Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-05-02
THE oENrrNSIAL nAnL.
A Dazzling Scene of wealth. BEAUTY
nnd Fes,iyItY.

Carriages began TO arrive at the Broad
way entrance to the Metropolitan Opera
House. where the grand ball was held,
socn after 8 O'Clock, though the ball was
put down on the programme for 8, and
by 30 there were quite enough people
In the corridors of the great bat oiDg to
have put many pretentious ball to the
blush.
The outer walls Of the auditorium and
the sides OF the double staircases formed
three sides OF o garden, and trellised
vines and lowering shrubs added 10 the
moral effect, while real fruit trees, set
about in artistic abandon, challenged one
to dispute the fact that be bad Just come
in from ont of doors There were apple
trees Iu blossom and pear trees in bud;
peach trees with strong suggestiyenesi
OF fruitfulness, and cherry trees with
every evidence Of reality, except tho
Ratchet sticking in the base.
The mural decorations included
quinces and prunes, and cranes even,
while l!lscs and wisteria and Ave. finger
and smilax climbed the balustraies and
made up d continuous panorama OF floral
verdure. In safe corners Of the corridors
stood still rarer plsnts,' sni on each stair
landing was miniature grove of beauty.
Ga tho Thirty. ninth street side, where
is the carriage entrance on opera nights,
there was tonight another garden, but
more artificial in appearance than &C the
Broadway entrance. There were at least
score Of beds OF Towering pante and
no two were of the same shape Here
was r sctangle, there diamond; here
crescent, there a cyoss; here an oval
there triangle; here circle and there
some more complex design. One bed
was all violets, another all geraniums;
another was complete bed OF daisies,
and still another was full of tuiips. white
ell around the edge wss border of dwarf
shrubs and daisies, and between the
figures was room for couples TO walk.
The immediate entrances to the great
dancing floor were kept clear.
The Presidential box WAS the centre
ono of double tier erected at ths back
of the stage. This one, however. runs up
TO the top OF the second tier. Tie front
was almost covered with palms, with q
LARGE American eagle in the centre, sur.
mounted by the words 'Washinpton 1888
and 1883" in colored electric lights.
The whole front of both tiers was our
tanned with silk flags and decorated with
flowers. Standing at the stage end OF the
great ball room, and looking outward and
upward toward the tiers of boxes that
make mp that monster setnicircle, the
scene was one of the most entrRucinR
beauty even before the boxes vera filed.
Box parties began TO come in long be-
fore the mayor had arrived, and by the
time the word went round that the Presi.
AanNiaI xxyoo ,ts,r,
few vacancies noticeable. Mr.. Stanton,
who succeeded Ward MoAllister as master
OF ceremonies. did not ilske himself con
spicuous pending the arrival of the dis.
tinguished guests. Mr.. McAllister was
conspiriously absent during the earlier
part of the night, but was seen in his box
when dancing had begun. Lander bad
both his orchostras in position long be-
fore they were needed to welcome the
President.
The supper hall is As fest wide and AIS
feet long, with accommod ation for 600
! people at one time. The sides of this
structure were lined with cheese colored
bunting aud as beautifully decorated as
any other part OF the opera house.
The Presidents table stood at the Sew
enth avenue and Thirty ninth street cor
ner, 80 that be and his party could look
both ways down the lines of supper
tables. just opposite his table was
! raised platform on which Lander placed
his musicians while the wine was flo wing.
There was all the most epicurean taste
could wish to choose from in the way OF
eatables and driuksbles.
The President arrived of 1045 o'clock
and was formally introduced to the COM
mittee. The President ushersd Mrs. Har-
rison into the boz set apart for them.
Vice-pregiient Morton and Mrs Nor on
also entered the box, as did Mr.. and Mrs.
Russell Harrison. The rest of the party
were disposed of in the other special
boxes, and all was then in readiness for
the great quadriiie d'honneur.
Two orchestrRs of so musicians each
were in their places when the quadriIle
was announced and the following ladies
and gentlemen took their places or the
floor: Vice-president Morton, with Mrs.
Edward f. Jones; Lieutenant Judson,
with Mira. Astor; Admiral Jewatt, with
Mrs. Washington; General McCook, with
Mrs. Webb; General Fitzgerald, with
Mrs. King; Captain Sampson, with Mrs.
j. f. De Peyster; DR.. A. Il. Ruth of the
navy, with Mrs. Quitting; J. W. Beekman,
with Miss Livingston; Lieutenant gov.
ernor Jones, with Mrs. Lew P Moltcn;
Senator Aldrich, with Mrs. s. V. Il.
Oruger; General Vincent, with Mrs.
EldridRe L. Gerry; Oommandant Ramsay
with Mrs. Morris; Captain DJrst, with
Mrs. Edward Cooper; j. De Peyster, with
Mrs. Van Rensselaer,; Colonel James M.
varnum, With r. F. Weir, and Creighton
Webb, with Miss Schuyler.
The dance itself was gotten through
with creditRbly, though not brilliantly.
Many of the ladies particularly in it had
not danced plain quadrille within the
past quarter OF q century. Sill that
made little differences. 1t was the scene
that enlivened and the fair faces and mag
nifsent dresses and cleaning jewels that
riveted attention.
The President busted himself looking
at the brilliant scene in the boxes, but
paid but little attention to the dancers.
As the Presidential party made the cir
cult of the ball room, Mrs. Harrison, of
course, attracted great deal OF atten-
tion. She looked we'll and happy.
WILD WITH ENTHUSIASM.
Last night New York was in glare of
glory and wild with enth usiasm. Mile
after mile of gaily decorated houses, with
tlaRs floating from every window. help to
tell The story of the Presidential GEN.
tennial celebration. 1t is a greater cele-
bration than the constitutional centennial
of two years ago in Philadelphia. There
are more people present than there were
in Philadelphia at that celebration. The
New Workers have spent thousands of
dollars where the Philadelphians spent
hundreds. There ia lRvishness Rbout
the house decorations that beggars de-
scription. Milse OF Chinese lanterns
illuminated the house fronts of thousands
of residences last night. Pictures of
Washington md Harrison are in nearly