Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-05-05
F.. A QUEER RECEPTION.
An Entertainment Given by Edward
stokes. the slayer Of Jim Fisk, TO
New YORK Ladies'.

An Entertainment Given by Edward
stokes. the slayer of Jim Fisk. TO
New YORK Ladies.
Mlr. Edward S. Stokes gave ladies'
reception at his bar-room In the Hoff-
man house, New York, from 9 o'clock
Thursday morning until ! IN the after
noon. About 2, 900 invitations had been
sent out, and nearly 1000 women, with
sprinkling of fashionably dressed
men, were present.
The Hoffman house room, which is
very large, was artistically lighted, and
the air perfumed by silver cologne
fountains and profusion of flowers.
Behind an immense mass of ferns
and palms was an orchestra playing
Strauss waltzes softly to an accompa-
niment of the occasional clink of glas-
ses Old the bar, and the hum of hun
dreds of whispered voices as the guests
moved about the room. The high gid
ing and rich coloring of the decorations
are toned down by the color of the
heavy Turkish and Persian rugs, and
the effect of the whole interior, with It's
striking PERCUSSION of marble and bronze
statutary, oil paintings and articles of
vertu, is warm and luxurious.
The guests began to arrive in copsid-
cradle numbers at $50 q. m. Only a
few had male escorts. Early corners
exhibited some timidity, but it was
overcome after they had passed thro'
the decorated corridors into the ger
geous bar-room. In many cases par
ties of half dozen were together, and
no woman appeared to have come
alone. 1t was a well-dressed throng,
with here and there an ultra fashionable
toilet or striking face. At rare inter-
walls an actress or public advocate of
woman suffrage was to be seen. Those
women who were in any way known
were stared at by the other women with
unmerciful persistence. Several bank
ers and a number of the men who are
seen on Broadway in afternoons loung-
ed about, dressed with great care, and
exhibiting much gravity OF demeanor.
The most famous of all the works of
art in the bar-room is Bouguereau' s
| Nymphs and Satyrs, which Mr.. Stokes
recently purchased for $4,000. 1t
stands directly in front of the bar. The
three female figures are life-size, and
are brought out by strong head light.
The other study in the nude which
adorns the bar-room is Faust's Dream.
1t received no attention whatever, and
the bronze statue, Pan and Bacchante,
was unnoticed Many of the women
were delighted at the bits of bric-a-
brac, vases and antique clocks, and ex-
pressed in low voices their admiration
of the elaborate carvings and decora-
tons of the bar
Once, when the plash doors swung
back and a man sauntered coolly in,
there was ripple of excitement and
craning of necks. Hewas dressed with
elaborate care, in the height of fash
ion, and walked with graceful, we'll
bred carriage among the guests, bow
ing and smiling to acquaintance, and
seeming not to notice the sensation he
created. His close-cropped hair was
quite gray, but his face bore no trace
of trouble, and he seemed to be in ex-
cellent spirits. When he stopped for
Il moment to chat with quietly dressed
actress from Wallack's there was no.
ticeable crush among the women about
him for glance at his face. He went
on presently, and the women parted
reluctantly to allow him to pass He
went out into the corridor, and the
doors slammed after him. 1t was Ed.
ward 5. Stokes.