The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-04-05
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
The Vanderbilt Ball-The Most Cor
geOus Ever Given-C Costly Costumes
-Blazing Jewels-Fragrant Flow
ers-The Music and the Yiands.

I"II' 0'II IsVBuIdI correspondent. ]
NEW YORK. March d ISS

Blazing Jewels-Fragrant Flow
ers-The Music and the Yiands.
From Our Regular Correspondent
NEW YORK, March %, 1888.
Wei, the Vanderbilt ball took plac,
last night, and happily, the continent
stlll maintains its equilibrium, and
good portion of the people of this cit,
are now sober, and / hope happy
For a week or more the fashionabl,
people of this settlement and sur
rounding country have been in high
state OF excitement over this the great
society event of the century. Per
maps the ball was gotten up mainly to
snow the titled nobility across the sea
what a millionaire emperor on this
SIDE OF the water can do. The papers
nave described the dresses and parade
at Queen Victoria's drawing
room, as also the splendors of The
Berlin ball, at which queens. en-
presses and princeSSes We'd with each
other in the richness of their eos
TUNES and the coStliness of their
Jewels; and now, before these articles
have had time to cool. the
Vanderbilt ball comes bowling down
upon us to pale into insignilicance
the glories of these occasions. The
ball was amazingly brilliant and
beautifully illustrated the lavish
l6erality of American miIlionaires
when once they have made up their
minds to make grand, overwhelm-
ing, top-loftical, broad-guage show.
where the monarchs of wealth. the
leaders of fashion and the noted
beauties and bellies of society can
come together, loaded down with fine
clothes, Jewels and face powder, and
dance and wine with one another at a
ball that costs $4,000 A frst-class
wedding supper in country
town, OF a legislative ban
quet in modest little capital
city like Austin, hardly rises to the
dignity of ten cent lunch as COM
pared to the spread" of the Wander
bits last night.
THE GUESTS ARRIVE.
The guests began to arrive about 10
o'clock AID were ushered up stairs to
the third floor, where were open fire.
places and burning logs of fragrant
wood sent out a pleasant warmth.
Wood tires are a luxury in a CITY
where only coal is used. The dantily
Shod feet sunk deep in Turkish and
Persian rugs. Numberless Waxen
candles, placed in beautifully carved
bronzes and shaded by soft-colored
shades, threw a romantic and artistic
look upon the crowd of quantity at
tired guests, who came tripping down
the wide stairway to the ball. room
where the highly polished floor looked
most inviting. No adequate concep-
ton of the fabulous wealth represent
ed at last nights social event can be
formed; however, faint idea NAV
be given when it is known that
among the guests were w. II. Van
derbilt, who is the reputed possessor
of $2OO,OO0.OO0; the Astors, S2OOOOO,-
600; w. K. Vanderbilt, Sa5, 600:
Cornelius Vanderbilt, 100000; Geo.
Pullman, S15,OOO,OO0i Cyrus Field and
Sidney Dillon, Sl0,OO0,OJO each; Josie
Navarro, S8,O00,O00; Prendens Gallo
way, j. b. Houston and Horace
Porter, 100000 each; miscellane-
Gus, at least S15O,0OO,0OO. In all, reach
ing the fabulous total of $800,000000.
The supper room was open all even
ing, and here the scene was most ami
mated. More than fifty walters, in
spotless livery, ran to and fro, carry
ing all kinds of delicacies to the
guests, who numbered over twelve
hundred.
In attempting to describe the
dances and the costumes your CORES
pendent shrinks from the task, and
adopts the descriptions of them
given by a favored reporter of
a society journal who was present.
THE QUADRILLEs.
Lander's orchestra, screened from
view by a perfect bower of flowers,
played most enhancing dance music.
The five quadrilles en- costume were
all most gracefully danced. The Opera
Boutfe quadrille, gotten up by Mrs.
Fernando Yznaga, was composed of
sixteen. Mrs. Yznaga appeared as
Serpolette in the "Cloches de Corne-
VILE" Her costume was of drab
linen, dancing length, with front of
scarlet and drab striped, scarlet
bodice and sash, and little white cap.
She danced with Mr.. Frederick Tams,
who assumed the character of Greni-
cheuX, in a fiSherman's costume. The
other head couple was Miss Smith,
sister of Mrs. Vanderbilt, as Beulotte
in blue Beard" Her dress was of
blue linen, made similar TO Mrs.
YZnaga's, with blue sash and cap.
Mr.. Brockholst Cutting, who danced
with Miss Smith, was veritable Blue
Beard, in tights, high-spur boots,
and an immense hat with. long
plumes.
Mrs. James Brown Potter appeared
as Nine. Favart in a costume of
orange red and blue. The skirt and
bodice being of the former, and the
overdress Of the latter. A guimpe of
yellow unb' cached cotton was worn,
and she carried a mandolinette filled
with flowers. She danced with Mr..
Dick Hunt, who was Monsieur Fa-
vart, costumed in mouse-colored
trousers and coat with a yellow vest.
Mrs. Frank Lawrence and Mr..
Orme Wilson, who danced together
in this quadrille, were LIE Petite Dnc
and La Petite Duchesse, both cos
tune; being pure white satin and
brocade. Mrs. Clarence Cary as
Girohe and Mr.. Kingsford as Mour-
Zouk, composed a couple in this
quadrille. Miss Bessie Webb danced
with Mr.. Jack Kingsford. She as
sumed the character of Madame La
Diable and Mr., Kingsford that of
Monsieur LIE Diable. Their costumes
were red and black satin. Mrs.
George Rivers as La Perichole and
Mr.. Fred o. Beach as Pigillo made
the seventh couple, and Miss Ella LIE
Roy as Clarette in madame Angot"
and Mr.. Pryor as Ange Pitout made
up the eighth and last couple.
The Dresden China quadrille was
one of the prettiest of all the even
ing. The Hunting quadrille was
beautiful in the extreme, all the
dancers being in full hunting cos
tunes, pink coats, top boots, etc. 1t
was gotten up by Mrs. Samuel How
land.
Mrs. G. Lawrence Perkins, who had
charge of the Mother Goose Quad
rifle" appeared as Mother Goose.
There were sixteen in the quadrille,
as follows, including Mrs. Perkins:
Miss Perkins, as Jill; Miss Fannie
Perkins, as Little Miss Muffet, who
sat on a buffet; Miss Duncan, as Mary.
Mary, Quite Contrary, in a dress
trimmed with "cockle shells and little
blue bells and cow-slips all in row."
Miss Thoron, as Little Red Riding
Hood; Miss LamsOn, as Little Bo
Peep; Miss Parsons, as the Pretty
Milk Maid, and Miss Blake, as Goody
Two Shoes. The gentlemen who
danced were not in regular Mother
Goose costumes. They were Mr.. G.
T n