, 1874-02-11

Immense Crowd Of Distinguished
Guests.
Scenes Within and Without The Ball.
Room.
Pleasant I1ltcrludc Of q SuDcrb
Supper.
sl'HE PRELUDE.

QHE PRELUDE.
IN rR1MlT1vE TIMES.
It requires little stretch Of tho imagination to-
conjure up torpsichoroan scene til at may have.
occurred q huudrod years ago where Chicago,
now stnnda. 1t may have boon III tho autumn.
| time when tho haryost moon hung like a golden.
sickle III tho Sky, ind tho riponed maizo borne'
| down unaor tho weight Of its 'bountoons Of
! forings, Which, swatbod in u silken.
| net, hung ready for tho harvester,
that the dusky mafdons and tho Btalwart young
Indian braves gathered on tho groon sward.
overlooking tho lale, whore ti1e light danced in
rivalry on tho rippling water, md there, under
! tho overhnnging trees which wovo carpet Of
moved Ill mud out in the wild aud fantastic
measure. Such scene US this, no doubt Imp.
pencil, but somoway tho 1nolle.w romantic light
70 longer ias upon the race, raco IN whom Fontn0fo
divide and condemn: Their grace and
pride, it they existed, havo. shrunlS
sseo ssnea ss TO shs sapaas s;s2 2s sd ID viii s't o
factory, and tho uncouth md wayward danco
with something boaring ny marked Il contrast to
to 1t aB Is shown in tho Improvement in material
| art.
| THE EARLY HErrrEns.
This change, however, Inns not boon tho work
Of day, but OF years, d progression systematic
and regular. In tho early days in Chicago tho
with much nssiduity if not with all modern
grace Tho old settler, yet tell 1nany stories
Of tito jovial times OF n1erry-mahing in thoir
day, when the solitary fadlor aat like Moro upon
wood fre ind tho tallow~dipB ho played such
good old tuneB as tho "ArkanBas Traveller"
Lord hlacdonnld's Reel" and "spced tho
Plow," to the energetic movomouts Of tue vigor-
nt,1v Mt t1,nr,o y1,
not thoir inspiriting efforts until tho suu looked
III at tho cassern wlnaowa and bado the rovolry
| cease.
Tho stops from this on ire rs marked as those
in minuct. With tlrs first lall camo ar-
othor tlddlor. bringing legends Of ,proprioty,
and form, which wore slowly adopt-
ed. Then as tho first hotel or tavern
arose, band entered upon the scone. and tho
waist in tho then now tangled waltz was added
to tho joys Of lifo and dlnaily we camo to those
grand balls md masqu' GRADES which arc within
ton and mark tho beg inning Of
TIE coSM oroLr1AN ERA.
When tho Opera! dousa WIS built and dcdi-
catod to amueemont there wcro innuguratea t.
uorioa of grand MI: li1s src as tie Wost had
noyor before Been. Among those, Qilnorc's
famous Charity Dali takos precedence, by tic
right Of tho excitement 1t created at tho time.
sae f ays p pr0y1ae @ sSat aeaoop ss
, Tor tho bnll~rcon,, the parquetso boing
plankcd overto u Lowell with the stage tho scenery
was removed, md spscious hall waa thu, given,
commensur2to ra with tho other propsarations fol
! the fote. The supper TaB sot in Music Hall.
clarity was 10 havo tho proceeds, Those per
Hona wont who never went bofore,
ene 'n1ss moro D' and 'a cars aid Or at1 ad
, not got tho benefit Of tho liberal patronage.
, After this, tlloro was q grand masquerade ball.
undor the special leadoish'p OF Mr. Hans Dalat-
&1otr r1Sn of forD sSs+1te
and acandalizol many prldiah conservative
. good folks. Following upon theBo were Berica
Of art receptions, and we began to think tlrat at
, last we wcro. i'll tho temple OF art. These were
vol Iatrouizol and many wore tho nights
devoted to chasing tho hours with flying
tho tho Bonrd Of Trade banquet ind Bali,
axhbon St'sh vino esa S in avers s"aPa'hs aba hsaa
aches haunted business houses for tlaya succccd-
: lug. We wcro growing theu faat in pride. We're
wo not great Peoplo3
Presently We hua
AIRS. Leary's COW cut tho first pigeon-wiikg, and
the bas,d begun to play in earnest. THO ilumes
.. chassozod forward ind back, crossed ovor,
t changed partners, promenaled all around, AMI
, ondod with such i jig as Heaven proaorvo ua
+ | from oYor seeing Again.
!, That put temporary stop to amuson>enta. but
thoy revived again tho city recovered from the
silock it lad received.
Y AFTER TIE FIRE.
Nothing better exempitied tho fact Of tho at
! tractiyeness Of military uniforms, than
tho popularity Of the bal' givon by the officers OF
Il wns resplendent halo around everything quito
i dazzling to tho eyes OF tic non-milAtary g1esta.
All our best society went into BpaAms IN the Of:
fort to eecuro Invitations to, mud making p1opar.
atoms for, that great event. It wa:, considered
ono Of tho great affairs in society s'nco the fire
Q md was All undoubtol SUCCESS in oyery particu:
j. lar except that thu hall chosen, Standard Hall
j WIS not large enough for such IN extensive
, l!fair.
u The only other ball Of any great consequence
/ last winter WAS tho Charity Bali for tho bonot
i Of st. Luke's Hospital. thus was grand calico
). ball, SO called because ladies' could woar calico
;, successful public entertainment since the lire
u and ~ every Que knew that everyone else woult
a bo there, the number OF lulies who wasted tlt
J. largo. Tho result was not only most gratifying
ID as social event. but was also very satisfaction,
i, | financially.
Tho panic nippcd in the bud tho schemes fol
manya brilliant ball ths winter, and, so to speak
J. laid society flat upon its arstocratic buck: Il
J. Is probable that otlorwiso Chicago would have
ID had winter hithorto unequaled for gayoty anc
- extravagant display. Nevertheless, III spite ol
u very successful balls, s,-tho chnrity ball ut kingH
d bury Hall, the Gormania Maenner-Chor ball al
= the Bamo place, and tho Homeopathic ball at
u Standard Hall, the two latter occurring the Hame
= evening Inst Wcok.
10 THE PACIFIC HOTEL BALL.
It Close on the heels OF these came the grnnd
u ball Of Inst evening, whom that hotel was tht
n scene Of social OCCASION which gathered up the
~ varied iaos Of aocioty aud displayed them In (
u pioturo OF festivity anl enjoyment. Tho beant,
10 and wealh tho culture md faslioi' the ealloa
O. ton and roilnemont OF the city, arrayol Solo
mou, was thoEo to bow in obedience to the
In mandato, md to lay on the altar Of vanity fail
~ Hocoty's eupromo offering.
~ WHY IT WAS GIVEN.
+" Tho grand bull Inst night Was not givon TO-
cl,nrtyH sako nor to enable laties to displa,
j., suul},tuous aud elaborate toilets 1t was duo Il
~ a deaira OIL tho part OF the guests Of Measra
0, upgo & nico to acknowledge tho conrtcaioH the
aB laye received from these gont!omou. DurnI