St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-01-31
st. oSohnsburp Galedunian.
The AstOr Palace Ball.
rFditori,l in SnriprtI,.Id Republicau !

was a ball at William b. AstOr's house
on Fifth Avenue. 1t is Mrs. AstOr's
custom to give grand reception at
about this time every year, but last
wear she was in mourning for the death
of daughter year before, she gave
only dinners and small dancing parties,
and there was no general quit-claim
gathering during the season. The
Vanderbilt ball was the sensation of
that otherwise rather uncventful Sc
quent of time in society new rich
disportcd their glories and luXuries
unrivaled by the old families, who, on
their part, helped to launch the affair
in the finest style, practicing new ger
mans in their own parlors and putting
on costumes and going with all the
town to inspect the Vanderbilt palace,
plate and pictures, consume the Van
derbilt victuals and sip the Vanderbilt
wines This was the triumph of the
parvcnu of to-day over the descendants
of the parvenues of yesterday. But
now comes the turn Of the AstOrs,
family that possesses grandfathers, or
at least one grandfather. The ball
was announced beforehand as COM
mcmorative of this original Astor, IA
'
land to speculate in furs, to discover
Oregon rs a commercial center, to give
his name to Astoria, and to amass a
fortune of 500, 600, 600, partly in trade,
but mainly in real-rstate investments
in New York city. Since the time of
John Jacob Astor the family have not
produced one notable Representatives,
but they have taken care of their real
a..
ertN which represents no valuable
service of their own. If this were
really intended for centennial Cele-
bration, it does not mark John Jacobs
departure from Holland, but from
London, where he went in l779 and
was employed by his brother. the
piano manufacturer. The AstOrs are
not "Knickcrbockers,' for they are not
Dutch at all, but Badenisch, derived
from the little village of Waldorf, Il
fact recognized in the middle name of
the present minister to Italy, one of
the few Astors who have ever done
anything besides collect rents. They
are moral family, that is to he said
for them. and have maintained IA GER
tain dignity of character and demeanOr
that has justified their leadership of
socirty. They stood out against the
NandcrbitS on the ground of character
long while. Mrs. AStOr held her
skirts close when she passed them in
the corridors of the Academy of Music ;
but millions won the day, and when
the Astors were seen at last Easter
Mondays ball. all the knickerbockers
gave IN, the Nanderblts were fairly
IN society.
Mrs. Astor's ball was a chaste and
rcticcnt and majestic affair 1t was
rich, but not gaudy. LIS garments
were the simple toilets of unlimited
elegance no Incorporating. no undue
picturcsQucness of any sort,-the men
in the most delightful likeness to the
walters. with subtle disscmhlances the
women attircd in all manner of rich
fabrics and Jewels. Flowers heset the
rooms. ferns and palms made the great
hall an avenue of modelling grace
how did it happen that smilaX was
twiucd around the silver candelabra
and festooued along the dining room
since Smlax is understood to have be-
come too common for even "the middle
cllSScs.' The whole house was lit
with wax candles the table in the
dining room bore heavy silver
service that cost SI75,OOO; Pinard
furnished the canvas-back duck, the
terrHpin. the ices and the wines aud
the dancing went ON in the art gallery.
where Icfcbvrc's "Mignon' looked
over the rnut from one side and II
marble Psyche from the other, while
jules Bcston's peasants stood aluot, il
stern satire on the gay melee. The
ladies used for dressing rooms Mrs.
Astor'S own chamber, where no rivalry
of Mrs. Nandcrbilt's Cupid and
Psyche" frcsco alf'rontcd good taste.
Half the orchestra played upstairs
promenade music for those who did
not dance, the other half played in Il
balcony over the art gallery. The
guests came Il little before eleven, and
there was an hour of WaltZcs and quad
rifles. supper INTERVIEWED, and then the
german set in; LiSpcuard Stewart and
Carrie Astor led the maze, and there
were iavors of silver bracelets and
hcad-pius of silver for the women, and
scarf-pins of various designs for the
men. Until three o'clock the "bril-
liant aSscmhlage," as the reporters had
it, trod their winding way, and then
dispersed. do doubt with an enviable
=
wclI-spcnt for earth, perhaps foI
heaven, for certainly, if society" is Ia
go to heaven, there must he Puard
supprIs and silver favored germans
there.
rs for the company, it is strange
enough. but il j. a fact that there was
not person there whom one could
possibly imagine that the world Il
hundred years hence would care to
hear of, even rs the present world does
care To hear about shrewd, stolid old
John Jacob the trader; and there were
very few whom that distant world
ever will hear of. The list of names
sounds well, some of them are historic,
like Livingstone, Schuyler, Van Rens-
selacr, StuyVesant. Roosevelt, GOelet
Rcmsen: the Yznagas and Iselius, the
WothcrSpoons and RutherfordS, the
Turnurcs and Oothouts. the Aspiu-
wales. Cuttings and CTugcrs, the Rhine
landers. kingslands and Wilmerdings,
were there; 81 WAS was Attorney
General Brewster and his wife the
British Minister West and CORVALLIS
West, husband of the professional
beauty the Russian and Italian min
listers also came from Washington
there were even titles, the prince al
Plcss and Count Harmoncourt, who
ever they may he. OF the 800 invited
We do not know how many stiid away
We do not know but there were guests
of public note and Importance among
those that came, but these are the picF
ct the reporters lists. Has New Yorl
then no men and women who ar,
known to all the country that wealtl
might honor itself 10y entertaining
Indeed it has, and that. in abundance
but their world and "society'sn ar,