Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-10-11
my wife, and 50 complimentary. / co


"That's Tweed, said fat woman il
a gypsy skirt and a sunflower bonnet
president Hayes" said gigantic
brewer; ~ knows him veil; loodks SC
| tignitied "There goes Sam Tilden, .
said the thin reporter for the Indepen.
dent; sid know him among thous-
and. just then the blast of mons.
trous' tin horn announced the approach
of King Carnival. On they came
knights, warriors, foresters, gnomes,
spirits, fairies, mermaids, kaisers, en-
perors, kings, and washerwomen
Marvellous We're the costumes. and
wonderful the banners and designs.
Lions roared, wolves howled. dogs
barked, cats meowed, donkeys brayed
and noises indescribable and frightfu]
added to the general din, which even
DIR. Dammerosch, with his monster
orchestra, was not able to convert into
harmony. The widest enthusiasm
was reached at about one o'clock, with
| one of Strauss popular waltzes. 1t
seemed as though the air was full of
flying Dutchmen and Dutchwomen.
Oh, how they swing around, heavy
weights, tipping the scales anywhere
from two hundred and ninety-five to
half ton When two of these moving
bodies struck together, as they some
times did, the effect was that of Il juve-
nile earthquake, and people began to
inquire if there was any danger of the
roof. For once our German fellow
citizens gave themselves up TO fun.
The house was theirs. They had paid
for it; they had invited their friends to
have q good time, and they had it, l
am afraid to tell you of the oceans of
lager they destroyed; but | think
speak within reasonable limits when
tell you it would float q ship. And it
was not until the faint rays of Wash
ington's birthday burst in upon the
jewellers that the assembly dissolved
and by seven clock, of the ten thous-
and maskers who took part in the mad
festival, not shadow remained.
The Martha Washington reception of
St. Johns Guild. at the Academy of
Music, was very different affair. This
is one of those universal charities which
supplies want not met by any other of
our aid societies. jew or Gentle, Turk
or Pagan, old or young, it makes no
difference, its hand is ever open to the
poor. The Rev. Alvah Wiswell, has
managed its affairs acceptably for n
number of years past. He understands
human nature thoroughly and knows
that man might beg for charity from
door to door and staye; but if you want
to get money and the end justiiies the
means as it does in this case, you must
cater to peoples prejudices and vani-
ties. The tickets were five dollars and
everybody was invited. The list of
managers was immense and embraced
at least three-quarters of the distin-
guished society people of New York; not
only the elite of our most fashionable
circles were there, but capital, solid and
substantial intrenched behind its money
bags, looked down benignantly on the
giddy throng and cast handfullS of yell
low ducats upon the waters which may
return after many days. st. Johns
Guild is under the patronage of the
trustees of st. Johns Episcopal Church,
and the church could not with propriety
give ball; but there would be no OBJ
lection to reception and if Martha al
lowed dancing of course il could not be
helped. For weeks and weeks society
| has been in state of feyerish excite
ment to know what everybody was
going to wear. Every modiste of any
celebrity in town had as much as she
could possibly do, and our distinguished
friend Worth, of Paris; was not unrep-
resented, no less than nine dresses
from his magnificent establishment adj
ding to the splendor of the scene. BY
nine o'clock Fourteenth street was all
ablaze calcium lights transformed
night to day, and even the drizzling
rain seemed to have no perceptibe
effect on the fashionable votaries of
charity. The most splendid equipages
in town, with liveried footmen and
drivers lined the streets for blocks; and
defying the storm, crowds thronged the
avenues adjacent to the Academy, anx-
ious to get sight of the gorgeous
/ dresses which only on occasions like
this were ever intended for the ewes of
the profane. On the inside, the scene
was startling and the wonder of the
opening tableau was that there was so
little of Martha Washington and so
much of everybody else. The gentle
men in swallow-tailed coats and bal
loon-pantaloons could scarcely have
been mistaken for efiigies of our revolu-
tionary sires, while some of the fat dow
ayers, whose marvellous trains amazed
even the most devoted disciples OF
fashion, looked as much unlike our re-
evolutionary mothers as they did like
sensible women. The fact is, it was q
fashionable carnival Of Haunting extra.
vagance. Satins, silks, velyets, laces,
and diamonds were there in abundance
yet il was only here and there that they
looked as if they really belonged to the
wearer. One gay young damsel OF
about tifty-six wore pale yellow cord
ed silk. trimmed with purple bows Of
silk velvet and garnished with lace, the
cost of which alone was over two thou.
sand dollars. The train was three yards
long, and as she maiesticaay sailed
along, little fellows had to fly for theil
lives, for fear Of stepping on her dress
J looked at her with profound admlra
! ton. There was something substantial
about her-no ghost, no shadow. nc
fancy, but, as a sailor would say, three
decker. The floor shook beneath hel
pon6erous weight. Yet she had the ali
|; of q girl of sixteen. Her hair, which
was once blonde, was gathered RICH
uD on the top of her head in q ridicul