Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-03
McALLISTER'S BALL
The -Four Hundred Guido Mr. Fish's Gen.
tennial Event.

NEW YORK, Jan. "A $4,000 ball is in
progress tonight at the Metropolitan opera
house and the chief spirit is Mr.. Ward
McAllister, he to whom is credited the
statement that New York's best society
consists of only 400. Last April McAllis-
ter was rendered exceedingly unhappy be-
cause Mr. Fish. who had the power to do
so, ousted him from the management of
the great centennial ball. Even
though that great frolic
was carried forward on the
lines projected by Mr.. McAllister before
his deposition it was not without features
which many persons, and among them
Mr.. McAllister, severely criticised. Mr.
McAllister then said he would get up a
ball of his own some time and demonstrate
what real perfect ball would be like and
the affair of tonight is to be the demon
stration. During its preparation there is
sad to have been frequent utterances to
De effect that this would be no Fish ball,
he intimation being that the centennial
ball which Mr.. Fish consummated upon
Mr.. McAllister's ideas would not be an
event of Importance in ball room history
after the story of the present fete should
have been written, and so tonight the Nc
Allister ball is on.
There are IA subscribers to the ball, in
Guiding William Aston, William Walderoff
Aston, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Chauncey
NJ. Depew, j. Pierrepont Morgan, William
&. Vanderbilt. Pierre Lorillard, Ogden
and Robert Goelet, Abram l. Hewitt. Ed
ward Cooper, Bradley Martin, Austin
Corbin. Henry Clews, Adrian Iselan.
Robert l.. Hargous, Oakley Rhindlander'
One OF Mr. McAllister' plans was to start
supper at clock a. m. and his annoyance
may be imagined when he became threat
ened with flood of policemen in the sup
per room to prevent the use of wine after
l O'Clock a. nj. Ii would have been trying
indeed to have misfit policemen in buttons
and helmets walking about upon them
selves and other people at the New Year
ball. so argument was brought to bear
apon the corporation counsel and he rem
sered an opinion to the commissioners
,hat the affair was not projected under the
opera house liquor license law and that
the guests could drink wine all night If
they wanted to.
The decorations are magnificent. Ia or
der 10 make the participants feel they are
n a ball room rather than an opera house,
he boxes have been hidden behind the
folds Of the richest floral curtainings and
age not TO be occupied at ali. They are
hung with garlands of roses and the gal
leries drilled with trees and holly. the
lower gallery being made into a mass OF
green with yellow flowers. 1t is the hand
semest decoration the Metropolitan opera
house has ever seen.
Tie patronesses of the ball includes Mrs.
William Astor, Mrs Delaney Kane.
Mrs Elliott Roosevelt, Mrs Phillip
Schuyler, Mrs George Peabody
Nilmore. They arrived at the opera
souse at 10 o'clock and were received by
Cornelius Vanderbilt, Byram X. Stevens
and Mr.. McAllister and were escorted TO
position where they should receive the
guests as they arrive. Some who came
gaily went rapidly and angrily home again
Tor forgotten or lost tickets. Each ticket
bore the name of the holder on the face
and the autograph of the issuing subscri-
Der ON the back. No person, however well
identified, was admitted without ticket
aid no explanations of how il was lost
or stolen or destroyed were received.
Each person presenting ticket
gas scrutiniZed and if the committee at
the door could not identify the person pre-
senting a ticket the subscriber Issuing the
ticket was hunted up and called on to
Identify his guest.
At IL o'clock the dancing floor was astir
with promenaders, and soon after the
strains of waltz music crept forth from
somewhere and the vast floor was whirl
with dancers. Supper was served at !
o'clock in a room where ], 200 might sit at
once, and there Were only $50 guests.
The lady patronesses were seated
at one table, presided over by
Mr.. McAllister, who had Mrs. VIM. Astor