Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-02-01
QDblo Statesrllarl.
The Gay Season In New York.

The Gay Season In New York.
The gaities of the present season In this
city surpass in extent and magnificence
those of all previous years. The public
balls, entertainments and receptions; the
concerts and the theaters; the skating
'carnivals," and the displays at Central
Park, exhibit more general lavishness In
expenditure; wider distribution of
wealth, and a greater popular attractive
ness than ever were known before. In
fact the development of these matters in
New York, within recent years, has been
enormous. Fifteen or twenty years ago,
society, 80 called, was very limited, even If
it was, as 1t claimed, quite select. At a
single ball or other entertainment could be
found nearly all there was of society"
and but q limited number of such affairs
were included in the season. The beauties
and glories of the Park were unknown I;
there were no Fifth avenue ponds or skat-
ing carnivals; the Academy of Music had
no existence, and such "turn-outs" as may
now be seen by the hundred could not
then be found this side of Paris. The
ladies displayed no such toilets and en-
blazoned themselves with no such diamond
jewelry as they do now. They had no
such "empire" bonnets or waterfalls, or
looped dresses. But now, behold our fash
ionable entertainments and amusements
and exercisesl Behold our fashionable
bellesl Measure, il it be possible, the ex-
tentof our fashionable society! 1t counts,
not by few hundreds, but by a few thou
sands; its resources are measured, not by
millions, but by hundreds ofmillions
We have had in the city within the last
week two of the greatest affairs in the way
nt hallu thof haua hnan 0nttan n N N
this metropolis-the "Tiger," or Light
Guard" Ball, and the "Fireman's" Ball !;
but great and gay as they were, they will
he cast in the shade by the two grand and
brilliant occasions of the current week
the " Charity Ball" tonight, and the "Sev-
enth Regiment Reception" on Thursday,
both of which have higher pretensions TO
"eXclusiveness" than any other of our an
nual balls. The preparations that have
been made tor these-especially for the
"Seventh Regiment Reception"-are quite
wonderful; and even those who know the
material composing the "SeveDth, and the
amount its members are willing to spend to
outvie all rivalry, will be astonished when
| they behold what may be beheld conformity
and simultaneously at the Academy of Mu-
sic and Irving Hail. The Charity Ball is
one that annually attracts the elite of the
city, and is attended by many who on nc
other occasion take part ir public balls
The names borne by the hundred aud twen-
| ty lady managers represent large amount
of the wealth of the city, and many fami-
lies which date back to the older times. The
| following week comes the grand ball, fancy
| dress and masquerade of the Arion Society
and on the 10Th we have the Liederkran1
Ball, the expenses for the arrangements Of
which will reach between fifteen and TWEEN.
| ty thousand dollars. These are but few
of the more notable affairs of the kline
within few days; but we could not begir
to enumerate the nightly affairs of hardly
less prominence which make lively the
Academy of Music, Irving Hall, and score!
of other public halls.
The grand operatic season we had at thu
close of last year is to be followed by an
other which opens this week; and it is con
ceded that, as regards the artistic produc
tions themselves, as well as the extent o
popular appreciation and the brillianoy o
the audiences, the city has never seen tht
equal of the triumphs this winter. Every
body who visits Broadway theater knows
that the same thing is true of all of them
and the new and popular feature of theat
rical matinees is itself an indication tina
people of leisure are beginning to form ,
feature of American society, and that tht
hundred entertainments of the evening ar
insufficient for our amusement-loving pop
| ulation.
Besides all the indoor amusements of th,
kinds we have mentioned, the eXtraordi
nary skating scenes we have had this win
ter in this city and Brooklyn-especially a
the Central Park-have hardly their equal
in large numbers and fine effects, in AM
part OF the world-unless it be on specia
occasions in the North of Europe. Ina singh
day there have been as high as twenty-tiv,
thousand skaters of both sexes at tn,
Park; and probably as many more nigh
have been counted at the various skat
ing resorts in Brooklyn. The carnival
last week at the aristocratic Fifth-ave
nue. skating-pond of Maj. Oatman coulC
hardly have been surpassed in fairy-lanC
for scenic effects; and ii the weather b,
favorable this afternoon, there will be dis
play at the same place of between five anC
ten thousand gentlemen and ladies sweep
ing on flashing feet DER cleaning floors
the fair sex in rich and picturesque dresses
and all beaming and bounding with healtl
and happiness. We have always done on
best to encourage popular sports and amuse
ments like these, for they have most bene
ticial effect upon the vigor and vitality o
American people.
Not only in this metropolis, but through
out all the great cities of the country, th,
current Winter has been one of unprece
dented attractiveness in all the direction
concerning which we have spoken. In th
East, Boston has only been less vivaciou
than New York; ; and Chicago, In the West
has, tor its size, outdone everything on tn
continent. Whatever they 60 at in Chicag
they carry out with vim that even New
York knows nothing of-whetheri be pol
itics, money-making, skating or dancing
and even the sweet strains of music, whicl
soothe the people of other places, are lis
tened to by those OF Chicago in an impa
tient and sort of frantic manner. II W
can believe their newspapers-all of which
however, are half frantic-they have carrie,
their popular gaities this Winter to pitcl
never equaled in the wide world, and bot
sexes have plunged in as though there wer
but one Winter season in their existence
N. Y. Times, Jan. 20. G .l.. f..-r
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