San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-06-06
The Centennial Ball.

Union Signal.
Never did hlgh-toned New York
make greater preparations than for
this ball. Metropolitan Opera house
was transformed into tropical gar
den for it; every possible pains was
taken to make it exclusively an affair
of the elite, from which the common
herd should be excluded. The pres
ident and the high dignitaries of the
nation honored it with their pres
ence; the leading ladies of the land
danced it's opening minuet. But
another phase of it's preparation null.
lifted all these and turned the bril-
liant affair into a national disgrace.
This was making the elegant supper
a Bacchanalian feast. Not satisfied
with providing bountiful supplies Of
wines--what other liquors deponent
sayeth not-the managers went to
Albany and secured special legisla-
ton to allow them to continue the
sale OF liquor until 5 o'clock in the
morning, instead Of stopping at l
O clock, as required by state law.
This last precaution, however, was
useless, as the sequel proved, for by
l o'clock that magnificent supper
room had become the scene of such
rioting chat the police were obliged
to clear it out. We give an account
of the disgraceful proceedings as
given by the New York correspond
ent of the Chicago Tribune. Had
this report appeared in a temperance
paper we should not have dared copy
it, knowing it wonld be considered
the preiudiced view of "them fanat-
les" No such suspicion can attach
to the Tribune.
While reading the account we
could not help contrasting the scene
with the one witnessed in that same
Metropolitan Opera house last No
yember, when hundreds of Christian
women met there to pray and plan
for the overthrow of the nation s
curse. And we cannot help wonder
ing whether the Mail and Express
and other "h,gh moral idea" papers
will shower down their anathemas
upon this scene, as they have done
md are doing on the heads of those
devoted women.
DRUNK IN DRESS SUITS.
While the opening hours of the
centennial ball were in accord with
;he high character of the occasion
md the scene in the Metropolitan
Opera house was brilliant, the affair
became after half-past twelve o'clock
nothing less than disgusting, and the
minority who remained
.fter that hour declared that it was
disgrace to the occasion, the man
!gement and the city.
The Scene in the supper room
hortly before l o'clock was power
nj argument in favor of prohibition.
Iroups of drunken lads with vacant
yes, unsteady feet, and reckless gay
.ty of speech were scattered about
he place, holding in their trembling
lands brimming wine glasses. Nat.
rally enough the floor was soon in a
erribly slippery and sloppy condi-
ion. The noise was deafening, men
rere shouting to the walters, some
{ the most inebriated were singing,
cd every now and then q womans
brill laugh would rise above the gen
raj din. There were ladies' present,
] many cases escorted by sober men,
tho behaved with perfect propriety
nd were evidently seeking to satisfy
.gihmate hunger; but it was far
therwise with several Of the gentler
*. Two females OF unmistablble !
attracted general attention ,
y their bold and indecorOus beha-
ior. while others there were who,
Though evidently belonging to the ,
Inc class, were exciting equal CON
.eut by their unsteadiness Of speech
ld gesture. Nearly al the women
resent who had not lost their sense
propriety By Indulgence IN strong
INK hastcrei b quit tie scene 4
here. indeed, they were in more
an one instance Subjected 10 insult,
d a few sfiu fingered at the upper
u of ths r1or,- p1zsib,y uucon-
=g1s oftl Disgusting scCues whlch 2
ere enacted 90 q -ltt,c iistsree from r
.r-r