Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-09
MANHATTANISMS.
FACTS AND FEATURES OF GoTHAMs
CHARITY BALL.
Tilden as He Appears To-day-Gocd Joke
on Rich Lawyer Beecher to Write
Another Novel-Varieties.
Nzw YoRK. January 81. 1850.

NEW YORK, January 81, $780,
The social event Of the week and the
season was, of course, the Charity Ball
$50 the ball for the benefit of the Nursery
and Child's Hospital is named by way of
distinction), given Thursday evening at
the Academy of Music. This is always
spoken of as the fashionable event of the
year, and is regarded out OF town as some
thing more remarkable than it is. Even
here many persons imagine that to attend
the Charity, to be one of a number of en-
tirely unknown and unnoticed people mys-
teriously confers some sort of distinction.
They would not miss the occasion for any,
thing, they say but they would never be
missed from the occasion. There is good
deal of exaggeration and considerable sham
about this ball. 1t must be admitted to
be, however, by all odds the genteelest of
any public ball given in the city. The
tickets are only s., and may be bought by
any respectable person of the managers,
who have exclusive charge of and are re-
sponsible for their sale. The managers do
not, therefore, as may be inferred, sell
tickets to people they are upacquainted
with, and this precaution prevents disrep-
utable men and women from getting into
the ball. That the Charity, however, is
always attended by
THE VERY BEST PEOPLE
In New York society, that it is altogether
fashionable and elegant, is untrue. Many
men and women of wealth, refinement and
position are managers, and lend tone and
prestige to the entertainment. But there
are other managers-men whose ante
cedents might not bear eXamination-who
could not, by even liberal Interpretation,
be ranked among gentlemen. While the
list OF managers includes a number of IA
miliar and highly esteemed names, there
are the names of others who ape fashion,
and whose loftiest ambition is to appear
there. These push themselves invariably,
and pushing of social kind is commonly
compensated with success. Any one may
be manager who stands, in the present,
fairly before the world, and vino will take
number of tickets. There are always
people anxious for the honor, so considered /;
consequently the list swells every year. 1t
is an excellent investment of 500, some Of
them think, and they are eager to make it.
They would prefer contribution to charity
in that way e., to their own vanity-to
charity in amore directmanner. Almost any
of US can be generous or virtuous, so long as
generosity and virtue count tforourself-love.
The Charity, the other evening, was the
most successful ball, socially and pecuni-
arily, that has been given at the Academy
for years. l cannot remember anyone that
has moved SO smoothly. At midnight, and
for an hour after, the crowd was so great
that dancing was done with difficulty but
wise folks do not expect to dance there.
The proper thing is to sit in your box, chat
with your friends, look weariedly at the
bounding throng, walk over the floor once
or twice, return to your box, and after
feeling assured that everybody has seen and
sufficiently admired your toilette Il am
writing this for women), to order your
carriage and drive home. The last Charity s
receipts, including rent of boxes, will
reach, | understand, $50, 900 at least
perhaps $4,000. Among those present
were a number of dry goods clerks, man
tuamakers, petty tradesmen and the like
honest, respectable folks, to be sure, though
neither millionaires nor leaders of fashion,
as the Charity Ball patrons are assumed for
the most part to be. There were not at
least, as there are apt to be at most public
balls here, any notorious persons, profes-
sional blacklegs, demireps, adventuresses
and members of that torder. The managers of
the Charity Ball have invariably succeeded
in keeping out such unpleasant cattle, and
deserve credit for their vigilance and
energy, since it is not easy to achieve this,
as you are probably aware, in the capital
of the New World The Charity Ball is
really
AN ADVERTISEMENT OF CLOTHES.
Every woman who attends makes a spe-
cial effort to appear raimentally at her
best, and she does so appear. Any number
of gowns are ordered from Paris, and the
city modistes are busy as they can be for
weeks previous. Women go there to see
and be seen, but particularly TO display
their costumes, which are of the most novel
pattern and elaborate design. It is an oc-
ular flash of garments, and the wearers en-
Joy it exceedingly while men like myself
have a general notion that it is no doubt
very fine, though they are totally lacking
in appreciation of special effects and de-
tails. How true it is that women, albeit
they may have begun to dress for men,
have long dressed for one another, having
gone, in richness, diversity and minuiie,
wholly beyond the capacity of our sex to
Judge of their splendors. When l wished
to cross the floor, the other evening, while
the dancing was in progress, what a gaunt-
let of petticoats l had to run, and superb
petticoats they were have done the
thing so often that have acquired no lit
tie skill in it. Some men might not care
to succeed. They would stop at the first
mystic garment, and refuse to proceed
further. They would like to be so entan-
gled. But whatever the result, all men are
more or less engaged in running the gaunt-
let of petticoats, and precious few get
through unhurt. 1t is a perilous under
taking even at the Academy.
Among the Cresuses, at the Charity,
were James r. heene and d. 0. Mills of
California, and their wives. One of the
most observed and least striking figures
wa-
SAMUEL ]. TILDEN,
Who looked feebler and less alive than l
have seen him look for many months. He
certainly has something of the resemblance
of galvanized corpse. There is not a
particle of animation in his face or vigor
in his frame. His left arm seems paralyzed,
hanging shriveled and loose at his side !;
one eye is almost closed his entire de-
meanor is that of a dead man, making
hollow pretense to be alive. Nevertheless,
there is deal of cunning, perspicacity,
will and work in that little 1neager,
shrunken body. He is an embodiment OF
selhshness, it is said (; he has no more ex-
alted motive than his own gains, political
and financial. Nobody likes him, or has
ever liked him; so he is without passion,
sympathy or magnetism. Still, there is no
question but he is a very probable Demo-
cratic candidate for the Presidency, and he
feels confident that the Democrats will be
obliged to take him-not because they want
him or admire him, but because he is more
available or less unavailable than any other
politician OF his party, owing altogether to
his large wealth, and his willingness to use
1t IN the service OF his ambition.
a man who, SO far as the general public
is aware, has no existence independent OF
the Charity Ball, is
ARTHUR LEARY.
ITn hoe o,,e,,oJ +ba hill for manu- vnara