The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-26
A DINNER FOR SOCIETY.
THREE HUNDRED OUT OFTHE 400"
TO BE INVITED.

The Bradley-Martins have given up all
idea of big ball, such as they have been
/ talking Of since their return to New York,
early in December, and now tell their
friends that they propose to give at Del
monico's, OH Feb. T. the largest and hand
soonest cotillon dinner ever given in this
/ town. The idea of the ball was abandoned,
| doubtless, for the reason that there have
been, and will be before the beginning of
Lent, so many entertainments of that de-
scription SO notable and magnificent from
several different points of view that the
possibility of successful competition was
difficult and the probability that they would
| be able to surpass the results achieved by
others exceedingly slight. The first Patri-
arch ball, with its unique decorations, was
so superb an affair and the New Years ball
was so unquestionablv successful, and, more
than this, the balls which Mrs. Astor and
Mrs. Whitney announce will be so brilliant
Mrs. Whitney's ball particularly because
of the openings of her new ball-room-that
the Bradley-Martins would have to do
something remarkable and extraordinary to
hold their own.
Mr. Martin considered various schemes
for the ball and entertained the idea of sew
eral locations for it, but he was not able to
see how, even with the expenditure of q
princely sum of money, he would be able to
do anything remarkable or extraordinary
in the way of giving ball in a season
which has been distinguished for the size
Importance and brilliancy of its entertain
ments.
The cotillion dinner which he proposes to
give will be for 800 people. AS it is pro-
posed to serve the dinner in the Demonico
ballroom, it is very difficult to see how this
number OF people can be seated. The ut
most capacity of the room is about $50, and
this number can only be accommodated
through the exercise of considerable
ingenuity and some squeezing. Doubtless
the invitations will he cut down to $50, and
fifty young men will be invited for the
cotilllon in the evening. Delmonico and
the decorators will be given carte lanche.
What decorations will be determined on is a
matter of interest, as the ballroom is en-
gagged solid for every evening between now
and the time of the dinner, and Mr. Martin
will, of course, only have twenty-four hours
in which to do the decorating. The decor
ating of the Delmonico ballroom is always
a very difficult task, because Delmonico re-
fuses to allow any of his customers to drive
any nails into the wall. To get around
this difficulty the decorators have to build
false cornices and use hundreds of feet of
wire, with the result of expanding great
deal of time, patience, and IN oney After
all, however, money does work marvels and
Mr.. Martin stands ready to spend without
stint
If the Martins give this cotiIIlon on the
| lines here indicated, it viii be unquestiona-
| bly, the largest cotillon dinner ever given in
| New York. A cotillon dinner, it NAV be
explained, is dinner followed by cotillon.
| Sometimes the dinners are given at the
| houses Of Che various people who intend to
| do their dancing at some public ball room,
| where they have agreed to meet later on
| In other cases the dance is given wherever
the dinner is. The largest cotillon dinners
heretofore have included no more than $50
| or 200 people. But although Mr. Martins
cotillon dinner may be the largest cotillon
dinner which has ever been given here, he
| will have to do more than even his extrava-
| CANT plans call for if he wishes to sur
pass some of the dinners which
have conspicuous places in the
social history of New York. The most
notable of these was unquestionably the
| dinner given by Mr.. Edward Luckemever
now of Paris, to Mrs Henry G.. Chapman,
the thea newly married daughter of John
Jay. This occurred at Delmonicos Four
| teenth street place something like twenty
years ago. The dinner was given to sixty
| people and the dinner itself the appoint
| meuts, the accessories the decorations and
the favors for the german and all the Incl
! dental details were of the most costly and
| splendid character. The table was arranged
TO occupy the immense corner room which
| old New Workers will distinctly remember
| In the middle of it was a miniature lake
with two or three swans floating on the sur
| face. The remainder of the table between
| the lake and the outer rim of space reserved
| for the dishes was arranged with flowers
| and plants TO represent a landscape with
hills and valleys of the most picturesque
| kind. The decorations alone are said to
have cost something like $1,000.
The dinner itself was the most sumptu GUS
affair that Demonico could provide The
| attendant wines included Johannisbsrger.
green SEAL at $25 bottle. The favors for
| the german included exquisitely carved
meerschaum pipes and other articles worth
| from $50 to $3.50 each. Luckmeyer was a
wealthy banker here, a friend of the Jaws.
aud gave this dinner because of his admir- a.
ton for Mrs. Chapman and his desire to
recommend himself to society. 1t is
scarcely to be wondered at that be sue
ceeded in his latter purpose He was a
widower at the time, but afterward mar
ried a very beautiful girl, who was the
governess to his children, and is now eStab-
hshed in Paris. He tells his American
friends that after going to Paris he at
tempted to make arrangements TO duplicate
the dinner there, but there was no reStaura-
teur in Paris who would undertake the
order. 1t should be mentioned, by the way,
sion died during the night.
Luckemeyer's cotillion dinner had been
preceded by three notable dinners given by
Travers, Jerome and Belmont to fifty or
sixty people each, and known as the
diamond" the gold" and the "silver''
dinners They occurred about the time
Jerome Park was opened, aud were given to
mark that interesting event. They were
called the diamond the gold and the silver
dinners because of the presents revealed
when the ladies opened their napkins.
Leonard Jerome gave the gold dinner, and
his presents were gold bracelets marked
with the monogram of the club Old New
Workers will remember these affairs as
marking the era of extravagance inau-
gurated Immediately after the closing of
the war.
Shortly after the Luckmeyer dinner. a
superb cOtillon dinner was given at Del
monico's by Gen. William Cutting to Nine.
| d'Hauteville. The cost of the Luckmeyer
dinner was estima ed between $4,000 and
$4,000. The Cutting dinner was not sup
piled with the swans, possibly because of
the unfortunate termination of the careers
of the Luckemeyer swans, but otherwise
the money expended on it was quite as
great. 1t was between the times of these
dinners and the starting of the Patriarch
balls, about sixteen or eighteen years ago,
| That Ward McAllister came to New York