St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-25
In Honor Of the Visiting
Statesmen From Tropical ,,
Republics.
A Bewilderingly Beautiful
and Brilliant Social
Panorama.

magpies cOloring of the ordinary even
ing dress. Blue and and gold inter-
mingled with the toilets of charming
women, while the clash of swords upon
the floor lent military air to the whole
affair. Many women were sOrely dis
appointed because the visitors from the
South did not appear in the official
uniforms to which the rank of
many entities them. All, with
the exception of one, were dressed
in the common, ordinary, everyday
evening dress. The dear girls who eX-
pected to see dazzling array of scarlet
and gold were sOrely disappointed; in
fact, the distinguished guests could not
be told from the rest of the crowd by
anything but their swarthy complex
ions. Even these were some
times misleading. Elk Senator
Sabin was mistaken by lovely
Montanian who CHANGED to be
present, for a Spaniard. Several other
men who have dark compilations were
mistaken for members of the South
American delegations. The latter gen.
tlemen soon made friends among the
ladies' and seemed to be caught by the
beauty of Minnesota women. One of
them remarked that they were the pref
TEST crowd of women he had ever seen
gathered together in all his ex-
tensive experience. He added that
women, was their lovely figure.
About $50 the carriages began to roll
up to the door of the hotel fraught with
their lovely burdens. But they did not
come thick andfaSt until after o'clock,
after which hour Sixth street was
damned with vehicles of every descrip-
ton. The cloak rooms on the third
floor were crowded. and gave the
attendants 1rall they could do
to cheek the wraps and
coats. The reception was held on the
parlOr floor and the crush there through
out the evening was enormous. Gov.
and Mrs. w. r. Merriam, attended by
their staff of aides-de-camp, received
the guests and the rest of the reception
committee were scattered through the
parl0rs.' The guests in whose honor the
aft air was given were here, there
talk in Spanish with bright-eyed
maidens or discussing South America
politics with local politicians. No
formal presentation were made to them.
Shortly after $50 the Black Maria with
~. S." on it which does duty as the
private carriage of the troops at Fort
Smelling came up to the door at galOp,
drawn by folr of Uncle Sans thor
oughbred mules. A Gathering of
SabreS inside as the occu-
pants dismOunted, announced to the
gaping multitude at the door that Gen.
Ruger, u. S. A., and his staff, had ar
rived. They wer brilliant crowd in
their nodding plumeS, epauletteS and
gold cord, but could not begin to COM
pare with the militia officers and the
gallants on the governors staff, whose
manly breasts fairly blazed with
gold. Capt. Banker was the cyno-
sure of all eyes. He fairly
glittered and seemed in his
element. In the pariOr to the left of
that in which Gov. and Mrs. Merriam
received, tile side show took place !;
here Archbishop Ireland and Father
NugenG held quite little reception all
to themselves. The venerable English
priest was an interested spectator, as he
said it was the first time in his life that
| he had ever seen crowd of Ameri-
cans at a reception, He compared
the beauty of the women and the ele-
gance of their costumes with those of his
native land. by DO means to the disad-
vantage of the former. In the ladies'
ordinary number of tables were
spread, and here claret punch was
served. The evening was hot, stifiingly
hot In the reception rooms. and
by many. At the end Of one
of the corridors Seibert's orchestra
played varied selection of airs. One
of them was very beautiful, but, as re-
marked by lady, would have been
more appropriate at a funeral. How
ever. it did not last long and waltz fol-
lowed it, This was altogether too much
for little pink feet to stand. so first one
couple then another gave way to
the seductive strains. 1t would
have been all right if the dancing had
been confined to one or two, but when
Mrs. W. X. Merriam caught the infec
ton, and her graceful form was seen in
the maZeS of the dance. swinging in the
arms of the Brazilian ambassador to
this country, every one was compelled
to join in. As the space was more or
less confined and the crowd was more or
less large, the dancing became more
or less uncomfortable. according to the
temper of the dancers. A prOminen
social leader. when asked by the love-
Hest woman present if he did not dance,
replied: Not in such crowd as this"
He was right, too; it was altogether too
crowded for comfort, and those who
| stood still and watched enjoyed them
selves more than those who danced. in
all probability.
Who were there? Who was not
there? Every one in st. Paul was there.
Invitations had been scattered broad
cast, and apparently the only quaIifica-
ton necessary was an affirmative an
sWer to the question: 'Are you in the
select crowd, being almost entirely con-
fined to those whose names are
recorded upon the books of the
400. Several visitors were present
from Minneapolis, Duluth and Still
water. No attempt had been made at
decoration. flowers on the tables being
the only thing of the kind. There was
no lack of color, however. The brilliant
hues of the costumes worn by the women
we're decoration enough. Of flowers
there were plenty. Those worn in the
corsages of the women We'd with the
roses in their cheeks, and the latter had
no reason to be ashamed of the compar-
ison. On the lily white necks and arms,
in the raven and golden treSSes of Min
nesota's loveliest, shone jewels rich
the brilliance of the eyes of the wearers.
The soft, Spanish tongue was heard in
many unexpected quarters, especially
among the women. It sounded little
sweeter from their rosebud lips than
their own sweet English. One of the
representatives from tropical republic
remarked in broken English that in ali
the time they spent In their trip they
had never felt more at home than here
in what he had formerly supposed the
ice-bound North. Il have found here"
said he, "warm hearts, handsome wom-
en- and accomplished men."
The reception passed off brilliantly.
1t was a success in every respect.
Every one did his or her best to make
the evening pleasant to the hOnored and
welcome guests, and went away feeling
that the affair had been enjoyable, and
hoping that when these "men of
light and leading" return to their
] homes in the Sunny South, they will