Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-11-13
PUBLIC BALLS.
MORE WILL Bl GIVEN THIS SlASON TEAM
EVER BlT0Rl
The People Who Give the Balls, BOW They are
Conducted, and Those Who
Attend Them.

A form OF social amusement which IS
growing in popularity in this city, in
spite of the opposition to it from GER
tain quarters, is the public ball. Nearly
every evening during the week one or
more OF these affairs is In progress in
some sections of the city, and upon the
ewes of holidays there is not vacant
hall in town. There appears to be a
natural division in public balls, the
'select" dance being one In which only
those bearing invitations are admitted,
and the other one for which tickets are
sold and an admission charged at the
door. The adjective ''grand" Is inva-
riably used in advertising a ball OF the
latter class.
A REGISTER reporter In the course OF
conversation, last evening, with
well-known leader of an orchestra which
furnishes the music for more than one
half OF the public balls in this city, in
quired as to the prospects for the pres
emit season. $50 far" he replied, tive
have played for more dances than ia the
CORES spending months last year. The
season of '9O-'91 was the best we ever
experienced, and the present prospects
are good for this season. In October
and November of last year, we played
for 42 balls. The orchestra is engaged
up to the second Friday after Lent, and
we are already booked for eight nights in
this month and eight In December. Last
year the latest dance took place at
Turner Hall on the evening OF April
Goth, and few days later the orchestra
played for picnic at Seibert's."
This orchestra plays for about one
hundred and twenty-five balls during
single cold season, and there are half
dozen other musical organizations,
which will make the aggregate number
of balls given in this city during
single season reach two hundred and
fifty. The season for balls and other
indoor amusements opens about the
middle of September, and continues in
full blast until the holidays. The
months of October and November are
the best. After the usual New Years
eve balls, the number given each week
gradually diminishes until the begin
ming of Lent, when there is an entire
suspension, not because OF desire to
observe that season from religious
motives, but because tho devo-
tees of Terpisichorean pleasures
have INDUCED their desires to excess,
and the public balls can no longer be
made profitable.
Public balls are given by "clubs" and
"socials" and now and then labor or
ganization for benevol lent object. Half
a dozen young men club together, de-
eide to give ball, or a series of balls,
and the first thing to come up Is the Sc
lection of a name, for upon that de-
ponds in no small measure the success
of the affairs. The"Jolly Five" or the
"Social Six" are favorite names, the
main idea being to get a term sugges-
tive of mirth and merriment. Popular
songs suggest names, as the "Annie
Rooney Social" the "Old Oaken Bucket
Club" ETC., while familiar theatrical
productions are kept before the public
in such names as the "Little Tycoon
Club" the "True Irish Hearts Social"
etc. No Hamlet Club" no ''Ingomar
Social" however. There are probably
a score or more or such organizations
in Wheeling, and they give balls at
periods varying from once week to
once month.
The balls are given for the purpose
of making money, and from that stand
point are almost invariably successful.
The uniform price OF admission is so
cents. The charge Of one dollar, with
refreshments free was tried as an ex-
pertinent, but it did not work. Each
member Of the orchestra is paid from
So to SIS per night, and there are from
three to eight "pieces" usually engaged.
The pay depends upon the number OF
hours. The printing is small consid-
Grafton, and the money for tickets, and
the revenue for beer, usually leave a
margin ranging from $40 to $500.
A great many tickets are
disposed of to persons who
do not attend, but are compelled to buy
them for various reasons. A half dozen
ball tickets can be seen behind the bar
of every saloon keeper In the city. One
Market street saloonist recently bought
seventeen ball tickets in one week. The
public ball business has assumed such
proportions that saloon keepers now
usually estimate certain amount in
their running expenses to be devoted
to that purpose. But the peo-
pie who are annoyed most by ticket
sellers are candidates and prospective
candidates, who must buy for fear OF
mourning the displeasure OF the man
who sells the tickets, thereby losing his
vote and influence. A section Of the
city which is never missed by ticket
vendors is the City Building, and
many of the officials carry
a half-dozen pieces of pasteboard
about In their pockets at all times. A
great many balls are given for the ben