Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-03

Ahe FatFlarcn Bails-The Death of the
Two Mrs. 'RoOsevelt-Mrs. Astor,s
COnvalescence - Republicans Revolt
ing Against the BOssism of John
j. O'Brien and its Bearing on the
| National Election.
Correspondence Of the Morning Neaes.
NEW YOBK, Feb. 2S.-The Metropolitan
fashionable season of 1SS3-S4 ended in de-
corous dullness in place of the riotous
gayety which ordinarily distinguishes the
days Immediately preceding Ash Wednes-
day, so that the prophesy in my last let
ter respecting the multitude of balls and
receptions which were to usher in Lent,
was somewhat too previous. Of course.
there have been a number of afternoon
teas and small Germans, but the only big
ball during the past week was that of the
Patriarchs, at Delmonico's, on Monday
evening. The ball was conspicuous, not
only for its being the grand affair of the
week, but for the fact that Its floral deco
rations came from the land of flowers
| Florida.
The three patriarch's balls which have
| been given this season cost an aggregate
/ OF $4,000, which is divided among fifty
! subscribers, who, of course, belong to the
]
/ people," Each subscriber for his $l0O
had the privilege of inviting nine persons
/ to the ball, besides that of going himself,
| so that about 800 of our F'best people, are
| thus collected together.
| The illness Of Mrs. John Jacob Astor
and the death ofthe two Mrs. Roosevelts
had not little to do with rendering dull
! the end of the season. Not only gloom
was thereby cast over their large circle
Inf Io,.
dinner parties were broken up in con-
sequence.
As Mrs. Astor is recovering the dinner
! parties abandoned on her account will
doubtless be given within the next few
weeks. For, anonymously enough, Lent
is the season for dinner parties in New
York. Although the period for fasting, it
is devoted to eating and drinking by
many OF the same people who scrupu-
l0usly refrain from dancing between Ash
| Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Could
| inconsistency go further? Lent, too, is
the faYOrite time here for going to thea
tres. Social Observances occupy their
time so much during the season that fash
iOnable people seldom have an evening to
spare until the arrival of the period for
penance and prayer. Card playing, too,
takes the place of dancing, aud with the
aid of whist, theatre-gOing and dinner
parties. the fashionable folk will continue
to ettectually drive dull care away during
the next six or seven weeks. After Eas-
ter there will be a number of weddings
in the spring, you know, young mans
fancy, etc.-and perhaps few balls, but
there Will be no real revival of gayety un-
til next winter.
Although there has been only occasional
need of keeping late hours the past week
or ten days, the arrival of Lent is hailed
with joy by the tagged out devotees of
fashion. For Lenten amusements have
the merit of generally ending before the
chimes are heard at midnight, and a COM
paratively long period is thus left for
sleep. Ash Wednesday was therefore
particularly greeted with delight by pro-
fessi0nal and business men who. even if
they do not get home from a ball until
a. M, or perhaps later, are obliged to be
at their offices at 10 O'Clock, and some
times an hour earlier. The spoiled daugh-
ters of fashion are also glad to restore the
roses to their cheeks by early hours, al
though as, like the lilies of the field they
have neither tOiling or spinning to do,
they can make up for loss of sleep at
night by sleeping half the day.
THE TWO MRS. ROOsEvELTs,
whose death so saddened society, were
the mother and wife of young Theodore
Roosevelt, whose bill TO give the Mayor
sole power to make appointments to office
udS CIedIeU SuC0 COuU1OLlOn mere. MT.
Roosevelt is also the father of a second
bill, which is a sort of cOrolIary to the first.
This bill raises liquor licenses in cities to
5000 and ale and beer to $3.50, while half
as much In each case, should it pass. is
to be paid by country saloon keepers. The
bill is dependent on that affecting the
Mayor, because there would be little use
in its becoming a law, unless the MayOr
appointed the officers who will have to do
with its endorsements.
AT the meetingheld OH Tuesday evening
to further the passage of the bill, and at a
previous meeting convened to perform a
similar office for the companion bill. dis
tinguished men of more than twice Mr..
Roosevelts age, such as MIR. Evarts, DR..
Howard Crosby, Judge Noah Davis and
Henry Ward Beecher, indorsed the young
legislator and all his works. There is
hardly man so young IN the country who
is so well and favOrably known as TheO-
dOre Roosevelt. He was graduated from
Harvard less than four years ago, and is
consequently not over 26 years old. In
herited wealth rendering it unneces-
his living, he is able, like
Perry Belmont and Seth Low, to devote
his entire time to his public duties. AL
ready having enough, he has no tempta-
tion to rob the public treasury, and is,
consequently, fitted on this account, if on
/
That he is well fitted in other respects is
proved by his success, for he is insignifi-
cant In appearance, and could only have
acquired the commanding influence which
he wields by his mental endowments.
Of course, he has his detractors, who
say that his career is urged by ambition
and selt-interest, but he numbers MANY
distinguished Democrats among the sup
pOrters OF his measures, as we'll as men,
bers OF his own party, and l seldom heard
heartier cheer than that which was
given for Mr.. Roosevelt at the Harvard |
dinner last Thursday evening. 1t showed
the respect in which he was held by his |
fellow graduates irrespective of politics. |
His recent bereavement, of course, pre-
vented Mr.. Roosevelt from being present
at the dinner.
1t was fortunate for John Quincy Adams
that he also was absent, for an elaborat
joke was got up at his expense. In ridi-
cule OF his attack on the study of Greek
in colleges, and of his assertion that he
had forgotten the Greek alphabet, the |
menu was printed in Greek characters. |
and CharlesC. Beaman, President of the !
New York Harvard Club, begun his after
dinner oratiOn in the Hellenic tongue. |
The effect of Delmonico's French in Greek |
lettering on one who had been dining. |
was bewildering in the extreme.
HEARD A STORY THE OTHER DAY
depicting the domestic demeanor of the |
richest man in the world, as VIM, II, Van |
derbilt is now considered, Plumbers, in |
order to repair pipe in the cellar of the /
great brown stone house at Fifth avenue /
and Fitty-trst street, had removed quan- /
tity of coal from one vault to another. |
Mr.. Vanderbilt, descending to the cellar /
to inspect their work, missed the coal. /
Without waiting for explanations he be-
gan to scOld over the absence of the coal. /
declaring that he was continually robbed |
III his own house and that his servants
were so many thieves, etc. He stormed
away until out of breath, and, when the
opportunity was then taken advantage of
to tell him what had become of the coal,
he was more angry than ever at having
made an exhibition of himself on so poor
provOcatiOn. He is said to be a house
hold tyrant, and to be rude and oYerbear-
ing to the members of his family. as we'll |
as his servants; but he is & universally
disliked that, doubtless many things are |
told about him which are not true.
The advocates of water as a beverage |
have recently received a sad set back. |
The decomposed body of man was found |
in the upper reservoir in Central Park on 1
Monday. Although it was clothed in a /
dress suit, the case is probably one of 4
suicide, as the reservoir is far out of the 4
way for belated ball-gOer to fall into. /
As the body has not been recognized |
while, Notwithstanding the dress suit. /
there was not enough money in the pOck- |
cts to satisfy an undertaken, il win be |
buried in the Potter's field.
A VIGOROUS "KICK'' HAS ALL AT ONCE |