The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-02-26
Z Patriotic Military ceremony to Begin
With-ghe Building Credit to City
and State-q6e Hitherto Homeless
Fourth and Its Honor
able Record.

The Subscription Ball of the Fourth
Regiment. N. c. N. j.. to inaugurate
the opening of the New Armory, is a
thing of the past: but its glories will
never be forgotten by those who were
present last night when the grand ex-
hTbition building was ablaze with light,
and resplendent with pretty women in
charming costumes. and gallant guards
men arrayed in all the glories of mill
rary finery. To speak by the card the
ball was really not the inauguration of
the immense castellated structure on
Bergen avenue. that win take place next
month when the high and mighty mill
tary officers of the State will formally
receive the building from the hands of
the contractor; but It was the beginning
of the social life of the Armory. whose
grim walls will often. In the future. wit
ness scenes of mirth and revelry as well
as those of the dull routine of military
life
For many months every member of
tne regiment. from Colonel Abernethy
down to the most recent acquisition to
the Awkward Squad. has thought and
talked and dreamt of nothing else but
the ball. Feyerish anxiety and excite,
ment pervaded the drill and company
rooms throughout the city. One might
have really imagined that a hostile army
was on the eve of invading our terri
tory. so preoccupied was everybody in
the regiment.
The Committee of Arrangements. conn
posed of Major Robert G. Smith. Captain
j. Howard Buns ted. Jr.. Captain Henry
Spielman, Lieutenant A. L. Rue Chris
tie and Lieutenant John ]. Broderick
thought they had a soft. easy snap when
they were appointed. but when enquiries
and apDlicat tons began to pour in. and in
quisitive people who wanted to know-you-
know. teased. perplexed. worried and
bothered them. these poor officers chang
ed their minds. They then realized what
had to be done to make this event one
to be talked of by their children's chill
dren. and with true military instinct
and obedience to duty. lent all their at
tention and devoted all their energies to
the success of the Subscription Ball
Universal praise bestowed last night fol
their work is a sufficient reward for theil
untdring labors in behalf of the regiment
which, through the ball. has received ar
impetus in popular favor the effects OF
which must unquestionabIy be beneficial
to the prestige of the regiment.
PLENTY OF WORK TO DO.
The preparations for the great event
were unusually extensive and kept the
committee fully occupied every day fol-
weeks past. Innumerable were the con
situations with Colonel Abernethy as tt
the disposition of this and that. In the
meantime a horde of men and wemer
were busy transforming the exhibitor
hall into veritable Fairy scene. ant
carpenters and decorators swarmed IL
eyery part of the vast structure. litter
ing the rooms. with their tools ant
material. Towards evening yesterday
everything was in order and the com
mittee breathed easily. the first time fol
weeks.
About eight o'clock squad of polio,
marched from the Seventh police station
house under the command of Captain
Cox. Half of them guarded the coveret
entrance built under the massive port
cl1llis of the main gate. and the remain
der were stationed In various part
throughout the btfldfng. With then
were Detectives Pearson. McNaiiy. Lar
kins. Douglass. Doyle and Kilcauley
who laovered about the ladies dressln'
rooms. looking sharplx around for hsht