Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-27


task Of preparing and serving the supper
Everything was arranged on Q grand scale; bui
the result failed to come up to the expectation
| Of the gentlemen who had undertaken it. and a
heavy loss was the consequence. Nor was the
been hoped it would be. A critical period had
arrived in the history of our country. and il
seemed as If no one-not even the gay butter
| flies OF q Washington season-were in humor OF
spirits to thoroughly enjoy themselves. The
| civil war cast its shadows over the ballroom
and many Of the then leading and prominent
persons in politics and society," whose presence
had been expected for certain, failed to put in
an appearance. The pecuniary deficit was borne
by the gentlemen OF the committee of arrange
ments, some of whom lost quite heavily.
THE SECOND LINCOLN INAUGURATION BALL,
| which came off in the "model-foom" Of the
patent office. was more of success, both So
cially and financially. 1t was, however, chiefly
remarkable for the confusion which prevailed
| In the cloak and hat rooms after the ball was
| over, when everybody wanted, apparently,
what everybody else had got and what nobody
could give. Such turmoil and topsy-turvy
| state OF affairs has seldom been equalled any
where. The Washington matters made a rich
harvest on the following day, for no ordinary
chapeaux had been equal to the emergency.
In the supper-room the scanty accommodations
| and consequent jamming and crowding was
also serious drawback.
PRESIDENT GRANT.
The first Inauguration ball of Gen. Grant was
held in the north wing of the Treasury depart
ment Barring the crowding, consequent upon
the small rooms and limited accommodation,
1t was an enjoyable affair and great success
financially. Nearly $4,000 had been realized
| after all expenses had been paid, which sum, it
was by resolution Of the managers resolved to
donate toward the erection of q monument to
President Lincoln. At this ball 1000 tickets
had been sold, admitting one gentleman and
| two ladies, and it was estimated that 5000 per-
| sons were present. The jam in the passages
and on the stairways was terrific. The arrange
ments for checking and delivering hats and
coats were defective. Many waited hours for
the redemption of their checks, and were then
compelled to go away hatless and coatless.
Horace Greeley was jammed for two hours
awaiting the delivery OF his white overcoat,
and, it is said, The swore a good deal in the
oldest and most miscellaneous style" The
disagreeable features of the occasion sprang
largely from the fact that the access to and
exit from the lunch and cloak rooms were by
the same doors.
THE SECOND GRANT INAUGURATION BALL.
Preparations were made for the Inaugural
ton ball of 1873, which would have insured q
brilliant success had the weather permitted. A
building $50 by $50 feet was erected on Judi
ciary square especially for the purpose. The
interior arrangements and decorations were
pronounced superb. excelling those in any
building ever erected before for like purposes.
The ball room was 800 feet long by 100 feet
wide, and was lighted by $500 burners. On
the pendant supply pipes and below the burn
ers were hung crimson. blue and gold aprons.
Beneath these were cross streamers in every
conceivable variety, stretched from chandelier
to chandelier oyer the entire room. The walls
to the height Of Is feet we're covered with white
muslin with deep cornice painted in blue and
pink. Around the cOrnice was a continuous
chain of laurel wreaths looped up with rosettes
Of red, white and blue. Indeed, the national
colors appeared everywhere At the north end
was radius Of red, white and blue, with gold
rays diverging from the center in every direc-
ton upward, and terminating in large gold let
tiers forming the name Washington" The bal
comics for music were handsomely decorated
with flags and red, white and blue trimmings.
1t was the aim of the ball managers to cover the
entire wood work and make the whole building
an illuminated mass of decorations. The Presi-
dents reception platform was covered in front
with red. white, blue and gold glazed mus
lin, was richly carpeted and provided with suit
able furniture. The supper room, into which
there were twenty entrances, was also highly
decorated. twas hung with four miles OF laurel
leaf rope. Hot and cold water was conducted
to the kitchen in pipes. Everything for the
supper was cooked in New York, under the di-
rectiOn Of former chief Cook Of Delmonico's
There were provided 10000 fried oysters, 5000
roast capons, 200 dozen quails, 200 hams, orna-
mented with jelly; 400 cartridges, 5000 sand
witches, 80 barrels Of salad 2, 500 loaves of bread
5000 rolls, 1000 pounds OF butter, 800 Char
lotte russes, 800 gallons ice cream, 200 gallons
assorted ices, IS barrels Malaga grapes. 800 gal
Ions claret punch, 800 gallons coffee. 200 GAL
Ions tea, 100 gallons chocolate, &C., &c. The
baking cost $4,000, and the hire of dishes
IS 200 But all the labor and expense incurred
were made of small effect by the outrageous be-
havior OF the thermometer. Those ladies who
braved the weather ignored all vanities and ap-
peared in the warmest wrappings they Dos
sessed. The gentlemen showed a partiality for
hats and OvercOats. The conveniences supplied
for taking care of wraps were more than suf-
ficient to meet the demand. There was a great
rush at the supper table for hot drinks, but the
other dainties were neglected. An army of
canary birds had been provided for the ball
room, but the weather was too much for them.
The music froze in their throats. and they de-
voted themselves strictly to the task of keeping
warm. In short, the cold neutralized ali the
results Of the labor Of weeks, and prevented
the brilliant success which would otherwise
have been a certainty.
There was no ball following President HAYES
Inauguration, as there was not time after the
decision of the electoral commission was an
nounced to arrange for one.
PRESIDENT GARFIELD.
The ball given in 1881 in honor of President
Garfield excelled all its predecessors in point of
attendance. The National museum building
Was then approaching completion, and the
interior was converted for the occasion into
ball room, which, for spaciousness and elegance,
has seldom been equalled, The roomy rotunda,
nsves aid halls and rows Of arches and columns
afforded fine opportunity for decoration. A
plaster statue Of Liberty was erected in the
rotunda, holding aloft an electric light On the
piers about the rotunda were devices in bas
relief representing industry. science, painting,
sculpture, architecture, agriculture, commerce
and navigation. The design, which was fol-
lowed successfully, was to make the temporary
decorations harmonic with the permanent
arc hitectural ornaments Of the building Rows
OF gas gets ran from column TO column The
President and ex-President and their families,
Gen. Hancock, Gen Sheridan members of the
diplomatic corps and number OF high officials
were admitted by the northwest entrance.
Adjoining this entrance we're retiring rooms
and handsomely fitted-up parlor for the
President, the ex-President and their pa-ties
The order OF the proc ession to the main hall
was as follows: The President with J. w.
thompson and Hon. George Bancroft chair
man of the executive and reception commit
tees; ex-President Hayes with Judge Shella-
barger and DIR. yelling, members of the
committee; Mrs. GARFIELD, with Col Corbin
and Mrs. Riddle; Mrs. Hayes, with Mr. John b.
Alley, and others in their appointed order
Inc reception took place in the western hall,
the receiving party standing with their backs
to the western door. There was a low barrl-
eade IN front OF the party. Here, with certain
gentlemen OF the committees, stood the ex-
PRESIDENT: the President, Major Swain, Mrs.
Garfield Mrs. Hayes and Mrs Hazen The
SSsn n n H. D.