Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-01-18
THE MILITARY BALL
In the Beautifully Decorated
ArmOry.
The Music, Costumes and other Fea-
lures of the Great Social Event,

The night Tuesday was not only filled
with music, the cares of life not only folded
their tents like the Arabs and as silently
stole away, but these conditions prevailed
amid such surroundings of beauty and fes
tvity as were in themselves a delight.
But we beg your pardon, kind reader. 1t
is the military ball we are talking about.
The Estey Guard and Fuller Battery have
given balls before, but the Others are dim
med in the lustre of this. To those who
had in memory the armory of old, the first
impression on entering was one Of the ode
formed transformed" or something to that
effect. To begin WITH the remodelng of
the armory, with its interior of clean, white
sheathing, was an important step. Added
to this were days of labor spent in artist
caly arranging a thousand yards Of red
white and blue bunting, hundreds of flags
soldiers accoutrements, embems. etc, un-
Til the scene was one of striking color and
ornamentaton. Four large arc lights
brilliantly Illuminated the scene, which
only needed such company as gathered
military officials, in the snowy uniforms of
their ranks, non-commissiOned officers and
privates lin their parade uniforms, civilians
in full dress, and the women, Kaleidoscope
in their variety of rich toilets-well to be
brief, they were the feature, par excellence,
of the beautiful panorama.
After one had stepped upon the floor
and the confused impression of mrages,
raiubowS, and all that sort of thing, had
passed, he began to make a mental memo
randa, and this is what the decorations
showed:
Overhead were the large red, white and
blue bunting streamers, festooned from the
centre to the sides ana corners of the build
ing. \ centrepice was formed of sabres
representing the spokcs of a rimess wheel.
Midway between the centre and ends of
the hall were two large United States flags
extended at full length amid the streamers.
just below the roof were alternate sections
OF red and blue bunting, draped with fas
Jennings of white, while small flags were
fastened from the rafters
Along the front of the balconies running
the entire length of the hall was a solid
mass Of red bunting, draped at the posts,
and on the posts shields of red, white and
blue. The posts were covered with bright
colors. Along the bunting were muskets
and sabres. At the sides of the floor, Gov
cred with white duck, were the cushioned
settees for the dancers. At the right side,
opposite the centre, was the stand of the
reception committee. with hgh-backed
chairs of oak in from of which were draped
at the sides United States FLAG and Yer
mont state flag, the Vermont military ban
ner forming the background. Draperies
covered the windows, high up, at the end
of the hall. The windows at the sides, be-
| meath the balconies, were covered with
| flags of the different nations, flag being
| also between each pair of windows. Star
/ cloth and national coloIs covered the ap-
! proaches to the stairways.
A sand-bag fort was built at the north
end of the hall, with an opening in the cen
| tire for tent, with stacked arms at the
sides Over the walls of the fort peered
| the muzzles of Fuller Battery guns, with
! company flags on stats rising from them.
| In the rear was the country scene painted
for the Estey Guard Dramatic club by
| Charles BTasor, forming a background.
Above the fort was the orchestra stand,
with The Estey Guard street sign in front,
the golden eagle in the centre, and flags
and arms at the sides, and also under the
new big sounding board.
Turning, one saw over main entrance to
the hall an immense United States flag, so
folded as to drape a large representation of
| Columbia. Over the entrances to the
dressing rooms were pictures of eX-Gov.
Fuller and Gen. Estey. Large mirrors
neie Pl@I T neai e"'n Vi 'Ho i'u' wi neis
Vi Ihe hali'
DuI we uesI 81 lnele was iot unole'
III Tue way Vi iaes' company einoieils etc.'
memory refuses to say.
ne nlaJoll'S were .co PIeooouPleu "
Juuge vi Ine oUnceIT' "uIon was vi ai1Is'lC
TehueIiIs suIn as tne Nei inaills pay ~, VI
Dostun haNe Vne IePu'a1ioi VI giving Inc
| Numbers were as follows.
! Overture, "Mignon, Thomas
Two Hungarian dances Brahms
! RomanZa. Francois Behr
/ Concert waltz, vienna hoods Strauss
! First finale from '1annhauser, Wagner
A.,bo olos, of Tho oo,oor, p,,,,lors pro
Az the close ol tne concert buSleIs ORA
! and Hacl,lav Of tho Rattarv aDnaarad ont
- -, SFPS -, ~
slue Ihe walls Oh the lott anu souliueu lhe
| assembly call, the signal to form for the
Grand march. under The lead of Gen. and
| E' - -, - 81
Mrs Estey, who were followed by Col
! Miles and Mrs. Lawton, Col. and Mrs.
Hooker and 90 to 100 more couples.
| - - IN .
As the company came down the hail at
its fnlI width tbe eject on the sneciatorS
Ies ~ ol' wy
was manifested Dy ROUNDS OF applause
And then the dancing began, the merri-
est time of all LASTING mill y O'clock
-, - -,
! Win the exception Ol HlleIlhISsloui when
/ Caterer Wood of Greenfield served refresh
/ r,apts IN tho Quarters abovs the drassino
~ 80 a. -, w.
! roollS' Inc qually Oh the Iepasl WAS "A /,
! and the only difficulty was in serving the
! dancars who nressed forward at once in
-. - - =, No., Iia;,,i, -, 80, g.
such oouy ludI II WAS ullllCulI 10 care loI
them.
Rut Won naturally ask what did the
-, NV VII - i i;st T,,,inI,