The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-02-05

l ever
passed the House has the opposition been so per.
sstent and SO obstinate. The enemies
Of the measure took advantage of every
| parliamentary tactic that could by any
ingenuity be brought to bear upon the matter,
and actually succeeded in consuming over an hour
in getting motion to be put to the House. As an
evidence of the efforts made to weary out the pa
tence of the members, it may be stated that the
roll was called to record the votes of members no
less than thirtynine times and only one Of these
the instance where the vote upon the final passage
of the bill was taken-wss demanded for any
other reason than to consume time. Bat ''the
cOlored troops fought nobly" and quorum held
out to the last roll call, which was gone through
with at about balf-past six O'Clock. In addition
to this session of six hours and half, night
session was attempted by some of the members,
but the majority thought they bad earned their s.
''per diem per day." and therefore declined TO do
| any such thing.
The ball given at the Opera House by the Opera
House Club on Wednesday evening, surpassed our
most sanguine expectations, and must have been
source of congratuIstion to the gentlemen under
whose auspices this brilliant affair was conducted
AS early as eight O'Clock the auditorium COM
menced filling with the prudent fair ones who
taught by experience, knew of the difficulty of OBJ.
tanning seats in case of delay and ere nine o'clock
had struck >very box and seat in the dress circle
and seconds was occupied by such an array Of
beauty and fashion Ss SOnld defy any attempt at
description.
The stairway on either side leading to the dress
circle had been tastefuly converted into garden
of evergreens. through which the guests were
ushered under q canopy Of drapery, thence by
another pair of stairs down into the ballroom.
As usual at the Opera House, the parquette and
stage had been placed on level and afforded
spacious room to the dancers. The illumination
on this occasion had been considerably increased
by the addition of FIVE gilt chandeliers upon the
stage, and another and larger one suspended from
the center of the ceiling of the auditorium. and
here and there Chinese vases supporting elegant
csndelabrss, from which, together with the GUS
tomary apparatus, from six 10 seven hundred gets
of burning gas cast their refulgence upon the sur
rounding scene. The decorations were simple
al grand. and consisted in endless streamers of
evergreens suspended from the center of the
ceiliug TO the Secondes and along the outer edges
of the boxes, and every where were suspended
floral baskets, which gave to the scene an air of
youth, beauty and attire of the guests.
Two magnificent bands of music were in attend.
ance-the first infantry band composed of twenty
five performers on brass instruments, and Carlo
PATHS brass and string band of twenty-five mu-
sicsns; the former occupying the right extremity
of the Secondes. enlvening the interludes with
choice selections from the principal operas, while
The latter was placed Immediately over the canopy
and played the music of the programme of
dances.
At 10 minutes past 9 O'Clock the house was
already so full Of spectators and dancers, eager
TO enjoy the festivities, that the first infantry
band announced the opening OF the ball by per-
forming q grand march, which was Immediately
followed by the prelude of the quadrille of
"Bsrbe Bleue" by PATHS band, and the ball
commenced in earnest. AS dance succeeded
dance and the ball progressed, throngs upon
tbroDgs Of people were crowding into the Opera
House.
At balf.psst ten dancing had become almost
impossible, as the assembly was dense mass; the
individuals go closely huddIed together that faces
were the only portion of the body discernible Civ
ing to the scene the appearance more of mutual
admiration society than of ball. This state of
affairs continued for an hour, until half-past
eleven O'Clock, at which time. the buffet, erected
in the parlor in the rear of the boxes was opened
and relieved the ballroom of the excess of people
who were called upon to partske of the delcacies
which were laid out on a side board, about sixty
feet long, extending the whole length of the
parlor.
The scene was now doubled. and it would re-
| quire the imagination of Milton to give an ap-
proximate idea Of tie chdssez croiss, and tumut
which ensued. Dancers leaving the ball room to
repair TO the refreshment saloon jostling against
and colliding with returnin ones the prattling Of
tongues mingling with the clatter of dishes and
spoons, hearty laugh blending its tones with the
tinkling of glasses. The crash of a tumbling pyr-
amid of nuge contrasting with the ripping Of
silks and tartons; in fact, scene that would
have done honor to Pondemonium. We would
here Ike to give some idea Of the msgnifcence of
the buffet, gotten up under the superintendent of
Col. F. Dumonteil, the prince OF caterers, corner
of Canal and Bourbon Streets bat that we did not
get more than glance at the spread, SO thick was
the throng which assaulted the dainty cakes and
creams. We have only recollection of some de-
lieious oyster patties and excellent punch, of
which there was such profusiOn, that at the time
the ball broke up, they went begging.
The small hours of the night were now being
reached, and slowly, but steadily, we're groups
of ladies to be seen directing their course to.
wards the club room, which had been placed at
their disposal for dress room, and Of the twenty
FIVE hundred souls who had visited the ball during
the evening, barely one.half remained but Tsrp-
sichore, far from losing cast now counted among
her devotees the more thoughtful Of the guests.
who had preserved themselves fresh for a genuine
enjoyment, and launched themselves into the
mazes OF the delirious valse deux temps or the
voluptuous evolutions Of the mazurka, with a zest
that did the heart good 10 witness.
Our readers will easily admit that il would be
too onerous task to attempt to Jenkinsize upon
the toilette Of Miss So and So, or how many thou
sands of dollars worth OF diamonds were worn by
Mrs. X, In an sssemblage of over one thousand