The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-02
THE BERrHoVEN mAsoUERADK.
German New Ysrkers Ticking their Own Wal
Of Making y Night OF II.


There are not many ball-going Ger
mans in Now York who have not taken part in
masauerades OF some kind within the past two
weeks. Masquerade balls during carnival sea-
son are an inevitable social necessity with the
Germans. and they have this year had many
such entertainments. Beginning with the
Liederkranz and Arlon. and their ingenuity
style. and high prices OF admission. they
tapered down to masquerade balls rs modest
rs that OF the Marschner M@nnetchor given on
Tuesday evening In the Concordia Assembly
Rooms in Avenue A. where the price OF admis-
sion was 20 cent?. Monday evening there were
two-that Of the Beethoven Mennorchor. and
that OF tho Turnverein. Admission to the latter
cost 50. and that to the Beethoven 81.
The Beethoven masquerade was fair speci-
mon OF the entertainments given by the mid
ding downtown class OF Germans OF moderate
means. 1t was attended by grocers. brewers.
lager beer saloon keepers. and by the small
tradesmen. house owners, and master artisans
who live and do business below Eighth street.
with their families. not emitting marrlageblo
| daughters: and few physicians. Journalists
and other professional men OF moderate celeb
rity were also noticeable there.
In tho tirst story OF the Beethoven Manner
Choir building there Is n lager beer and supper
room OF vast dimonsions. In the second story
are tho dressing rooms, and in tho third tho
mnsqucrndcrs within the walls; knights,
clowns. peasants, sailors, dancing girls. and
| girls ana women in an endless variety OF non
descrpt fancy costumes. Of which 1t Ia poss BILE
10 say only that the colors were bright and the
| cut fantastic, and that they enclosed IA n rule
| forms that were well put together. The German
| female lace does not as n rule. compare with
| there. The male faces were hearty and Jolly,
and there were some that had the strong and
characIeristic Teutonic features. including the
White kids and ties were as rare as strawber-
ries in midwinteri and mott dress coat wac visi-
| Die IN the room. Hail dozen men OF middle ago
| or over were attred in the costume OF men at
| arms Of the seventeenth century. and they
stalked about notable, spectacle. Not one
several would certainly have turned the scale
at n hundred more. Their caps, doublets. and
| leggings set OF their forms well. They were
the Reception Committees. Ono of them. a
| round-bellied gentleman, with hearty red
| face. and n nose-and not n false onr. either
| that would have sum, ed to make three Of re-
spectacle size. stalked about the ball room. and
| when he saw IA maid with very plump arms
| whom he knew-and he seemed TO know all-he
| facetiously pinched them. and. If a good oppor-
| tunity offered. snatched \ smaeking kiss. Some
| of the dancers had unlighted cigars in their
mouths. and some had stumps that had gone
| out Twenty or more were attired rs clowns.
| Ihey were gymnastic performers. and their
One OF these exT lofts consisted in sitting IN a
| circle on the floor In the middle OF the ball
| room, and at signal sliding as rapidly AZ Jos
sible away from each other TO all points OF the
| compass. They bumped necessarily against the
girls who were gazing at the spectacle. and
| confusion. The clowns also formed pyramids
/ in the middle OF the ball room. walked on their
| hands. and performed other similar antics.
| Several times the pyramids broke down some
| what prematurely. at which one Of the stout
men AT arms fastened tremendous hand upon
| the shoulder OF one OF his fellow soldiers aud
said;
boot BOO Il We shta9d under. We shtay like vail
Yah. guess so. doc" said the other
At one end OF the ball room was bar at which
| wine flowed ke the waters Of the Rhine. where
| II grew. Tables stood around and the masked
| dancers sat about them and smoked and drank
! the golden grape Juice. The cavaliers did well
| but their fair companions were not far behind.
| A the night slipped by. the gayety OF this part
| Of the room grew apace. and snatchcs Of song
| hoaled over the heads OF the dancers Very
boisterous in their Iollity were tho stout men al
| arms. At the same time the musicians were
| playing at the othor end; in the middle of the
| ball room the clowns were at their gymnastics,
| laughing children ran about the floor and
around them all the maskers were bobbing in
| tho mazes OF the dance altogether forming a
spectacle OF bewildering and many sided
| The dancing was more marked by heartiness
| than by grace. Some tall and broad young fell
lows with blond hair danced with easy abandon
| and as the music died away closed by whirling
| their companions around until they had lifted
! them from their feet. then laughingly awaited
| their pun shment.
e Now. don't you do that any more!" the in
dignant maidens cried. But their rage was
! At midnight most Of the masks were pulled
| on, and as the hours slipped by the dancers
! went down TO supper. Long tables were sci
| here, and unnnmbercd long -necked bottles
| stood on them. Whole families sat around them
| including children, and all had their wine. moi
| emitting the young ones barely abe 20 Int the
| glasses. The winters sprang about with be-
| wlldrred faces and every once in while an
| impatient masker who had boon waiting too
| long, hammered long and loudly on the tables
| and on tho solid chinaware. Snatches ot song
arose occasionally from some Of the gayer par
| ties.
The bill Of fare was Mock turtle soup; roast
| chicken. roast duck, sauerhraten. FLEET do bnuf
veal French peas. rcd cabbage. potatoes pota-
| 20 salad. lettuce salad. salt cucumbers: coffee
| cake. coffee, leo cream. The cooking was Ger
| man. and the diners were German, and they
| seemed TO agree capitally.
The ball was kept no until near dawn. and q
! Jollicr multitude were never together than they
| We're when they separated. They had boon
| drinking their German wine long and deeply
| and were elevated without q doubt; but theI~
was no misbehavior. There were no pol lee OH
| GERS in attendance. for none were needed.
| This was fair type OF all the German car
nival masquerades. The higher priced ones
| were more stylish. and were attended by tn,
upper ten OF New Yorks Germans; the cheaper
ones were enjoyed by the poorest Of that ma
| tionality.