| all in the gay, moving, restless tbrong, was
| scene not soon TO be forgotten.
The hall in which the aquaria have lately
been kept was, of course, accessible, and like
every other portion of the building thrown
open last night, richly decorated and in
most admirable taste. The supper-room was
| the large hall under the concert-room. Here
long tables were placed, and an army OF
walters was on hand to supply the guests of
the city. From ten to two the supper was on
| the table, and, when it is considered that ten
| thousand people were present at the festival,
1t must be acknowledged that the arrange
ments for supplying their material wants
were remarkably well considered and well
/ carried out.
The company present at this, by far the
| most splendid entertainment ever given by
the municipal authorities of New York, was
| gathered from every respectable class of the
community. 1t assembled very early, and by
nine o'clock the crowd was in many places
prodigious, in fact, almost impassable. 1t
added, of course, vastly to the effect Of the
spectacle, but yet impeded view Of the
decorations, which were fully worth close
and prolonged inspection.
The crowd, although immense, was not ILL
natured nor ill-behaved. 1t was by no means
exclusive, by no means an excessively fash
ionable one; there were people of social dis
tinction present, but they were lost in the
mass; the ball was attended by the people,
and the people behaved well. There was no
more confusion than is impossible to avoid in
such . throng there was no mob. The
dresses were Of every descriptions; but mos,
/ of the women wore ball costume, although
bonnets and shawls were not rare the peo-
Pile were constantly moving, but there was
very little dancing; at times few persistent
devotees of Terpsiehore whirleda around in {
waltz or promehaded through the Lancers
rapid locomotion before midnight. ~-r
The supper-room was the scene Of the only
| ill-behavior witnessed during the evening
Itrwss prodigiously thronged, and as the an
irnal nature Is sure to be strongly manifested
: near a table by all but high-bred people, anC
sometimes by them fthey happento be gour
. mands, it is perhaps not surprising that's orn
exhibitions Of ill-manness were here visible
q Still, there was no disgusting behavior, nj
drunkenness, only an occasional roughnes
, and greediness and boisterousness that woult
have offended fastdious refinement. w
can not repeat too often that the people las
! night did themselves infinite credit by thei
! behavior, both among themselves and dtowart
the Japanese. Here were ten thousand of al
Q sorts and conditions of men and women, ant
there was no noise, nor even furore, nor jost
!. ling. Nh .-Ila -.---. ~ ~