The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-02
THE CASTELLANE FETE
GRAND FOURTH OF JULY FUNCTION
IN PARIS THAT COST 100000.
Among the 3.OO Guests Were All the
NabobS of the French Capital
in Royal Magnifcencc.
Emma Bullets Paris Letter in Brooklyn

Emma Bullets Paris Letter in Brooklyn
Eagle.
The Count and Countess Castellane (nee
Could have been the honored guests at
such a great number of dinners and re-
cepti6ns that they thought it
upon themselves TO return ii in some mag
nidcent way worthy of the title of the
master and the fortune of the mistress.
liz is doubtless the Count de Castellane
who has the revival OF the magnificence
displayed by Louis XIV in his royal fes-
tivities at heart. 1t is also he who must
have a special taste for the architecture
of that period. for the young couple Cas-
tellane Is about to build a mansion in the
Avenue de Bots de Boulogne which will
be a copy of the Trianon of Versailles,
and which will be furnished after the
style OF the same epoch. We hope, how
ever, with all the added modern improve
ments, for still at that time, except for
royalty. no room was set apart for baths
nor. indeed. for more summary washes,
and the women of the court dressed in
crowds in what we would call to-day pub
nc dressing rooms and slept in dormitories.
Let us also hope that in the dressing room
of the young countess the mirrors will all
be of one piece. for the walls of that of
=" tit aiu Il Still Nv
cred with small panes of looking glasses
which are so arranged that when you look
into one you have the horrible sight of
having your head severed from your body.
a horrible realization of the proverb,
Coming events cast their shadows be-
fore"
No place in the world Is more admirably
fitted for the getting up of a grand fete
than the Bots de Boulogne, and in the
Avenue des Acacias there is an Enclosure
called LIE tir aux pigeons belonging TO a
club. 1t is in this Enclosure that the great
Castellane fete took place, a fete that had
not its equal in the days Of the second
empires spendor.
The programme consisted of the reconsti-
tuition of the fifth day of the festivals at
tending upon the marriage OF Louis XIV
and Marie Therese of. Austria. and that
meant an expense of at least $40. 600 for
the changing of the grounds, for the con-
struction of decorations painted by the
best scenic artists, for the building Of an
immense amphitheater, for the erection of
an immense stage where the ancient plays
and dancing were to take place, for the
hundreds of yards of natural and artificial
vines and overs that were TO encircle
the whole place and the myriads of electric
Jets. In this feast the hosts desired their
2NNS@ ~ ANCl Go Al lhcN were III IL gar
den or Eden and at the same time as if
walking in the milky way of the heavens.
spent 70 feast the eyes of the blase and the
rich; 1t was also the desire of the count
and countess TO throw it into the circula-
ton, to enable a whole class of the Paris
population, who depends upon the luxury
OF the rich, to save a few francs. to live
through the dull season when all their
patrons are In their chateaux or at the
sea shore. In this grand feast they also
remembered the extreme poor, for in the
morning they sent $1,000 to the assistance
publique and as much to the Archbishop
OF Paris.
5000 GUESTS INVITED.
The portico, through which the $50 guests
invited to dine and the 5000 guests invited
for the evening entertainment were IN
pass, had three immense entrances. at
each of which, standing in lines. were ten
footmen,~ powdered and wearing the Cas-
tellane livery, white coat with gold aigui-
lettes, yellow waistcoat and black trousers
ana hose. This grand Louis XIV portico.
upheld with columns and ornamented with
red draperies. vines. flowers and plants
led to the hall of honor. in which stood
the Count and Countess CastelIane. the
MARQUIS and MaFquise de Castellane TO re-
ceive their guests. This salon. as well as
the dining room and an immense spec-
tacular hall. were built for the purpose
@@ - ~ NAAAo A0IOSAlC that III N Z
crowds stood. for, unfortunately. the sun
the emblem of the roi soleil, refused to as,
sist at this resuscitation and the DAVIS
ram made the walking on the grass quite
lmpractieable. But with a mine of gold at
ones disposal one can laugh AT the
heavens displeasure; the host had Is Oo0
and the lawns. ~
At 8 o'clock dinner was announced. The
dining room was entirely draped with
white hangings looped up with gold orns-
ments. In the panels were immense mir
rors which reflected the myriads of tinted
electric jets and the long lines of garlands
OF IVY and Smilax studded with 10. 900 nat
ural roses. On the SIDE of the wide lawn.
LOOKING out on ar Immense horizon. the
p Srns room was left open and the sight
nous terrace of the pavilion Henry " at
Saint Germain.
The tables were narveiously decorated
with MOWERS. vines and ribbons. The
countess herself must have attended to
this part of the orna mentations, for in
France the prOfusion of the table flowers
ana silver Is not as great as in America.
While the $50 guests were being seated
and during the Tepast a band played. and
sounded and responded to each other hid
den in fowery bowers. Those who make
collections of menus viii. perhaps. be
grand garden party:
Consomme princess.
Truites sauInonees sauce verte.
,Selle de pre-. sale hageolets bretonne.
supreme de volatile a la gelee~ estragannee.
Salad japonaise.
fraIses a Ia royale.
Desserts.
Wins. Saint Marieaux. Saint Pierre. Saint
Julien.
The dinner was so admirably served nv
forty liveried walters d'hotel tina IL lasted
but an hour. After the dinner the guests
repaired to the sale d'honneur, and there
admired the admirable floral displays. the
brilliant Nominations and listened to the
music played by invisible bands.
One of the royal houses of the world
naturally had to figure and represent mon
archy in all its gala splendor. The jana
nese prince. Fushimi. with his suite. op-
portunely being in town. arrived at 10. and
during the evening sat in a salon made up
OF ivy and French roses. and through an
open door looked upon the entertainment
of the evening.
FESTIVITIES AT II p. NJ.
At II the festivities began. Imagine-3. 900
persons seated in grounds lit up with 10000
Venetian lanterns: on one side a lake bor-
dered with a garland of electric lights.
and on which glided black and white
swans; on the other side an immense lawn
studded with marble statues, trees gleam-
ing with lanterns that threw a soft. weird
light over fountains and plots of flowers.
In front stood the Immense stage with the
reproduction of Louis XIV arch of tri-
umph. built of white columns. which, in
the dim light and into the darkness,
seemed 10 reach the sky. Between the
columns were three arched porticoes whose