St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-01
THE COMING EVENT.
The Eyes of All Washington Society
People Now Turning Toward
the Inauguration Ball,
Which is to be the Greatest, if Not
the Grandest, Affair Ever Wit
messed in the Land.
Lent Doesn't Seem to Interfere With the
Matrimonial Current, and the Young
are Still Mating.
Some Gossip About tie Wives Of Coming
Cabinet Ministers-Brilliant Recep-
tion by Mrs. McElrOy
Correspondence of the Globe.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 81 OF course the ap-
preaching inauguration with its great bail
and greatest ball room that this country has
ever seen is the principal topic. The publ
cation of the costumes to be worn on that
occasion in this correspondence week ago
has created something of palpitation in GER
tain tender feminine breasts. There
are two classes who are on the
anxious bench about it, those
whose costumes were described and those
whose were not described. Indeed it might
be added that there is third class more dis
turbed than the others, those who have no
costumes to describe 1t is those who have
no new gowns to wear to the ball, or who
realize the elaboration of costume as com
pared with their own, that the pan Drama be-
comes most painful in advance. But i
should be remem bered that there are to be
several thousand dresses at the ball, and that
the cut or fit or material of one or two or
dozen win be small matter in the general
effect.
That the ball is to be the greatest if not the
grandest one that this country has seen seems
to be conceded. Twenty-Five hundred dancers
may be, it is estimated, upon the floor at one
time, as many more upon the promenades,
and as many in the galleries as on the dane
ing and promenade floors together. The
pension building is shollow square, 1t
is huge building with big s'court'' inside
its walls, the building proper stretching
around on the four sides of this court. 1t is
in this court, rooted over, that the ball is to
be held. The roof is on, the floor laid and
the work Of decorating well begun. It might
have been ready by this date, the members
of the committee say.
THE BALL ROOM FLOOR
is to cover the clear space inside the col
umns which run around the court, near to
the walls. Inside these columns are the
promenades. At the top of them, above the
promenades, have been arranged seats, in
tiers, to accommodate, it is said, as many as
five thousand people. sit is to be,'' said a
member of the committee, ''the greatest ball
room and the greatest ball that this country
has ever seen. There will be but one ball
room in the world that equals it in size.'
There is some difficulty experienced just
now about obtaining plants with. which to
decorate it. The room is so large that as
many as 10000 are desired. Ten thousand
tropical plants are good many even when
you have the aggregate collections of the
White house, botanical garden and agricul-
tural department to|d draw from. There is yet
some doubt, however, whether all of these
are to be had, as there is said to be neither
precedent nor law to permit it.
Lent may come and the society season go,
but the matrimonial current flows on for
ever. Now that it is possible to take time
from
THE DOINGS OF SOCIETY PROPER
the fruits of the season are being made
manifest in matrimonial events. Some OF
these are weddings, some are announce
ments Of intended marriages. The week
began with the marriage of Miss Kate Lee,
daughter of the late Capt. w. s. Lee of Hi
nois to e. W. S. Moore of West Virginia, at
the First Presbyterian church. On Wednes-
day there was wedding in Maryland, just
out Of Washington, which was attended by
good many Washington people. 1t was that
of Miss Virginia Bond, daughter of Gen.
Bond, to Mr.. w. H. A. Hartpin. A day later
occurred the marriage Of Mr.. 7. w. Cri-
dler to Miss Addie V. Prospect, at the Church
of the Incarnation in this city. Gen. and
Mrs. Myers have issued cards announcing
the marriage of their daughter, Marion Isa-
belle, to Mr.. Frederick II. Paine, on Feb.
II. Another announcement, though not
official in its nature, is that a prominent
young naval officer will marry a rich New
York belle who has been spending the win
ter here.
There is not to be much more in the way
of receptions. Mrs. Frelinghuysen held her
last reception as wife Of the secretary of state
on Wednesday of this week. On Wednes-
day of next week she will only be plain Mrs.
I'm DrDI, oh Il, Mro Do -or1,
be her successor That seems to be gener-
ally conceded, though there are some people
who doubt this yet, Cor they think Bayard
cannot afford to give up his place in the SEN
ate, where he is
An ACKNOWLEDGED LEADER,
to be the head of department. But he will
probably co. and it is not improbable that in
so doing he may be Influenced by the social
features of the matter. The Bayard family
has all along been very exclusive. 1t has
gone little in society and has not been pop
ular because Of its exclusiveness. So there
Is suspicion that it would be rather glad to
attain 10 this very high notch in the
social scale, in order TO show Washington So
ciety how to make and sustain an upper
crust, so TO speak. 1t would be odd, wouldn't
it, after the talk of Mrs. Blaine's intentions
in regard to exclusiveness at the White
house, and the talk on the other side about
Cleveland II there should come in with this
new administration season of social exclu-
siyeness surprising anything that Washing
ton has ever seen. And it would not be at
all surprising to some people who profess to
be in a position to know the ins and outs of
those who are to hold the strings in the next
four years.
WIVES OF COMING MEN.
1t may not be uninterestiDg, at this time,
to say something about the families of those
who are expected to be in the cabinet. Mrs.
Bayard is an invalid, and goes little. She has
two daughters, however. who are quite com
petent to assume the more active duties OF
the station. The Bayard family, consisting
of the Senator and wife, and four or five chill
dren, live in a rather modest, rather plain,
rather old brick house on Massa-
chusetts avenue, a fashionable resi-
dence locality, but not the most
fashionable. Their house is well. but not
handsomely furnished Indeed, they may
be said to live in rather plain style. Mr..
Manning, who is considered as booked for
the treasury, recently married, it will be re-
membered, and as his wife is a lady accus-
toned TO social life, and as Mr.. Manning
has plenty Of money, il Is 70 be expected
that their home and social life viii be quite
an important feature of society in the next
four years here. Mr.. Villas, who is generally
believed to be the choice for the war depart
ment, has just arrived in Washington with
his wife. He is a man of wealth, and
viii not be averse to the acceptance OF the
social duties with his position, If he shall be
selected for position, viii require. Mr..
Jones Of New Hampshire, who is most prom
inently spoken Of for the navy. is a central
figure socially as well as financially in Ports
mouth. where ne resides, and az bis wife ac-
compauied him here during the two terms
when be was q member of congress, his
home win combine good