The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-03-09
TOBEATALLR RECORDS
PREPARATIONS FOR NEW WORKS.
GREAT FRENCH BALL.

The great New York French ball of
1896 is expected to eclipse any in the
history of the charitable society which
for SO many years has presided over
these lively entertainments. 1t will be
a masquerade upon a grand scale, bril-
liantly conducted amid gorgeous and
picturesque surroundings, with every
Involvement held forth for novel and at
tractive costumes.
The French ball is the one bright spot
in the somber winter of New York for
many men about town and clubmen,
who look forward to it for many months
and backward to it for many more. 1t
is an institution identified with New
York winters.
Nowhere else in America does there
occur an entertainment at once SO
unique, so lively and S representative
of all that is gay and cosmopolitan. The
French ball attracts many visitors to the
city, men Of middle age who soberly
uphold the social fabric in some rich
interior city, or college students from
nearby universities who think to make
it the scene of riotous rejoicings, only
to be suppressed by the police there to
maintain order.
The French ball, although ostensibly
beginning early in the evening, never
gets we'll under way before midnight.
Then there is a steady inpour Of men in
evening dress coming from all the thea
tiers, while carriage after carriage drives
49, ~ ~ 70 rrlNnI tIo hnxl
soonest women in New York, all muffled
up, but with glimpses showing here and
there Of the brilliant costumes they wear.
From the dressing rooms on either
side these people emerge again upon the
main floor of the Madison Square Gar
den, all brilliantly lighted, where two
bands will be in attendance this year,
and the atmosphere will be heavy with
fragrance.
Among the preparations now going
on is an elaborate scheme of floral dec
orations. Flowers in profusion are to
decorate the interior Of the building.
Streamers of roses will hang from the
roof. The edges of the boxes will bear
floral decorations, and emblems and de-
signs will appear in various conspicuous
parts of the building, symbolizing gay
ETY., love, music, etc.
Order is to be maintained throughout
the evening, but spontaneous gayety,
which is likely to break out in the wine
room through the opening of cold bot
ties and the effervescing of lively spir-
its, will not be interfered with.
The wineroom is u Of the sights of
a French ball, and it generally wit
nesses a larger consumption Of cham
payne than takes place any other even
ing of the year. The profits from this
source are Of course very large, but, like
all the other profits of the French ball,
they go to maintaining an admirable
charity which has this one entertain
meDt as its main source OF s%ustenance.
The preparations for the ball are now
we'll under way, and costumes that will
appear are in process Of manufacture
either here or in Europe. The ball this
year, in general terms, is to be modelled
after the celebrated "Fetes de Nuts"
that attract SO many visitors to the Jar
din de Paris, the Moulin Rouge and the
Bal Butler, in Paris.
In addition to this entire change from
the programmes of French balls of pre-
vious winters in New York is a depar-
ture in the way of dancers. The services
Of theatrical managers nave been called
in 10 give to the entertainment j certain
direction without sacrificing any of the
spontaneity that is its essential Charac-
t~eristiC.
The town has been secured for the
prettiest girls that could be secured.
One hundred and fifty Of these have
been Retained by the Cerole Francois de
Harmonic, and they are being now
drilled in fancy dances and skillfully
devised marches.
Individual French dancers Of Boule-
ward repute are likewise coming from
Paris. You will not know as you mix
among the crowd of dancers o Madison
Square Garden floor whether the nun,
the fairy or the duchess to whom you
speak be a professional dancer or a look
er on.
The pa~ntaloon, the policeman or the
courtier who saunrers across the floor
may have just arrived from the Moulin
Rouge or he may be some we'll known
New York clubman appearing here in
this disguise.
These dancers may not even know
each other. They will dance in an effer-
vescent and unconnected way as it suits
tho fancy Of each, but it is said that
their dancing will be SO artistic that
they will instantly gather together little
groups Of admirers.
A new feature, never before intro.
duced at a French ball in New York, is
the gathering together Of all the mas.
queraders at a certain hour Of the even
ing for the purpose of passing judgment
upon their costumes. This will make a
grand march which for picturesqueness
and brilliancy it would be hard to equal.
The lady having the handsomest, the
most appropriate or the most striking
costume is TO be awarded by the judges
who will review this parade a diamond
crescent now on exhibition in a jewel
er's window. New York World.