The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-10
THE GREAT SOUTHERN BANQUET.
Preparations for the Event-Its Magnitude
a. Compared With Previous Similar
Undertaklngs,

Af~AVN " AVN 4AoNASNs SA~%AAA~&
Undertakings.
The grand banquet to the Southern Ex.
cursionists, that is to take place at Music
Hall on the evening of the 18th, is to be a
really superb affair. Thirty eight tables As
feet long are to be arranged in double rows,
transversely of the auditorium of the hall,
and II smaller ones will occupy the stage.
Plates to accommodate l,600 guests, with
provision for some 200 more in case they
| are required to accommodate those receiv-
ing invitations 70 the fete, are to be pro-
| vided.
The original intention of the Committee
was to entertain twenty-four hundred
strangers, but the capacity of the Hall to
seat at table is limited to something like
seventeen hundred, or, at most, eighteen
hundred. and the invitations will, there
fore. have to be confined to that number,
or the elegance of the banquet that it is
proposed to give will have to be sacrificed.
1t is not improper to state that the inten-
ton is to make this in all respects as ele-
CANT and recherche in all its details as
wine dinner to ten guests at the st. Nicho-
las or Grand Hotel.
All the table linen will be wholly new
and OF the finest to be had, the cutlery and
table plate of the best, the china and glass
OF the finest porcelain and crystal, the
viands exquisite and the wine superb. The
attendants will be as numerous as at a
private house or hotel dinner, and all will
be in uniform. Mr.. Roth, of the St. Nicho-
las, provides the menu and stakes his repu-
tation on making all the appointments
superb. Mr.. Critchell Is to furnish the
flowers and these will be more elaborate,
abundant and elegant than has ever been
supplied for any public occasion hereto
fore IN the Western country.
One hundred and thirty-two center pieces
in elaborate designs with their accessory
side ornaments will decorate the tables,
and button-hole bouquet at each plate
are designated in the order. There will be
floral locomotives, cars, ships and various
unique designs in variety among the other
table decorations and the hall itself
wreathed with evergreen, and profuse
display OF flags and tricolored bunting
everywhere.
The largest banquet Of similar charac-
ter ever given in this country was that to
General Louis KOssuth in New York, some
thirty or more years ago, at which there
were something like 800 guests.
The next largest one to this was that
given at the opening of the Baltimore Il
Ohio Railroad at Baltimore at which the
guests were nearly as many as that to Kos
suth in New York. The Baltimore ban
quet was deemed by our neighbor of the
seaboard of such Importance and eclat that
they published its details in an elaborate
pamphlet and treasure this as among the
precious heirlooms of the city to this day.
The excursionists will leave Chattanooga
OH the. morning Of the 17th in four trains,
US we understand, arriving here during the |
evening, when the city will be properly H.
Illuminated in honor of the guests.
The intention is to have the excursion.
lists arrive in the city at about p. m., when
they will be escorted tu their hotels in ON
nibuses and carriages that have been al
ready engaged. The banquet is to take
place on the 18th, the evening following,
and the Police and Fire Departments will
escort them in procession to the M usic Hall.
On the following day they will be con-
Quoted to t, e Geological Garden, under tile
escort of the Committee. The business por-
ton of the city is to have superb illumi-
nation and will be decorated with ever
greens. Chinese lanterns flags and the bon
ny National tri-col rs in pro, usion. With
out doubt the entertainment will be the
finest ever given in the country, and
credit alike to Cincinnati and the West