Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-05-30
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THE CENTENNIAL. BALL.
A Prolific Creator Of Hatred. Ma
lice and ALI Inch a rita hlanaaS.

1
A Prolific Creator Of Hatred. Ma
lice and All observation-disclosures.
The hatred, malice and all unchari-
tableness over the centennial ball grows
apace, says the New York World, aud
it is feared that by the 30th of April nc
one in New York society will speak to
any one else. Ward McAllister, as the
leading figure among those who have
| the arrangements for the ball in
charge, comes in for the larger share
of hatred. just at present the many
southerners in New York are. deeply
disturbed about a story that is current
concerning that gentleman's remarks
upon certain members proposed for the
quadrille. AS is well known, there are
many families in the south closely con-.
nected by descent with the family OF
the great chief whose memory the ball
is intended to honor, and also whose
ancestors took a prominent part, as
both civil and military leaders, in the
great political drama of the birth of
this nation. The daughters of some of
these were proposed for membership
in the quadrille, but it is said Mr.. Nc
Allister resolutely vetoed all such
propositions, and when other mem
bers Of the committee expressed
some surprise at this ac-
ton on his part. especially in
view OF the fact that he himself was a
man of southern birth, he explained
ehis action on the ground that he had at
heart more than anything else the bril-
liant appearance OF the famous dance,
and he was sure that none of the south
ern women proposed could afford the
expense of gowns sufficiently gorgeous
to make the dance as splendid as il
should be. The New York women
whose names were before the commit
tee were all people of large wealth,
who were sure of wearing magnificent
gowns and jewels, and would therefore
do more credit to the ball than less ex-
spensiyely arrayed southern women no
matter how long or honorable might
be their descent Which anecdote has
caused much unfavorable comment
upon Mr.. McAllister by the people
from that section Of the county. This
unpleasant feeling is not confined to
the southerners, however. A New
York woman was heard to remark the
other day with ironical bitterness that
she hoped Mr.. McAlister would per.
NIT her to occupy at least corner in
one of the upper galleries of the opera.
house, to which she thought she had
some claim through descent, since one
grandfather had been chairman of the
committee to welcome Washington and
the other had administered to him the
| oath of Office.
One curious result of the rigorous an
vestigation of ancestral records has
been to show that Mrs. Cornelius Van
| derbilt and Ward McAllister arc relat
ed to one another, both having descend
| ed from that revolutionary general,
| Francis Marion, the wild raider who
did his country much service but who
was pretty rough specimen of human
ity, and would have hardly graced the
quadrille himself 1t is related of hin
that on one occasion when he asked
several British officers to dine the only
refreshments he offered them were
| fried pork and roasted sweet potatoes
set out upon a log. Another one OF the
curious features of this centennial cpl
sode is that many women, rather thar
take a secondary place in the ceremO
mics, will leave town and there will b.
q big exodus of social leaders before
the 30th, most of them going abroad.