Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-02-26
QD3io Statfsularl
FROM NEW YORK.
loorrsspondenoe of the Ohio Statesman.
New YoRk, February %, 1868.


The great Society event this week
was the marriage of daughter of the
fifty millionaire, Vanderbilt, to one of
the heroes of the recent war. Colonel
Shepard. The affair exhibited to an
unusual degree, the pleasant conjunc
tion of beauty. youth, gallantry and
wealth, and if Hymen was not tickled
at getting into his pretty meshes sol many
delightful and admirable qualities, it is
certain that all the fashionable world, in
New York, has been in hutter about
it, and exhausting the vocabulary of
praise and wonder. The company pres
ent at the church included so many fash
ionable women and distinguished men,
that all the seats and aisles and CALLER
les, and the vestibule, were fairly packed
to a brilliant density. The building was
prettily garlanded with holly and ever
greens, and bows and streamers ofwhite
ribbon. The brides dress was marvel
of magnifcence, and of course the grooms
and bridesmaids looked as effectively
subduing as possible. After the cere-
monies came the reception at the brides
new house, elegant in architecture, and
superb in fittings and furnishings. The
town has talked and the papers have
discussed the affair, and why shouldn't
they? 1t isn't often that the daughter
of a man worth fifty millions, king of
two railroads, owner of score of steam
ships, general autocrat of trade, finance,
stocks. consents to get married, and be-
stow upon a fortunate Colonel so many
spare millions.
We are in the midst of the grand balls
which, as usual, come off during the few
weeks preceding Lent. This week we
had the Liederkranz, that marvellous
exhibition of strange dancing. grotesque
dressing and merry sports. There is
nothing else quite like it in the country.
Next week comes the grand Charity
Ball-this, as with the Liederkranz,
held at the Academy of Music. The
Charity Ball, more than any other pub
lie affair of the kind, brings out the
creme de la creme of our society. Every
body who is either distinguished, rich,
handsome or fashionable, makes it a
point of honor to be present. The
profits of this ball are contributed to the
poor. Following the Charity Ball comes
the bal masgue of the Arion, an enter
tainment which, somewhat like the Lie
derkranz ball, is noticeable as ahfording
opportunity for the display of invention
in costuming, and for it's strange, gro
tesque professions and its unique sports.
Still paraphrasing Burns well known
line, snow in town may be described as
a moment white, then mud forever-al-
most. The thaws are upon us, and the
streets are pitiful with the ice, the slush,
the mud, and the accumulated filth. The
lower part of the city is almost impas-
sable. Some of the streets are piled so
high with snow and ice that they have
lost every possible resemblance to their
4 original nature. Others are filled with
a compound of dirt, and water and snow
trying to melt, and ice ground into Shiny
sand through which horses desperately
struggle, or hopelessly founder. To
ride is impossible, to walk a desperate
endeavor, ruinous to boots, destructive
to temper, and if not accompanied by an
occasional slip up into the mud, mar
vellous success. 1t was exaspera-
ting enough on Friday to see
the preparations in the City Hall
Park for the fireworks display
on Washington's birthday. Fifteen
thousand dollars wasted in ten minutes
idle and useless amusement, and no
money to spare in removing the ice and
dirt which on all sides almost blocked
the streets Washington's birthday, by
the way, is now very generally cele-
brated in our city. The Legislature has
made it legal holiday, and this causes
the banks to suspend business, the brok.
ers' boards to close, and the courts to
adjourn. Trade of course follows these
examples, and business becomes very
generally suspended. There is always
a military display, but this year the con-
dition of the streets rendered it almost
impossible.
There is very special interest in New
| York just now in art matters. The ex
bibition at the Academy of Design of the
pictures sent from America to the Paris
exhibition affords the stranger an oppor
tunity of seeing some of the most famous
pictures of the last dozen years, includ.
. ing paintings by Church, Clifford, Gay
Bierstadt and all our celebrities. Sc
many masterpieces were never before
collected together in our city at one time
, In addition to these, in the same build
ing, is the water-color exhibition, which
includes some of the most delicious gems
conceivable in branch of the art, whicl
is now becoming rapidly popularized.-
There are numerous other galleries open
some of which have on exhibition pic
lures by the most famous of living Euro
pean artists. To the lover of art, ther,
is just at present unusually fine oppor
tunities here for seeing and enjoying
great praintings.
One of the most reprehensible feature
of our modern fast society is the exten
: to which juvenile parties are now car
ried. Neither in style of dressing, i
y refreshments, in amusements, nor in til
!, hours, is there much to distinguish ther
from parties of adults. Invitations ar
sent printed after the latest mode, an
..regrets" have all the conventional ele
gance of the most fashionable people.
absolutely heard young miss of thil
I: teen declare that she had received eigh
( invitations for one evening, to all q
which a temporary illness rendertd
necessary for her to send regrets" Th
idea of baby in pinafores, who ougt
Ne to have been in bed by eight o'clocl
beginning thus early her career of fast
ionable dissipation! At one party
was witness Of a baby of six years, VIII
danced the polka, the waltz, the scho
tisch, who whisked her fan, tossed be
ringlets, looked captivatingly with he
: -Ieyes, and hirted with the small boys wit