Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-01-02
THE ASSEMBLY.
A RED LETTER IN THE SOCIAL ROSTER
TIE stevens House IhroDSed With Two
Hundred Merry Makers, who Speed
the Fleeting Hours to the Music

of tho Dance.
The annual assembly at the Stevens
house last night was the centre of one Of
the most brilliant social gatherings that
has occurred in Lancaster for 4 long time.
Looked forward to with eager expectancy
by those of the community who never
omit the opportunity of sharing IL the
pleasure OF this event, and who comprise
some of the highest elements OF society
here, its accomplishment may readily Do
conceded to have fully met the antic'pa-
tiOps alike OF the management and OF the
two hundred or more guests whom they
SO royalty entertained during the last
fleeting hours of a night that will long be
remembered as one of unallOyed pleasure.
Early in the evening the streets were
thronged with coaches running hither and
thither in various quarters Of the city,
and all having the Stevens house rs their
objective point. The arriving guests
alighted at the West King street entrance
of the hotel, and q curious crowd had
collected around the door to catch q
PASSING glimpse Of what was going on.
Upstairs the scene was all gaiety and AMI
nation The large dining room had been
cleared and transformed for the nOnce
into an ideal ball room. A platform for
the orchestra had been erected on the
King street side, and this was draped
with flags. while the chandeliers were
gracefully fcstooned with smilax and other
trailing plants. Several rooms were
reserved for the use of the guests as DRESS
ing apartments, and as rapidly as they ar
rived they were escorted by some Of the
indefatigable committee on reception to
these imprOvised toilet chambers, the ar
rangements IN this respect as in all others
being admirably designed as regards
convenience and efficiency.
Shortly after nine O'Clock, and while
tho guests were still arriving, TaylOr's
full orchestra struck up the grand promo
made march, which was led by j. L.
Steinmetz, esq, master Of ceremonies.
The scene on the floor was
| at this time most inspiriting, the ele-
gaut toilets of the ladies as they mingled
| some of them in vivid contrast, yet withal
| in perfect harmony in respect to taste and
| richness, forming perfect kaleidoscope
of beauty of which the eye never wearied.
| 1t is probable that in all the previous his
tory of Stevens house assemblies, tho
dressing of last night has never been sur.
passed. Delicately tinted silks and satins
and other fabrics of sOftest texture, gar
injured with laces and flowers, set
Off many a graceful form to its
best advantage, while diamonds and
other gems cleaning at fair throats or Oh
symmetrically rounded arms gave added
brilliancy and richness to scene that
could not but impress the spectator rs tho
highest development of fashions mystical
art. The company included the best
known and most distinguished of Lancas-
ter's society people, both Of town and
county, together with a sprinkling of
guests from New York, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Boston, Harrisburg, Downing
town and other places. Altogether there
were perhaps two hundred ladies and gen.
tlemen present and notable feature of
the occasion was the number of married
people who entered into the spirit of tho
occasion with a zest scarcely inferior to
| that displayed by the youngsters apparent
ly not yet out Of their teens.
With hardly cessation the music con-
tinucd from the time ths grand march was
| had until half past three in the morning,
the hour when the last quadrille Was
danced and tho company finally dispersed.
The yoluptuuus symphonies of Strauss
and the soft cadences of Wald.cufel, rem.
dcied as only Taylor himself knows how,
furnished almost uninterrupted inspira-
| ton to the graceful figures that iioated
| around the room in the poetry OF motion,
| whiio ever and anon tho sharp accentua-
tion of the quadrille lent variety to the
| programme, and furnished the OppOrtuni-
| ty for those who gain more of pleasure in
the measured movements of the lancicrs
than they are able to find in tho mazes o!
the waltz.
| The tables were set in tho broad, sOuti
hallway of the hotel, which leads from the
dining room to the corridor, on which the
parior opens. There were perhaps eight
or ten tables, all groaEing under their
| weight of good things, and from 1O until
they were kept constantly set, and the
| tired dancers were afforded opportunity Of
| refreshing exhausted nature from tho
Viands Afforded by tho followiot:
Raw. Fried. EscalOpcti.
Chicken CrOquettes.
Chicken Salad.
COLD.
COLI Turkey.
coli! Ham.
Cold Tongue.
Corneti Beet.
Vanilla. Bisque.
Water Ice.
Fault.
Oranges. Bananas. Grapes
Coffee
n novelty in the menu cards, which
were very handsomely printed in cOlOrs,
was that each had an imitation
| wish bone stuck through the top Of il, that
looked for all the world like the genuine
article in place and held by a small silk
bow. The card was handsome and unique.
During the entire evening the parlOrs
were open for the accommodation of the
guests and thither many had recourse
when tired of dancing, or else whiled away
the happy hours in prOmenading the cor
didors, while the occasional popping of u
champagne cork off in tho direction of the
tables lent merry accompaniment to tho
strains of the music as they Issued forth
from the heated ball room.
The numbers of the last quadrillo and
the fnaI,Order to promenade alp sounded
at half-past three and terminated
what was thoroughly delightful social
event, tho success of which is due to tho
following able board of managers
Messrs. Samuel II. Reynolds. j. l..
Steinmetz, Samuel II. Price. Z. Eek.
Slaymaker, 3. J. McGrann, J. E. Malone.
ID. G.. Esh.enan, s. w. Altick, Chas-
II. Locher, Il. F.. Breneman, DIR. Henry
CARPENTER, W. }. FOrdney, X. A. Malone,
James NJ. Burke and Mayor John Il. Mac
GoDigle.
KNIGHTS OF PyTHIAs.
Installation Of officers.
The following officers-elect of Lancaster
lodge, No. 69, X. of p, were duly instal-
II