Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-02-10
The Bal Of the UIks a Grand and
Splendid Affair." Masks and
Faces The Dress Ball
Of"the Memphi-Ban
at the Cochran
Hall, Etc.

At an early hour yesterday morning
the streets OF the city were alive with
vast crowds OF people, and it was
evident that there would be the largest
turnout ever witnessed in Memphis
The sun arose in cloudTess sky, and the
/ day was all that could be wished for.
1t seemed that the great weather
/ guager had been pleased to give our
city day just suitable for an occasion
which, in its attractions, pleasures and
! general features of mirth, fun and ioy,
| far exceeds In magnitude and i'm.
/ portance any other known to Memphis.
! But we must not speak of Mardi Gras.
/ IL has become one of the institutions OF
Memphis, and that its observance was
worthy of Memphis, as a great COM
mereial city, cannot be doub'ed, even
| by the reader, much less the spectator.
/ over one hundred thousand eyes yester-
| day cleaned with delight, wonder and
| Joy, gazing, as they did, upon one of the
most novel exhibitions ever witnessed
in this or any other city.
TIE PEoPLEl THE PEOPLE!
Was there ever such crowd in any
city? Well, no; for it would be impos-
Elh1S "ador athes circumstances to get
( snch an one together. From the Expo
sition building to Main street there was
continuous throng of spectators. All
along Main street it was the same, and
/ trom Exchange to Beale there was an
immense concOurse. On housetops, at
! windows, on balconies, thronging the
doOrways and climbing UP posts were
! seen the people. We would not be ex-
J aggSrating did we say that there was q
! solid wall OF humanity from Adams to
I Beale. 1t was difficult to move, al
! though many trudged along the streets,
! jCstling each other most unceremonious-
! ly. By ten o'clock the maskers began
to appear upon the streets, and here and
there was seen a hideOus face or 8
| strange animals head, enough to alarm
nervous women and terrify little chill
/ dren. As the day rolled on the number
| of maskers increased, and in a short
! time they were seen III every direction.
Almost every conceivable character was
! represented, from the ape, with his act
i've actions and i'll shaped body, to the
! renowned gods Of the heavens, in their
/ richest and most beautiful robes of
splendor. Where there were so many
/ characters, in fact countless, it were no
easy task to give anything like full
account OF them. Ancient mythology
was robbed of its loveliest forms, as
well as its most uncouth characters,
Jupiter Tonans, with mein of grav-
| ity and handling redhot thunder bolts,
easily as csnnibal would his bow and
arrows, was apuy represented, and that,
too, in the costumes of at least half q
dozen persons. From theawkward bows
made and the ill-attempted gallantry of
the Jupiters, we thought it not improba-
ble that another intrigue, and one more
in accordance with the usages and GUS
toms OF modern society, would be en-
gagged in. AS each Jupiter seemed to
be strong person, and perfectly fear
less, il was more than probable that
some other Nulcan's mechanical gift
would be called into requisitiOn for the
purpose OF forging thunderbolts. But
there was Venus for each Jupiter on
the streets, and as to beauty of person,
TOtundity Of form and ease of motion,
they would be 40 unworthy representa-
tive Of her who caused Troy's destruc.
ton. Following Venus was an Indian
maid, not so pretty as Minnehaha, but
evidently equally as fascinating to a
crowd Of Hiawathas and band Of Mo-
docs. A laughable feature indeed was a
set OF country lads, suitably attired and
recalling the snte-bellum DAYS, when
nlckels were unknown and a five-cent
piece to the eye Of barefooted school
OOy looked as big as a new October
moon III TIE iuisOme splendor of its sill
very Totundity. They laughed, and,
what Is most unusual, they asked ques-
tious about everything they saw. To
them street-cars were objects of curios-
ity, while the get-up-aud-get of a wo-
mans dress was incOmprehensibIe as
he wit OF a circus. clown. The
boys certainly enjoyed themselves,
and never missed an opportunity
to have little fun. An "Old WomanH
OF ninety odd or more moved about with
as much sprightliness as a maiden of
'sweet sixteen" Wherever a person
looked there was some comic character
10 afford mirth aud merriment. and il
one became a little serious at u near
approach Of flaming, blear-eyed devil,
fantastically dressed ana feaTfully ugly,
the feeling was quickly allayed by the
sight Of a lovely sylph gliding graceful
ly along, casting soft glances here and
there, but not caring for any one, how
ever noble or princely. Dido, the Sido-
nisn Dido, Of whom Virgil sang and at
whose shrine Ameas wOrshipped, but
only TO betray, was also among the vast
concourse OF heterogeneous people. She
went in the direction Of the bluff, and
perhaps there looked across the vast ex-
panse OF waters, longing for ber loved
Eneas, for whom the fabled founder of
Carthage eventually burnt herself on q
funeral pyre. Since she died of broken
heart it has not been Of rare occurrence
that young ladies, when disappointed
in love, committed suicide. However,
Of late, the tendency has been to fall in |
love again and marry some other indi- |
yidusl, especially person who is not a |
seafaliDg man.
1.-THE Girl Left Behind Me" was /
also frisking about like a spring lamb,
and did not seem at all sad; more ioy-
Gus an otherwise as she laughed, snd |
was merry as North Carolina possum
Ia persimmon tree. And II she was
i,Ielty, r,I9ls: ,3I ghthearted and gay, how much
the PERIOD with her lavender
colored silk and faded nara-
sol, but high-lRced boots and
false teeth. She was very much adj
mired by "au Old Monk" who,e
quaint attire made him al least notice
able, and the subject OF no little remark
by children, darkeys and rural individu-
ais. "Ihe Arkansas Traveller with
bis "fiduie and his bow,n made music
y
but then the strains were not the moet
harmonious, and uu pans would have
been no lees discordant. Mercy his noise
was melody compared to the fuss made
by q Scotehman Oh an internal bagpIpe,
every note Of which would have done
credIt 70 an orchestra Of Sir Thomas
Cats at the lone hour Of midnight. A
joVisl creature, indeed, wss fat, old,
country squire, whose red nose plainly